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W E D N E S D A Y , J U L Y 7, 2 0 2 1
Worried about withdrawal Veterans voice concern about Afghanistan’s future, oppose U.S. involvement
Animal Services recovers 81 stray pets Fireworks may have scared animals
COURTESY PHOTOS
Santa Barbara County Animal Services took in 81 stray animals Thursday through Monday.
By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS
Retired Lt. John Blankenship told the News-Press he was never in favor of sending troops to Afghanistan. The Montecito resident, seen here in the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation museum, joins fellow local veterans in expressing concerns about U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, fearing the consequences that have already happened and are expected to happen.
By GRAYCE MCCORMICK NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
As U.S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan, Taliban forces are gaining momentum. The U.S. intelligence community and foreign policy experts are warning that the Afghan government could collapse as soon as six months after the U.S. fully exits. Last Friday, U.S. troops ditched Bagram Airfield — its key base in Afghanistan it had occupied for nearly two decades — without notifying the base’s Afghan commander, by slipping away in the night and shutting off the electricity, according to national media reports.
The Afghan commander, General Asadullah Kohistani, told BBC Monday that Afghan forces were expecting the Taliban to attack Bagram. The Pentagon announced Friday that the final withdrawal of U.S. troops will be completed by the end of August, ahead of President Joe Biden’s plan to fully withdraw from the country by Sept. 11, on the 20th anniversary of the Al Qaeda attacks on the U.S. carried out by Osama bin Laden. The Taliban has already assumed control of roughly a third of all 421 districts and district centers in Afghanistan, and the U.S. withdrawal is nearly 90% complete, national media reports say.
Local veterans in the Santa Barbara area compared this withdrawal to that of the withdrawal of troops from South Vietnam in the mid-1970s. “Comparisons between Vietnam and Afghanistan are hard because of the differences of culture, economy and religion within the two countries,” Staff Sgt. Mark Theis of Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Post 1649 in Santa Barbara told the NewsPress Tuesday. He served in the Army in Vietnam and Germany. “But certainly ‘quagmire’ (for the U.S.) and ‘attrition’ (body count) apply in both instances.” Ed Montanez, a VFW trustee and a former Navy corporal in the Marine Corps, seconded the
quagmire theory regarding U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. “I’m not well-versed to know what’s going to happen or how it’s going to happen,” he told the News-Press. “It’s just unfortunate that we got involved in a situation there, that, in my opinion, we shouldn’t have been involved in from the get-go, from the very beginning.” Ret. Cpl. Montanez added that while he also doesn’t know how Afghanistan will progress from here, he hopes any decision regarding U.S. involvement “is in the best interest of the American people.” Retired Navy Lt. John Please see WITHDRAWAL on A4
Santa Barbara police report busy Fourth of July weekend By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
Santa Barbara police officers assigned to the Fourth of July special event issued 127 traffic and parking citations, 11 municipal code citations, five misdemeanor arrests, one felony arrest and one DUI. The department gathered 31 calls for service, six reports and 172 fireworks calls. These numbers do not include actions taken by patrol officers. The department made notable arrests this weekend, including: COURTESY PHOTO
Police reported recovering a loaded handgun from the vehicle of a subject who resisted arrest.
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UCSB athletics braces for nationwide changes New NCAA policy allows endorsement deals By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
It’s been a week since the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced policy changes allowing college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness, or NIL. UCSB Athletic Director John McCutcheon isn’t ready to make projections, but he anticipates athletic departments will be grappling with these changes for the next six months to a year. The NCAA’s policy allows athletes to follow their state’s law regarding NIL. In states without NIL laws yet, athletes can profit freely. California was the first state to pass legislation allowing college athletes to sign endorsement deals, but the law isn’t set to go into effect until 2023. The state legislature is currently reviewing Senate Bill 26, which would push the date up to Sept. 1 and allow community college athletes to benefit as well. The first state NIL laws took effect last Thursday, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the NCAA couldn’t limit educational benefits. Mr. McCutcheon said that ruling didn’t change much by itself but may have led to the new NIL policy.
“What it did was send a signal from the Supreme Court that any type of legislation had to be flexible for the student athletes,” he told the News-Press Tuesday. NIL laws are more of a shock to programs. In an age of social media influencers, athletes have access to a plethora of endorsement opportunities. “Previously, student athletes couldn’t do things that a normal student could,” he said. “Where this ultimately will go, I don’t think any of us know. There are so many different laws in place.” UCSB has two staff members dedicated to reviewing NCAA rules and making sure the program complies. NCAA compliance positions are a mainstay of Division I athletics. “We’ve got more things that we have to monitor than you can imagine,” Mr. McCutcheon said. He will be working with an agency for NIL rules. He said many other teams are contracting with the agency as well. Athletes must notify their program of any deals, but schools can’t actively set up endorsements. It is yet to be seen how NIL laws may affect recruiting. “There’s a lot of speculation that only a lot of high-profile Please see NCAA on A4
L O T T E RY RESULTS
INSIDE Classified.............. B4 Life.................. AB 1-2 Obituaries............. A4
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DRIVER HITS TREE OFF CLIFF DRIVE Four occupants were seriously
injured when their vehicle crashed into a tree in the 2300 block of Cliff Drive Sunday night. The driver is suspected to have been under the influence at the time of the incident. Witnesses reported a black Ford Mustang traveling at a high speed east on Cliff Drive. Neighbors ran out when they heard the crash and aided the four occupants. The Santa Barbara Police Critical Accident Team is investigating the incident. Firefighters extricated the occupants from the vehicle, and all four occupants were transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
Santa Barbara County Animal Services received a total of 81 stray animals, a mix of dogs and cats, from Thursday through Monday. Of those, 24 animals arrived Sunday and Monday. “It is a lot more than usual compared to the past few weeks,” Jessica Wiebe, public information assistant at Santa Barbara County Animal Services, told the News-Press Tuesday. “I believe, with all the fireworks, animals are getting scared and running out.” Of the 81 that were received, 42 are still waiting at Animal Services for their owners. It typically costs $100 to $300 to reclaim a pet, but the
shelters have waived the fee through Saturday. Pets not yet microchipped will be sent home with a free microchip as well. A total of 21 animals were collected by their owners Sunday and Monday. Typically just 17% of strays are reunited with owners, Animal Services posted on its Facebook page, though Fourth of July could be an exception. Ms. Wiebe recommends people knock on neighbors’ doors when they find a stray pet. Most pets are found within a mile of home. They should also post on Nextdoor, Facebook groups and other social media platforms with pictures of the animal, she said. Nextdoor also has a directory of neighborhood pets with owners’
Sudoku................. B3 Weather................ A4
Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 4-9-21-33-40 Meganumber: 16
Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 1-7-5-0
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 18-47-63-68-69 Meganumber: 14
Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 1-16-28-36-38
Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 10-11-02 Time: 1:49.85
Saturday’s POWERBALL: 26-40-41-55-65 Meganumber: 24
Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 1-4-0 / Wednesday’s Midday 3-7-8