2013 News Archive Stories

SAN LUIS, Ariz. — A consultant is recommending a sewer rate increase of up to 30 percent and a smaller water rate hike to fund improvements to this city’s utility systems and to make the services pay for themselves. The increases would take effect in July and would be followed by additional hikes through 201

A wildfire north of Picacho Peak had consumed about 300 acres as of Sunday night. Smoke could be seen from Yuma.The Island Lake Fire is burning completely inside Arizona and was zero percent contained as of about 9:30 p.m., according to the Rural/Metro Fire Department. The blaze is burning mostly to the north, following the river, an

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

On Thursday evening, George and Barbara Rouff accepted an award at Arizona Western College for instilling the importance of pursuing a higher education in the lives of their 11 children. With 19 and a half years separating the youngest and oldest of the Rouff children, all followed the family tradition of first graduating from Y

An American flag measuring 65 feet in height and 112 feet in length was unfurled for all of the drivers and crew at Cocopah Speedway to hold in honor of Armed Forces Night Saturday. Yuma resident Bob Tuffly commissioned the flag in honor of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks nearly a decade ago, and it was constructed by Sew

SAN LUIS, Ariz. — Youth groups were the first beneficiaries of a new fund set up to finance arts, culture and community service programs in this city.In what are the first distributions from the San Luis Community Fund, $5,000 in grants has been divided among five organizations over the past year.The most recent all

The field of potential candidates for Yuma city mayor has grown with Karen Watts recently taking out a nomination packet for the position. Incumbent Mayor Al Krieger has announced he will not run for re-election. Others who have taken out nomination packets to run for mayor include Douglas Nicholls, Jack Kretzer

Yuma police are looking for a shotgun-wielding mugger that they say robbed a pedestrian Friday night.According to the Yuma Police Department, the robbery happened at about 10:50 p.m. in the 2000 block of South 3rd Avenue. The victim was walking down the street when a white Ford Explorer with multiple people inside pulled alongside th

The Marine Corps, as the smallest branch of service, prides itself on having a high percentage of service members who are considered "force multipliers." They often handle the responsibilities of two or more Marines of equal or higher grade and set an extraordinary example for their peers to follow. A select few of these Marine&

Firehouse Subs is coming to Yuma with plans to open a restaurant at 1630 S. Pacific Ave. in Yuma Plaza Shops A. The company anticipates opening in early fall.The sandwich shop was founded in 1994 in Jacksonville, Fla., by brothers Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, who had both been firefighters. Today, it is a 618-unit casual restau

One man wakes in the dead of night, when the bugs are most active, to round them up by hand. Another spends hours on the phone every week, calling inspectors and lawyers and regulators and advocates. And yet another sprays insecticide directly onto his mattress, right about where he'd lay his head.These men are neighbors at the San C

The Yuma County Board of Supervisors will take public comment Monday on the county's anticipated purchase of a downtown building.The county is gearing up to take out a $7.5 million loan to purchase and renovate the currently vacant 50,000-square foot building at 197 S. Main St., directly across from the county's administrative headqu

The Yuma City Council will begin work on the 2013-14 budget with a special work session and roundtable at 4:30 p.m. Monday in the council chambers, Yuma City Hall, One City Plaza.During the special meeting, the council will hear an overview of the recommendations for funding of outside agencies, the mayor and council budget and propo

A U.S. citizen residing in Mexico and a Somerton man were arrested after allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 25 pounds of methamphetamine and about 34 pounds of cocaine through the San Luis Port of Entry during two separate incidents Wednesday and Thursday.The combined estimated worth of the drugs is $699,000.On Wed

The following is a list of bills voted on in the Arizona House Senate during the week of April 26. Each item contains the bill number, a brief description and whether the bill passed or failed. Also included is how your Yuma legislators voted. For more information on each bill, visit www.azleg.gov and enter the bill number in the search box in t

After Glenn Mayle's parents were killed when he was 13 years old, his sister Pearl Garcia took him into her home even though she was raising three children at the time. “I could never repay her and her husband for all they did for me,” said Mayle, the president of Arizona Western College.Mayle said that in add

Starting Monday, officers with the Yuma Police Department will be monitoring 16th Street as part of the ongoing Project Drive Safe.Officers will be watching for speeding, red light and turning violations.As of May 6, Drive Safe has resulted in 435 citations.

Somerton voters on Tuesday will elect two new city council members and decide whether to place a limit on annual increases in the city budget.Four candidates are competing in the general election for two four-year terms on the council. They are incumbent Councilman Miguel Villalpando, former Councilman Arturo Vargas, and Carlos Gonza

Eighty-five cancer survivors, men and women, young and old, from all walks of life, carried turquoise flags in a parade opening an event celebrating the soon-to-be-built Yuma Regional Cancer Center.At the end of the Friday ceremony, the flags were planted on the site of the new cancer center – looking much like a sea of blue wa

The man who jumped over the counter of the Wells Fargo Bank in the Foothills last September while brandishing a weapon as he stole money from the teller's cash drawer has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison.According to the United States Attorney's Office – District of Arizona, 47-year-old Jon Phillip Carstens,

A new trial date has been set for one of the suspects charged in connection to the April 18, 2012, murder of another man with a baseball bat, in what turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. Meanwhile, a second suspect in the case has entered into a plea agreement.Manuel Bustamante’s trial has been rescheduled for 9 a.m. June 11

A change of plea hearing for a professional dancer who secretly videotaped victims with a hidden camera while they were undressing, including at least three instances in Yuma while he was a guest artist in community performances, has been postponed until next month.Bryan Cheuk Mun Wong, former Yuma resident who is facing multiple cha

Yuma detectives are seeking information from the public to help create a timeline of 24-year-old Jessica Monique Sanchez's activities during the days leading up to her death.Her body was found Monday night in an orange grove near County 16th Street and Avenue 3 ½ E. Officials with the Yuma Police Department have not commented

The North End Art Walk took place in Yuma on Friday night, May 17, 2013.

PHOENIX – It's the first time in her seven years in the Arizona Legislature that Sen. Lynne Pancrazi, D-Yuma, has seen such cooperation between Democrats and Republicans.“Finally we have a bipartisanship budget that we're sending over to the House, and I hope the House can match it,” she said.This bipart