Valeria Rodriguez looks back on the year in Yuma County based on the year’s top stories.
YUMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – As 2024 draws to a close, we’d like to highlight the top local stories that caught your attention this year.
Crime-related articles received the most attention from viewers in the Desert Southwest.
“Unfortunately, Miss Kissinger was found at the bottom of the ridge, approximately 400 meters from the main trail, suffering from trauma associated with the fall,” said Sgt. Edgar Gira of the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO).
The year started with a 58-year-old woman found dead after hiking in the Telegraph Pass area in February.
Just one month later, Rural Metro Fire Department (RMFD) responded to a car crash with a fire in early March. The driver died from his injuries.
Towards the end of March, a teenager was killed when his truck plunged into a canal, leaving him trapped and unable to escape. Jacob Kelly, 15, left behind four siblings and his parents.
“And he knew that and still treated me like he was my baby. If he could have survived, he would have outlived all of us, we loved him so much,” said Daniel and Jerimiah Kelly, Jacob’s parents.
In June, another car crash at 14th Street and 11th Avenue claimed the lives of two people, a 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old girl.
In other crime-related news, a cache containing more than 20 migrants was seized by Border Patrol agents in the Yuma area in August.
Later that month, the Yuma Fire Department (YFD) responded to a residential fire at Avenue C and 12th Street.
We also featured local icons that did not disappoint. The rock at Wendy’s in the Foothills has rocked the community because it has unique features. facebook page With over 2,000 friends.
In October, two brothers brought a new swap meet to Yuma County, right in front of the Cocopa Casino, after the town’s old swap meet closed last year.
“This is something the community needs,” said Luis Guzman, manager of 95 Swap Meet.
In November, human remains were discovered in a burnt pile on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, and the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) called it a homicide and identified a person of interest.
It also featured two Emmy Award-winning stories, including Uma’s own “Tom the Trucker Cat.” Tom was missing for 40 days in central Minnesota and was found after community members rallied to help find and return him.
“We depend on this community and we thank God for all these people,” Tom’s owner Marie Sanchez said.
There were also headlines that shook the weather. Although we didn’t have much rain, we did see quite a bit of heat, setting a new record for Yuma’s hottest summer. The hottest day was July 8th at 117 degrees.
In the sports world, former Cofa High School baseball coach Gabe Ortiz became the first Yuma native to be called up to the big leagues as a full-time coach for the Miami Marlins in the Major League Baseball (MLB) organization.
“It’s surreal. It hasn’t sunk in yet… It doesn’t seem real. It might not sink in for a while,” Ortiz said.
Additionally, longtime Yuma Catholic football coach Rhett Stallworth announced that this year will be the final season of his storied career.
“I’ve been coaching for 30 years, and I’m at a slightly different stage in my life right now,” Stallworth said.
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