Tragic Notes

Staff Sergeant Joshua Townsend, a 30-year-old Solvang resident, died on 1/16 in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, as the result of injuries he received in a non-combat-related incident while serving in the U.S. Army. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released a statement praising Townsend, calling him “a dedicated soldier who committed his life to defending the freedoms that our nation was founded on.”