Good morning and welcome to the Freedom New Mexico Wednesday briefing.

Blood drive

United Blood Services will hold a blood drive 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Clovis Community College, 417 Schepps Boulevard.

Plaza exhibit

The Eastern New Mexico University Department of Art will host

the University of New Mexico-sponsored exhibit of The Plazas of New Mexico

in the Runnels Gallery in the Golden Library from Friday through March 9.

The exhibition features panoramic photographs of contemporary plaza

celebrations from across the state by Gandert, an internationally renowned

documentary photographer.

It’s a fact

Television horse Mr. Ed's original name was Bamboo Harvester. He died in Tahlequah, Okla., on Feb. 28, 1979, at 30 years old.

Today in history

On this day in 1998, after 20 years of trying, racing great Dale Earnhardt Sr. finally wins his first Daytona 500, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) season opener and an event dubbed the "Super Bowl of stock car racing."

Here’s the rest of the story:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/victory-at-last-for-earnhardt-at-daytona

Weather

Today — Mostly sunny, with a high near 55. Windy, with a west wind 25 to 30 mph decreasing to between 10 and 15 mph. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.

Tonight — Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. North wind around 5 mph.