Thumbs up, down from the Yuma Sun

• Thumbs up to the City of Yuma, which recently received a “clean” opinion on its 2021 Comprehensive Financial Report audit by an independent auditor. That’s great news for Yuma, and a positive reflection of the efforts of city staff.

• Thumbs up to the six Yuma students who will be competing in the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas. To Mattaniah Harpel, Ikaika Okamura, Xavier McColl, Logan Bathrick, Ben White and Joshua Zanovitch – we wish you the best of luck!

• Thumbs up to Google, which recently expanded options for customers to keep personal information private from online searches. According to the Associated Press, people can now request content such as phone numbers, email and physical addresses be removed from search results, as well as information like confidential log-in credentials. Privacy matters, and Google is right to help people have better control over information on the Internet.

• Thumbs up to Northern Arizona University, which will now fully cover tuition for Arizona residents with household incomes at or below $65,000. This decision will open the door to education for students who otherwise may not be able to afford it, which is terrific news.

• Thumbs up to the Somerton Community Center, which recently installed air conditioners for the first time in the center’s 25-year history. Given the summer heat here, the air conditioning will truly make a difference for Somerton residents.

• Thumbs down to the wildfires in New Mexico. On Thursday morning, 1,200 firefighters were battling the biggest blaze in America, which was just one mile from the city of Las Vegas, N.M., threatening a city of 13,000, the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper reports. The fire is 160,000 acres, and only 20 percent contained, with high winds in the forecast. We hope that Mother Nature cooperates, and helps firefighters bring these blazes across the state under control.

• Thumbs down to the continued scam artists who target Yuma County residents. The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office recently sent out a warning about gift card scams, which is yet another scam in a long list of scams running out there. Readers, when it comes to matters of money, ask questions, be suspicious, and protect your wallets.

• Thumbs down to this ongoing nationwide baby formula shortage. Several stores have imposed limits on how much parents can buy at once, and prices are up as much as 18% over the last 12 months, CBS News reports. Apparently the shortage is due to manufacturers having challenges with finding key ingredients, as well as packaging challenges and labor shortages. That is a scary problem for new parents – and one that needs to be resolved, quickly.

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.