Yuma Proving Ground has permanent counter-drone test lanes. What the September exercise proved, why Yuma was chosen, and what remains unknown locally.
YUMA INFORMED
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A test drone is shot down during Falcon Peak 26.2 on September 22, 2026 (left), while a Teledyne FLIR Cerberus XL counter-drone system is demonstrated at Yuma Proving Ground on September 21 (right). The exercise established permanent counter-drone testing lanes at the installation. Credit: U.S. Department of War photos by Staff Sgt. Colten Tessness (left) and John Ingle (right), via DVIDS. Composite by Yuma Informed. 
After years of drainage complaints, Yuma has approved a $406,615 permanent pumping system for the La Quinta retention basin. The project aims to reduce standing water and the need for portable pumps after storms. Credit: SI-generated illustration / Yuma Informed Yuma approved a permanent pump system for La Quinta basin, where high groundwater leaves standing water. The plan sends runoff to a Mesquite Elementary field.
Caption: Yuma City Council finalized a landscape maintenance district for Saguaro Units 7 and 8 on October 7, 2026. Future property owners will pay for landscaping upkeep through property tax assessments, but the annual cost has not yet been determined. Credit: Credit: Yuma Informed | SI-generated illustration Yuma finalized a landscaping maintenance district for Saguaro Units 7 and 8. Future costs will reach affected property tax bills, but amounts and a billing year remain unset.
Students arrive for an Arizona Western College Senior Day event in Yuma. The campus visits give local high school seniors a chance to explore programs, tour the college and ask questions about what comes next. Credit: Photo courtesy of Arizona Western College; collage illustration by Yuma Informed. AWC Senior Days run Oct. 14–29, 2026. Find each school’s date, campus hours, activities and verified contacts for arranging a visit.
An architectural rendering of the proposed Yuma Arizona Temple at East 36th Street and South Avenue 8E. The city has approved preliminary site work, while construction permits for the temple building remain pending. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints / Intellectual Reserve, Inc. Yuma issued grading, plumbing and stormwater permits October 7 for the temple site. Building applications remain pending, and a work start is unverified.
Caption: Ethan Riley Kotlinski has been found competent to stand trial in a Yuma child sexual abuse case. His trial is expected in February 2027. He has pleaded not guilty. Credit: Yuma Informed | Yuma County Sheriff's Office KYMA reports Ethan Kotlinski is competent to stand trial. Court listings show four counts each for him and Amanda; exact trial dates remain unverified.
Republican incumbent Tim Dunn and Democratic challenger Laura Huber face off for Arizona's Legislative District 25 Senate seat on November 3, 2026. Their competing priorities could shape decisions affecting Yuma's water supply, public schools, health care and utility costs. Credit: Yuma Informed / SI-generated editorial illustration Compare Tim Dunn's legislative record with Laura Huber's proposals on water, schools, health care and development in Arizona's LD25 Senate race.
Leaf lettuce growing under handline irrigation in Yuma, Arizona, photographed October 4, 2011. The image is illustrative and does not depict a project identified in this article. Credit: Jeff Vanuga / USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service | Public domain (U.S. government work) Yuma County has four documented REAP awards. New USDA rules require completed projects and a year of performance before farmers and rural businesses apply.
Why this matters to Yuma: Four official REAP grant records identify projects in Yuma County. A 2023 San Luis award funded adding batteries to rooftop solar, a project type excluded from future grants by the October 2026 rule. Pumping, cooling and packing operations seeking assistance face new timing and financing requirements; no specific local funding loss is established.
Preparing for what's next. The new AZYouthforce Center at the Boys & Girls Club of Yuma offers teenagers a space to build career skills, from writing resumes to practicing job interviews. Local paid internship opportunities remain unconfirmed. Credit: Editorial illustration | Yuma Informed Yuma's new teen career center offers space for resumes and interview practice. Local paid placements, employers and program costs remain unconfirmed.
Agricultural fields in Yuma, Arizona. City Council is considering annexing approximately 70.8 acres southeast of 43rd Street and Avenue 4E as a step toward possible industrial development. The photograph is illustrative and does not show the proposed annexation site. Credit: Jeff Vanuga / USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, provided this is the previously identified USDA photograph. Yuma plans an October 21 annexation vote on 70.8 acres. Industrial rezoning would come later, with developers paying utility extensions.
A minimalist, stick-figure interpretation of a group portrait, using simple lines and subtle colors to recreate the original photograph. Credit: Illustration for Yuma Informed, based on an original photograph. Yuma approved five-year Caballeros fee waivers and a $60,000 annual community commitment. Records do not price the waivers or show past compliance.
Yuma City Council approved a $1.31 million contract to replace the Jackrabbit Mesa sewer lift station on East Mesa. The project aims to improve wastewater pumping capacity and address pressure limitations identified in the city's master plan. Photo is illustrative, not the Jackrabbit Mesa facility. Credit: Yuma Informed, SI-assisted. Yuma approved a $1.31 million Jackrabbit Mesa sewer lift station replacement to address pumping and capacity needs, with construction anticipated November to March.
Childlike crayon-style illustration of a storm uprooting a tree and dropping it onto a car during heavy wind and rain. Credit: SI Illustration for Yuma Informed Storm-related outages disrupted Wellton water service, later restored. KYMA reported Foothills property damage; Yuma recorded a 53-mph gust October 10.
A border fence illustration based on a local photograph highlights the October 12, 2026 deadline for public comments on a federal plan for approximately 23 miles of new secondary barrier in Yuma County. Credit: Dan Bustard / Yuma Informed Comments on 23 miles of secondary border wall in Yuma County close October 12, 2026. What CBP proposes, where work is underway and how to respond.
Arizona state Sen. Brian Fernandez speaks at an event in Phoenix on April 12, 2022. (File photo) Credit: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brian_Fernandez_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ News
Questions Surround Sen. Brian Fernandez's AWC Ties Following State Funding and Housing Revelations
Public records confirm Fernandez’s declared address at a property owned by an AWC executive and a $15 million allocation naming the college. Rent, financial benefits and disclosure compliance remain unresolved.
A Yuma mother says her son's gravesite has been vandalized twice. The memorial plaque is missing and the flowers were damaged. Credit: Yuma Informed Mercedes Hernandez describes damage to her son's memorial. Police findings, incident dates and the plaque's whereabouts remain unconfirmed.
New World screwworm detections in northern Mexico have prompted increased attention to animal health and cross-border pet travel. This composite illustration represents the regional threat and veterinary documentation requirements; its map markers are illustrative, not verified case locations. Credit: Yuma Informed / SI-generated editorial illustration Sonora reports 123 active animal cases while Arizona reports none. Dogs crossing through San Luis need screwworm inspection documents for Mexico entry and U.S. return, under different rules.
Medicare's annual Open Enrollment period runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, allowing eligible beneficiaries to review and change coverage for 2027. Free Medicare counseling is available to Yuma County residents through WACOG. Credit: Yuma Informed / SI-generated editorial illustration Yuma County Medicare beneficiaries have October 15 through December 7 to review coverage for 2027. Here is what can change, how to avoid impersonation scams and where to find free local counseling.
A single-engine aircraft crashed in an agricultural field near Somerton on October 5, 2026. Emergency crews rescued the pilot and transported him for medical treatment. The background is an illustrative aerial-style rendering, not a verified photograph or map of the crash site. Credit: Yuma Informed / SI-generated editorial illustration A pilot was freed from an aircraft after the October 5 crash near County 12th Street and Avenue G. Public accounts differ on who performed the rescue, and the cause remains unresolved.
Southwest Early College Academy in San Luis was named one of 10 finalists worldwide in the Overcoming Adversity category of the 2026 World's Best School Prizes. The recognition is a category shortlist, not an overall global school ranking. Credit: Yuma Informed / Editorial graphic Southwest Early College Academy’s AWC partnership dates to 2007. Records show expanded college access and mixed schoolwide results as public voting continues through October 29.