Thumbs up, down from the Yuma Sun

• Thumbs up to the 293 students in Gadsden Elementary School District, for their outstanding performance on the ACT college-level exam. Students from grades 4-8 were recently honored for their efforts – which is really amazing considering how young they are. Congrats to these students!

• Thumbs up to the Somerton School District, which recently received two new all-electric school buses. It’s a great step forward for both the community and the environment.

• Thumbs up to Woodard Junior High School, which recently held its second annual STEM Day, designed to give students exposure to scientific fields. It’s a great way to get kids excited about science early on – and in turn, starts shaping future career ideas!

• Thumbs up to Fourth Avenue Junior High, which recently held a career day to expose students to a variety of occupations. And kudos to the participating agencies, which included businesses and local public safety agencies.

• Thumbs up to Weld Like A Girl owner Shanen Aranmor, who was recently named Arizona Women in Business Champion of the Year by the Small Business Administration’s Arizona Office. Congrats to Aranmor!

• Thumbs up to Yuma teen Joshua Rothman, who recently earned his Eagle Scout rank. Rothman built much-needed pens for the Humane Society of Yuma to help handle the stray pigs and goats that find their way to the shelter. It was a well-thought-out project that will do much to help the agency. Kudos to Rothman!

• Thumbs down to mosquitoes infiltrating pet water dishes. It’s really gross to see little larvae in a pet bowl, and, readers, this is the time of year when it really starts to happen. Make sure you are regularly washing your pet’s water bowls with soap, and keeping those mosquitoes away.

• Thumbs down to a recent report that ranked Arizona 49th in the nation for adult mental health care. The ranking was due to the state having a higher prevalence of mental illness and lower access to insurance and treatment, Cronkite News reports. Mental health needs to be a priority – and Arizona can do better.

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.