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U.S. NEWSSaturday 13 January 2018
Mudslide-stricken California town is all but emptied out
By KRYSTA FAURIA stressful after evacuat- Alex Broumand of the Montecito Fire Department walks in mud in front of homes damaged from
BRIAN MELLEY ing three times during the
Associated Press wildfire to be packing up storms in Montecito, Calif. Rescue workers slogged through knee-deep ooze and used long poles
MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) — a fourth time and looking
Most residents of mudslide- at spending up to $3,000 a to probe for bodies Thursday as the search dragged on for victims of the mudslides that slammed
ravaged Montecito were week for a hotel.
under orders to clear out “Financially that’s a bur- this wealthy coastal town.
Friday as the search for den,” she said.
victims dragged on and A fleet of large trucks and (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
crews labored to clean up heavy equipment rolled
the muck and repair pow- into town Thursday, and the rich and famous — the many. groceries delivered to her
er, water and gas lines. the forces on the ground
Even those who didn’t lose swelled to more than 1,200 median home price among Sarah Ettman’s home was at a police checkpoint.
their homes in the disaster workers.
that left at least 17 people Five people remained miss- current listings is more than undamaged, and her But with gas and power ex-
dead were told to leave ing Friday.
for up to two weeks so they Santa Barbara County $4 million — there are also section of town still had pected to be shut off Sat-
wouldn’t interfere with the Sheriff Bill Brown said resi-
rescue and recovery oper- dents who had stayed be- working families living in gas and electricity, even urday, she said she would
ation in the Southern Cali- hind or tried to check on
fornia town of 9,000. damage in neighborhoods modest houses and apart- though nearby Romero heed the order to leave.
It was another frustrating where homes were leveled
turn for those living in Mon- and car-size boulders and ments. Creek was choked with “I mean you’re losing all
tecito, a town that has trees blocked roads and
been under siege and sub- littered properties were hin-
ject to repeated evacua- dering the recovery effort.
tion orders in recent weeks, Brown expanded what was
first because of a monster known as the exclusion
wildfire last month, then zone to incorporate most
because of downpours of the town.
and mudslides. That meant that even
Cia Monroe said her fam- those who had stayed be-
ily of four was lucky their hind would have to leave
home wasn’t ruined and and those who entered the
they were all healthy and zone would be subject to
safe, though her daughter arrest.
lost one of her best friends. While the town is best
But Monroe said it was known as a getaway for
With most utilities out of cars, trees and rocks. your basic health and sani-
commission or about to Because she couldn’t re- tation services,” she said.
Paradise in the Caribbean be cut off, staying behind enter the area if she left, “When those go down, you
was not really an option for Ettman arranged to have have to leave.”q
Texas MLK parade canceled after protest
SALES OFFICE +297 2801005 info@leventaruba.com ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — boycotts. Event spokes- bott’s record of supporting
MOBILE +297 5927275 www.leventaruba.com A Martin Luther King Jr. Day woman Winsor Barbee told a state voter ID law, threat-
parade in North Texas has the Fort Worth Star-Tele- ening to withhold funding
been canceled just days gram that organizers were from sanctuary cities and
after groups threatened to short by about $60,000 support for legislative re-
boycott the event because because several sponsors districting is antithetical to
Gov. Greg Abbott was pulled their funding over the legacy of the civil rights
chosen as honorary grand the boycott threats. Local leader. Abbott’s office
marshal. Arlington city offi- NAACP officials said they called the potential protest
cials said they denied a pa- support canceling the pa- a politicization of an event
rade permit because orga- rade because Abbott’s meant to unify Texans.
nizers fell short on funding participation would have Abbott later tweeted that
for security and traffic man- forced them to protest an he had committed his life
agement, not because of event meant to honor King. to ensuring justice and he
the potential protests and They contend that Ab- represents all Texans.q
