Thumbs up, down from the Yuma Sun
• Thumbs up to Charles Burge, who recently won the MATHCOUNTS competition in Yuma County. The Centennial Middle School student won both the individual competition and the countdown round! Congrats to Charles!
• Thumbs up to Yuma Regional Medical Center, which is offering CPR instruction classes. It’s a class that can save lives, and one that we’re glad to see being offered here. To register for the class, call 928-336-1277.
• Thumbs up to the crews who keep our parks clean and tidy in our cities and towns around Yuma County. It can’t be an easy job, especially when we have high winds like we did this week, but we appreciate the efforts to keep our parks clean of trash and debris!
• Thumbs up to the kids, teens and adults who wear helmets while out riding their bikes and scooters. Helmets might not be seen as the most fashionable thing out there, but they save lives – and to us, that’s worth it!
• Sideways thumb to reports that the homicide rate dropped in January in San Luis Rio Colorado, Son. On the surface, yes, that’s great news, as the border town recorded eight killings last month, compared to 26 in January 2022. But the violence going on in that community continues, with multiple people killed in a shootout and an officer slain on Saturday. When – and more importantly, how – does it end?
• Thumbs down to that wind storm that hit Yuma County this week. What a mess. According to the National Weather Service, at 2:17 p.m. Wednesday, the wind gusts hit 59 mph at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, which is a bit much! Hopefully, calmer weather days are ahead!
• Thumbs down to reports that a record 6,542 guns were intercepted at U.S. airport security checkpoints in 2022. The top 10 cities for gun interceptions are Dallas, Austin and Houston in Texas; three airports in Florida; Nashville, Tenn.; Atlanta, Denver and Phoenix, the Associated Press reports. Listen, it’s never “Bring Your Gun in Your Carry-on Day.” If you bring a gun, you can face fines up to $14,950. It’s not worth it – follow the rules and don’t try to bring your weapon through the TSA.
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.