Mara Knaub

Yuma

Business and City Government Weporter at Yuma Sun

I'm currently a reporter for the Yuma Sun. I'm an Arizona girl - grew up in Nogales, currently live in Yuma, spent many years in the beautiful White Mountains.

Featured in: Favicon

yumasun.com Favicon

ivpressonline.com Favicon

wmicentral.com Favicon

roselawgroupreporter.com

Articles

Editor’s Notebook: Melting chocolate and other summer heat stories

6 days ago | yumasun.com | Mara Knaub

The summer temperatures in Yuma are no joke, although sometimes we deal with them by joking. We all have funny stories to tell and/or hacks for dealing with the extreme heat. I was recently reminded of this when I had one of those “only in Yuma” incidents. My mom craved chocolate candy so, like a good daughter, I got her a chocolate bar. But somewhere between the car and her location, it completely melted. I had the AC blasting in the car, but it obviously wasn’t enough. It went completely soft.
First Take: I get it - cats aren’t for everyone

1 week ago | yumasun.com | Mara Knaub

Have you been reading Roni’s Remedy? It’s the Yuma Sun advice column written by Veronica Baumgarner, a certified relationship coach and peer support. I look forward to reading it every Saturday. In today’s column, a reader asked how she should handle visiting family who don’t appreciate her cats roaming freely. She noted that her cats are her family and the house is their home. I could relate.
Notebook: Recalling a somber visit to the Holocaust museum

1 week ago | yumasun.com | Mara Knaub

The recent groundbreaking of the Holocaust Museum in Phoenix got me thinking about my trip to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial in Washington, D.C.I’ve been interested in the Holocaust since I read Ann Frank’s diary as a young girl. Also, as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I have read a lot about the experiences JWs went through in Germany and the other European countries invaded by the Nazis who were persecuted and sent to concentration camps during World War II.
First Take: What? Women couldn’t get credit until 1974?

2 weeks ago | yumasun.com | Mara Knaub

I heard something shocking this week while attending the chamber breakfast: women weren’t able to open their own bank accounts until the 1970s. What?! That’s not that long ago. So I went digging to find out more. Since the mid-1880s, some states, but not all, allowed women to open bank accounts in their own names– regardless of marital status. In 1862, California became the first state to pass a law that explicitly allowed women to open bank accounts. However, credit was a different story.
Editor’s Notebook: Are you prepared for a disaster?

2 weeks ago | yumasun.com | Mara Knaub

I recently heard a talk that reminded listeners of the need to be prepared for a disaster. We occasionally get these reminders from the government and other organizations, and for a good reason. We never know when disaster will strike. I’ve previously mentioned how we’re fortunate in Yuma County not to have to worry too much about natural disasters, maybe the occasional earthquake and monsoon storm.
First Take: Which celebrity would you like to be buried next to?

3 weeks ago | yumasun.com | Mara Knaub

A survey asked people which celebrity they would most like to be buried next to, if they could choose anyone. In Arizona, the top choice was Waylon Jennings, who’s buried at Mesa City Cemetery. No doubt, most people want to be buried close to their family members while some want their ashes spread somewhere that had special meaning to them. But if people could choose a celebrity, who would they pick?
Editor’s Notebook: Craving a more disconnected world?

3 weeks ago | yumasun.com | Mara Knaub

Every week I get a notification telling me how much “screen time” I spent on my phone. I practically live with the phone in my hand. But to be fair, it comes with the job. I don’t think I’m alone though. Nowadays, it’s typical for most everyone to leave home with at least two objects in hand – keys and phone. I have my phone always with me because I have to be accessible to reporters and the community 24/7.
First Take: Still learning new words

4 weeks ago | yumasun.com | Mara Knaub

Occasionally I run into new words that make me go “huh?” Our Comings & Goings column recently ran an item about a new sports club coming to the old Sears building. Yes! Finally after so many years of being vacant. And, finally, we have confirmation of the rumors we’ve been hearing for a while now. But I digress … the new tenant will be a padel and pickleball club. My first thought was “padel? Is that a misspelling?” But a part of my brain thought it’s right.
Notebook: The metric system, a relic from my childhood

1 month ago | yumasun.com | Mara Knaub

Growing up in Nogales, Arizona, we regularly drove to Tucson, so I was accustomed to seeing the kilometer markers on Interstate 19. However, it was fun to point out the signs to visitors. They were always surprised, sometimes jokingly questioning whether we had unintentionally crossed over into Mexico. In fact, I-19 is the only highway in the country using the metric standard unit of measurement. This 63-mile corridor runs from the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales until it connects to I-10 in Tucson.
First Take: Romantic proposal in outer space?

1 month ago | yumasun.com | Mara Knaub

A company that specializes in orchestrating extravagant marriage proposals wants to offer the opportunity to do so in outer space. The company is proposing (yes, I said it) that daredevil romantics pop the question aboard a space capsule lifted by a helium-inflated stratospheric balloon while enjoying an intimate dinner prepared by a French Michelin-starred chef and served by an AI-powered robot. An elegant table will be set up reminiscent of a refined Parisian restaurant.