When there’s data we can use the data, when there are opinions, let’s use mine.  That seems to sum up the gun debate to date. Are the following suggested causes of gun violence and suggested solutions opinions or facts? It’s due to mental illness, ban assault rifles, arm law abiding citizens, arm school teachers, temporarily remove guns from violent domestic partners, ban large ammunition magazines, owners need to secure their weapons, go to “gun school,” etc.

The simple fact is we really don’t know exactly what combination of actions will work to prevent gun violence. While the mass killings get the headlines, most gun homicides occur when one, two or three people are...

Recently, the McKinley County Democrats hosted the Democratic candidates for Congress at a congenial Town Hall in Gallup. Seven of the nine candidates were available to answer questions. An estimated 100 people attended.

The candidates in attendance were Teresa Leger Fernandez, a Santa Fe attorney whose work is assisting tribes and pueblos securing infrastructure improvements, Marco Serna, the Santa Fe District Attorney, Kyle Tisdel, a public interest environmental attorney, Valerie Plame, a former CIA Operations Officer who was outed by the Bush II administration, Laura Montoya, Sandoval County Treasurer, Joseph Sanchez, a State Representative and an electrical engineer working at Los...

There is a tremendous effort put forth by water systems all over the country to provide safe and clean water to their customers. Of course upsets and mistakes do happen. Flint, Michigan is a horrendous example of how not to do it. But individual families can provide a firewall at their kitchen sinks to stop any contaminants that might get that far. The solution is a simple triple filter available from plumbers and hardware stores. This filter gets rid of 95% of everything in the water. The first filter is a particle filter that removes any particles that are still in the water. The second filter is an activated carbon filter that removes items that can cause taste or odor issues and the...

Yes, it happens to the best of us. Aging often brings on the muffin top. That jiggly piece of stomach that is squishy and squeezy. Also called belly fat, waistline flab, or roly-poly guacamole. Tight pants accentuate the tummy roll. Body-hugging shirts highlight the puffy pouch. The spare tire in the middle gets a lot of flack.

“Any woman can get a muffin top. But women are more likely to gain excess belly weight – especially deep inside the belly – as they go through perimenopause and into menopause, when their menstrual cycle ends. That’s because as estrogen levels drop, body fat is redistributed from the hips, thighs, and buttocks (where it used to be stored as a fuel...