Thumbs up, down from the Yuma Sun

• Thumbs up to Arizona Western College, which recently broke ground on its Law Enforcement Training Academy facility. The academy is a partnership with the city of Yuma and Yuma County, and the building is expected to be completed in the second half of 2024. It’s a great addition to our educational landscape!.

• Thumbs up to Yuma Catholic senior Camila Fragoso, who has earned the National Hispanic Recognition Award from the College Board’s PSAT program. She was among the top 10% of PSAT test takers in Arizona, and currently has a 4.0 GPA. Congratulations to Camila!

• Thumbs up to the Yuma Police Department for giving teens a behind the scenes look at law enforcement with its Teen Academy. YPD’S goal was to build bridges with local youths while at the same time sparking an interest in future law enforcement careers – and this is a great way to accomplish both goals.

• Thumbs up to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series this week. What an exciting three games! Next up for the D-backs? A return to the NL Championship Series! Let’s go, Diamondbacks!

• Thumbs up to Bonnie and Steve Irr for their mission to open the Hansen House, a residential home for hospice patients who need 24/7 care. We hope they can bring this vision to reality – to donate or learn more, call 928-503-7664, or email care@thehansenhouse.org.

• Thumbs up to this cooler weather. Thank you, October, for finally bringing the break in the temperatures that we’ve all been longing for. The next nine months are why we love living here in Yuma!

• And on that note, thumbs up to all the restaurants in Yuma County with outdoor patios and seating. With this amazing weather, we can’t wait to sit outside and enjoy our meals!

• Thumbs down to an Associated Press report that found high school students’ scores on the ACT college admissions test have dropped to their lowest in more than 30 years, showing a lack of preparedness for college-level coursework. We know COVID took its toll on learning, but we need to find a way to turn that around.

• Thumbs down to this horrible war between Israel and Hamas. The death toll is escalating, and innocents are caught in the middle. The situation is a deeply convoluted one with a long history, and peace will be difficult to achieve, but the situation now is simply gruesome. We don’t know how this ends, but some sort of peaceful resolution is critical.

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.