2013 Special Features Archive Stories

Yuma is well-supplied with manufactured homes. According to a U.S. Census Bureau report, 29 percent of housing units in the Yuma metro area are mobile homes. That’s plentiful enough for second in the nation, not too far behind Farmington, N.M. (where 32 percent of homes are mobile) and just ahead of another western Arizona region:

Despite the poor economy, business is booming for the “car row” dealerships east of the Big Curve along 32nd Street.Over the past two years, several dealerships have built new showrooms and service centers to accommodate the increase in customers and to promote new business all while beautifying the area.Yuma

Artist Shaun Sosinski buys his paint in the hardware department and uses a paintbrush he has to shake between each use.For this Sosinski, inspiration lands on the canvas with a colorful hiss.The Yuma man has mastered making art with pencil. He also knows how to paint in the traditional style, using everything from waterco

The Arizona Department of Transportation is accepting public comment about the proposed Interstate 8/Araby Road traffic interchange project as part of its planning phase.The project consists of removing the traffic signals at the Araby Road traffic interchange at I-8 and replacing them with roundabouts with the intent of improving sa

No matter that their mother passed away 20 years ago, Frances Murrietta and her siblings gather at her graveside in San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., every Mother's Day to honor her.For them, Yolanda Sanchez de Valdez is alive in spirit and memory, if not in body.“We sing to her, we bring her flowers,” said Murriet

Army veteran Joe “Tiger” Patrick II, who served in Operation Desert Storm, has been walking across America to honor those he calls the fallen heroes of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. On Thursday he stopped off at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, where he met with members of the news media and photojournalists who were at th

The undulations of Martinez Lake Road are one step closer to becoming a memory. The Yuma County Board of Supervisors agreed unanimously Monday to let the county further pursue a $10.075 million grant with the Federal Highway Administration that would flatten and add drainage features to the road leading to the popular marine destination

On the night before Chester Daffern shipped off to Afghanistan for his seventh tour of duty in September, he was at Cocopah Speedway where he watched his cousin win a race.On the night he returned from that tour of duty he was at Cocopah Speedway, again, watching his cousin win, again.The fact that his cousin won another

It's a long road from the excavating and paving business to manufacturing family fun — and even years of experience laying asphalt didn't prevent a few bumps along the way.Now Brice and Becky Zeller, the locals who brought Yuma its first full-scale water park, look forward to a smoother path as Waylon's Water World enjoys its f

Season passes for the Imperial Sand Dunes could be eliminated and weekly passes could climb by $10 as the Bureau of Land Management seeks to shore up falling revenues at the off-roading destination. If approved, a proposal by the BLM to make weekly passes the only way to park inside the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA) at a co

A Yuma man is cherishing a one-of-a-kind piece of history from World War II that was given to him several years ago by his brother shortly before he died. Talking in a low tone that was both a mixture of immense pride and deep sadness, Filemon Tellez said his brother, David, survived the Bataan Death March and went on to spend more t

Yuma's agriculture and the Colorado River go hand in hand. Take the water away and agriculture would likely dry up. What would be the impact to Yuma County if locally grown crops died out?“It would be pretty devastating,” said George Frisvold, a professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University of Arizona

Reading is magical, for a variety of reasons. It opens doors to worlds of adventure and imagination, while at the same time, it's a skill that is essential to one's success as an adult. Reading to our kids at every stage – from in utero on – provides a variety of benefits. Stumped on how to get your child to l

In an issue devoted to reading, of course there is an article devoted to technology and how it helps children in learning the first, and most fundamental, of the three Rs.Well, this column is going to go a step further. That article focuses on smart phones and tablets, and the apps that encourage and teach younglings how to read. Whi

Yuma County is full of programs and resources to get kids excited about reading. Thanks to a grant from First Things First, Yuma libraries are expected to receive multiple AWE (Advanced Workstations in Education) ELS (Early Literacy Stations), filled with early literacy games and activities for children to take advantage of.

During a recent Babytime at the Yuma Main Library, Marina Torres cuddled with her 14-month-old son, Esteban, as she read him the rhyming children's book, “Find the Bird.”Reading together is a special time for mother and toddler. Torres has been reading to him since she was pregnant with him, voicing everything out loud, e

Learning begins at birth, and parents use the basic principles of reading, talking to and nurturing their child to help them start getting kids ready for school. In addition to the tips below, parents are encouraged to check libraries, newspapers, websites, community centers and bulletin boards for local events and additional resourc

With the end of the school year rapidly approaching for many students, parents may be wondering where they can take their children during the summer to participate in fun and educational activities. The answer? Your local library.There are eight public libraries located throughout the county. Each is operated by the Yuma County Libra

With Arizona third-grade students required to meet reading standards at the end of the 2013-2014 before moving up a grade level, local elementary schools have ramped up their focus on literacy.As part of the “Move on When Reading” initiative, if students do not meet the standards, they will be retained in third grade and

Emily Scherrer, the youth services manager at the Yuma County Library, knows what the youngest bookworms like. Check out some of her suggestions for the little ones, whether they can read on their own yet or not.BABIES & TODDLERS (3 and younger)Board books made of sturdy paperboard (or washable cloth for those prolifi

Two-year-old Micah Blackburn is an expert at using his mom's iPad and iPhone. Without any help, he swipes his little finger across the screen, finds the e-book app he wants and presses and picks his way around the interactive story.“I play them with him the first few times and then he can do it on his own,” said his mom,

Husband and wife team Dr. Nader Haddad and Dr. Dania Sweidan operate Yuma Women Clinic, which focuses on obstetrics and gynecology services. Their goal is to provide good communication and personalized care with their patients. In fact, their web site notes, “You are not ‘that patient who is having a hysterectomy or the patient who i

On the heels of the Great Recession, one might consider adding financial literacy to the list of skills student lack.In his recent State of the Union address, President Barack Obama spoke of seeing a “Sputnik moment” for the nation's education system and the need to better prepare students with skills in math and science.

Nine years ago, Arizona Counseling & Treatment Services consisted of an office in Yuma with a handful of employees.Since then, the behavioral health services provider has grown into an organization of more than 200 employees, with 13 offices throughout the southern half of the state.ACTS officials attribute that growt

Imagine yourself saying goodbye each the morning to your family so you can go to work, where ...You are greeted by your family.Okay, the people who work at Women's Health Specialists don't all make up one biological family. But make no mistake: The Yuma health care provider creates and promotes a workplace environment tha