🌱 School Clothing Drive For Underwear + Balloon Rally This Weekend

Hello all. It's me, Michelle Paul, your host of the Albuquerque Patch newsletter. Follow along for everything you need to know about what's going on these days in town.

But first, today's weather:

Clouds and sun. High: 52 Low: 30.

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Here are the top three stories today in Albuquerque:

1. The Albuquerque Public Schools Community Clothing Bank is using the month of February to focus on collecting one specific piece of clothing for students in need: underwear. The "Show You Care With Underwear" clothing drive is seeking donations of new, packaged pairs of underwear of all sizes to meet the 28% increase in need by students in the district. (KRQE News 13)
2. The Friends and Lovers Balloon Rally will be taking place this Saturday and Sunday at Balloon Fiesta Park. The rally will feature around 85 balloons and is free and open to the public to spectate. The event will kick off at 6:30 a.m. and run until 10:00 a.m. on both days. (KOB 4)
3. The University of New Mexico is considering lifting the requirement for COVID-19 vaccinations for students, staff, and faculty after more than a year of the mandate being in place. University officials and experts will host a virtual forum to discuss the issue on Thursday, Feb. 16, at noon. (KRQE News 13)

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Today in Albuquerque:

• Xeric Garden Club At Albuquerque Garden Center (8:00 AM)
• Foam Recycling At The Los Ranchos Art Market (10:00 AM)
• Family Art Workshops At Albuquerque Museum (1:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Here’s some post-Super Bowl trivia for you: Albuquerque ranks 1st in the state for top NFL athlete hometowns, with 14 NFL players and three Super Bowl players hailing from our city since the 1966-67 season. Check out more Super Bowl stats from across the country in this new BeenVerified study. (BeenVerified)
• Are you still looking for the perfect Valentine's Day gift? Check out the Visit Albuquerque’s local Valentine’s Day gift guide for great ideas that also help to support local businesses! (KRQE News 13)
• The Albuquerque Police Department has teamed up with Atlas One to help keep you up to date on alerts, incidents, and announcements in the community and nearby Albuquerque area. You can download the Atlas One app for iOS or Android. (City of Albuquerque via Instagram)

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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Michelle Paul

About me: Michelle Paul is a Utah-based writer and photographer with a professional background in content management and registered nursing. When not working on projects ranging from photo editing to copywriting, they enjoy traveling, video games, and expanding their skills.