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Russell and Scott McCloud join us from Fort Yuma Rotary to talk about service, leadership, and the real impact Rotary continues to have in Yuma. We’re diving into what Rotary actually does, why community involvement matters, and the people behind the work. In the final part of the conversation, we’re getting into Mardi Gras on Main, happening Friday night — what to expect, why Rotary puts it on, and how this event supports local causes.

Yuma native John Durazo is a Lead Wealth Advisor at Yuma & Imperial Valley Wealth Management. Initially joining the company in 2018 as an intern, John is passionate about helping people understand money in a way that actually makes sense, especially when it comes to inflation, saving strategies, and building long-term financial independence. Outside of work, John stays involved in the community through nonprofit boards like United Way of Yuma, serves at Church for the City on the production team, and he’s heading into a big season of life with his wedding coming up in February.

Scott Gross is the Sports Information Director for Arizona Western College and the voice behind Matador Athletics coverage, play-by-play, and storytelling. After nearly 30 years in broadcast journalism and several years as a familiar face in local TV sports here in Yuma, Scott stepped into a major role at AWC helping promote Matador athletics through game coverage, stats, schedules, and community partnerships. Today we’re catching up on what he’s been up to since taking the job, what’s happening right now in Matador sports, and we’re also talking about the Mascot Challenge and Play 4 Kay campaign raising money for breast cancer awareness.

Joel Prickett is the head softball coach for the Arizona Western College Matadors and is entering his second year leading the program. After being hired in May of 2024 with just six players signed, Coach Prickett quickly built a roster that went on to win the Region 1 Championship and earn a trip to the NJCAA National Tournament. With more than 26 years of collegiate coaching experience and over 760 career wins, Prickett brings a proven track record of winning, player development, and graduating student-athletes while building championship culture wherever he goes. The AWC Softball schedule can be found here.

Jeff Byrd is a longtime Yuma community leader who’s worn a lot of hats over the years, from financial services to nonprofit board service. Jeff recently joined the Avenir Financial team. He’s been deeply involved in causes that matter locally, including food insecurity and community support, and today he’s back on the show to talk about something new he’s been working on. This conversation gives Jeff space to share what sparked it, why it matters, and how it connects back to Yuma. Operation: Stop Scams will be presented on Tuesday, February 3rd at the Yuma Main Library.

Jon Wente joins the show to talk about his connection to Yuma, returning to the ACCAC, and stepping into the role of Head Baseball Coach at Arizona Western College. With nearly three decades of coaching experience across junior college, Division I, and international competition, Joe shares his vision for Matador Baseball and what fans can expect moving forward. Jon teaches the student-athletes to play for the name on the front (of the uniform), more than the name on the back. Live and On-demand AWC Matador games can be found online.

Amber Thornton brought the community side of today’s conversation, sharing her work with Culligan Water of Yuma and her leadership as the Lead for Relay For Life of Yuma County. We talked about the record-breaking 2025 Relay, raising over $204,000, the impact of community-driven fundraising, and how Yuma residents continue to show up in powerful ways for one another. Relay For Life of Yuma County was named the 2025 American Cancer Society West Region Event of the Year.

Shanen Aranmór is an educator, Certified Welding Inspector and national presenter who took an unconventional path into the skilled trades after leaving a career in academia. She’s the founder of Weld Like A Girl, where she works with people of all ages through welding education, community projects and certification services. Today, her work also includes Welder Corps, a job-readiness program focused on veterans and their families while addressing the skilled trades gap. She also hosts , The Money Machine, a program about trades.

Cris Drewek, is a creative and performer whose journey to Yuma began through community and collaboration. Since arriving, he’s become deeply involved with Yuma Community Theater, not only acting in multiple productions but also helping build sets behind the scenes. His work with YCT reflects a hands-on commitment to storytelling, craftsmanship and strengthening local arts through true community involvement. Today’s conversation dives into purpose, creative work that matters and why building — whether with metal or on a stage — can change lives and communities. Thank You toTaco Lab, who surprised us with a snack.

Kyle Kuechel and Junior Evans are Yuma natives who’ve built their careers in agriculture while staying deeply connected to this community. Both work across Arizona, Southern California, and Hawaii supporting growers for global ag companies, and both serve in leadership roles that give back locally through organizations like California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA) and the Yuma County Ag Producers Scholarship (YCAPS). We talked about growing up in Yuma, building careers in agriculture, the responsibility of leadership, and YCAPS is supporting local students through new scholarship distributions and the inaugural John Palumbo Memorial Golf Tournament on April 18th.