Thumbs up, down from the Yuma Sun

• Thumbs up to Chief David Rodriguez, who was recently sworn in as the new police chief for the town of Wellton. Congrats!

• Thumbs up to Yuma County’s nonprofit secondhand stores, and thumbs up to those of you who donate to these stores. Each store turns those donations into dollars to help their organizations serve the community, helping Yumans of all shapes and sizes – and that’s a win for Yuma!

• Thumbs up to the Yuma Art Center for its new display “Silver Linings,” showcasing art created over the last year by local artists, featuring statements about how they were impacted personally and professionally by the events of 2020. Stop by and check it out, Yuma.

• Thumbs up to the effort underway to identify and arrest those who took part in the violence at the Capitol Jan. 6. The FBI has posted photos of the individuals who participated in the riot, and is asking the public for help in identifying them. And people are stepping up. So far, more than 160 case files have been opened and 70 people have been charged, according to a BBC report.

• Thumbs up to Yuma native Leslie McClendon, who has been appointed the new deputy mayor of the Yuma City Council. Congrats!

• Thumbs up to the expansion of the COVID-19 vaccination program into a prioritized Phase 1B group, but a major thumbs down to the lack of information and access to the vaccine here in Yuma County. Patience will be key over these next few weeks while this program irons out its challenges and gets supplies in.

• Thumbs down to the Arizona Interscholastic Association for its flip-flop decision making when it comes to high school winter sports. On Jan. 8, the AIA canceled all winter programs, and then just four days later, reversed course. Now, the decision to play or not will be made by the individual school districts, which makes sense. There isn’t a “one size fits all” solution to COVID – school districts need to determine what’s right and what’s safe for their student athletes.

• Thumbs down to a recent report that notes Arizona legislators may consider “eliminating requirements for students to be vaccinated before they can attend school.” After nearly a year of disrupted learning due to a pandemic, how can officials discount the importance of vaccinations? Imagine the havoc measles or the mumps could cause in a school district. This issue needs to be dropped.

Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down are compiled by the Yuma Sun editorial board, based on recent events, happenings and activities around Yuma County and the nation, and will appear on Fridays in the Yuma Sun.

Unsigned editorials represent the viewpoint of this newspaper rather than an individual. Columns and letters to the editor represent the viewpoints of the persons writing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yuma Sun.