Can you rally?

President visits Rio Rancho this evening; protests planned

What you need to know for tonight

The nation's eyes are likely to be trained on New Mexico this evening as the president visits the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho for a rally. The town is bracing for impact, having closed city offices and schools for the day and anticipating hours of snarled traffic. Get information about visiting, whether you're going for the rally or for the protest (and KRQE has some tips too). Carpooling is highly recommended and parking lots are already open as you're reading this. Meanwhile, on the roadside, the ACLU has put up billboards along the president's likely route to the venue; the signs feature messages like, "In New Mexico we like red or green. Hold the white supremacy."

Skate park crime scene

Santa Fe cops are investigating a possible homicide ($ TNM) in De Vargas Park near the downtown skate park, where the body of a man in his 20s or 30s was found with signs of blunt force trauma. Shop owners in the area say they still feel safe, though this is the second mysterious body to appear with in a few blocks in the last few months; Matthew Edward Corral was found dead in late July at an intersection near Del Charro on West Alameda. Police are asking with information about the case to call (505) 428-3710.

Toulouse Oliver gets specific

Democratic Senate hopeful and current Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver has released a gun policy as part of her platform. It features support for an assault weapons ban, universal and expanded background checks, red flag laws, and raising the minimum age to purchase a rifle to 21. The provisions are what she calls common-sense gun-safety legislation, and says "it is well beyond time for Congress to act to protect Americans from the scourge of gun violence."

Dispute over dogs

State Police have arrested the man they believe is responsible for the death of Taos coffee shop owner Patrick Larkin. The Taos News reports "according to court records, Greg Steele was living on land adjacent to Larkin's at the time of the alleged murder. The pair had feuded over Steele's dogs crossing into Larkin's property and harassing livestock he was raising there."

To vape or not to vape

If you're one of the trillions of people who vape nicotine or THC and are spooked by the national story of a mysterious lung illness associated with the practice, maybe you can be a little less scared if you got your vape legally. The majority of the illnesses have been associated with black-market vapes, and licensed legal retailers are concerned that the warnings are far too broad, could hurt their business and cause patients to panic.

Suspect on house arrest

Zachary Gutierrez, the main suspect in the shooting death of a 64-year-old Michigan man on Airport Road last September, was charged with the killing in October, but the DA's office dropped the case and Gutierrez was released from custody in December. However, he later was accused of firing a gun in the presence of police officers, bringing him back to court where he has now been declared a danger to society. He's on house arrest at his parents' home, but will be allowed to have a job.

Rally was a dud, but a peaceful dud

At an Albuquerque event on Saturday for alt-righters, Trump supporters and white supremacists, the rally'ers were outnumbered by protesters about five to one. There were no violent clashes, unlike what's happened at previous rallies, such as the infamous event in Charlottesville in 2017 or a Trump rally in Albuquerque in May of 2016.

Hard rain’s a’gonna fall

Well, actually, it has a'been falling all night, if you want to get technical. Now that the world has been scrubbed clean, temps should be in the 70s today and Tuesday … Which sounds downright divine, doesn't it?

Thanks for reading! The Word has seen a UFO, but never something that could be actual aliens. Unlike these guys.

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