Santa Barbara County News

Hyde Park Acquisition Corp. II , a special purpose acquisition corporation, announced the signing of an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Santa Maria Energy Holdings , an independent energy company focused on the exploration and development of assets.

A water-main break - possibly related to the cold weather the last few days - flooded several homes in a Santa Barbara neighborhood Saturday night.

Two weeks ago, an oil company sought planning permission to drill new wells just south of Orcutt.

Rain in the morning then partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers in the afternoon.

Mostly gentle rainfall was falling across Santa Barbara County Saturday, with most areas reporting less than a third of an inch.

Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation's mission is to preserve, restore, reconstruct and interpret historic sites in Santa Barbara County.

The Santa Barbara Foundation has announced that beginning in 2014, its student aid funds can be applied to the best qualified students from Santa Barbara County schools regardless of citizenship status.

Do You Sudoku? - You can now play the Daily Sudoku on Edhat. How fast can you fill in the blanks? Members-Only Barber Shop has once again decorated the outside of their one-chair shop with a memorable Christmas display.

A cold storm took aim at Southern California today, threatening a mix of rain and snow as low as the 2,500-foot level as strong, gusty winds lash the region, forecasters said.

Emergency personnel responded early Friday to a fatal accident on Highway 154, between San Antonio Creek Road and Windy Gap.

At 5:35am, Santa Barbara County Fire Department responded to a single vehicle accident, located on Highway 154, north of San Antonio Creek Road.

The renowned Sashi Moorman makes the wines for Stolpman Vineyards in Santa Barbara County's new Ballard Canyon appellation.

Santa Maria Energy is going public and raising at least $40 million in new capital - and possibly much more - which could put the firm's total funds raised at an estimated $90 million.

This week, kids at the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County - the Goleta Boys & Girls Club, the Santa Barbara West Boys & Girls Club and the Carpinteria Boys & Girls Club - have been decorating holiday ornaments in remembrance of loved ones who have passed.

After one student had to have both of his feet amputated since contracting meningitis, the University of California, Santa Barbara campus is taking extreme precautions out of fear more students may get the highly-contagious infection.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department and The California Highway Patrol are conducting a joint investigation into an Officer Involved Shooting that occurred on 12-4-2013 at approximately 8:00 pm, in the area of Patterson Avenue and Agana Drive.

Pedro Torres Jr., 54, of Santa Maria appeared in court Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to murder, and admitted to a gang enhancement, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Ann Bramsen.

In this season of goodwill and generosity, it's hard to top the Orfalea Foundation , which has given the gift of good nutrition and healthy choices to thousands of students and families countywide.

Cooler-than-normal temperatures the next couple days in Santa Barbara and on the Central Coast are expected to continue into the weekend, when a chance of rain showers has been added to the forecast.

A Vandenberg Air Force Base sergeant was found dead in his home on 11/26, and his death is under investigation, base officials said.