Santa Barbara County

14 Stories

Tarzan Actor Sues Over Son, Wife's 2019 Deaths

Wrongful death suit claims both were denied medical care

(Newser) - Actor Ron Ely alleges action taken by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office resulted in the deaths of his son and wife. That's per a wrongful death lawsuit filed in July and amended Sunday that raises numerous questions about the night of Oct. 15, 2019 . The department said...

Coroner: All Victims of Dive Boat Fire Died of Smoke Inhalation

34 who perished on Conception in 2019 suffered carbon monoxide poisoning

(Newser) - Coroner's reports for the 34 victims who died in a scuba boat fire off the Southern California coast last year show they died of carbon monoxide poisoning before they were burned, authorities said Thursday. All 33 scuba divers and one crew member died in the Sept. 2 fire aboard...

Evacuation Orders Issued as Storm Slams California

Storm follows wildfires, mudslides in coastal area

(Newser) - Deputies went door to door ordering residents to evacuate from coastal Southern California neighborhoods ahead of a powerful winter storm sweeping in Friday after bringing heavy snow and whiteout conditions to northern mountains and steady rain elsewhere. As many as 30,000 people are under evacuation orders in the foothills...

Suspect Dead, Teen Missing After Calif. Kidnapping

Car was spotted 300 miles south of where girl was last seen

(Newser) - A young man suspected of abducting a teenage girl in Northern California was killed Thursday after leading sheriff's deputies on a high-speed chase and engaging in a shootout, authorities say. The girl is still missing. Fernando Castro, 19, whose car had been the subject of an Amber Alert for...

Family of 3 Dead in Murders at Upscale California Home

'This was not a random attack'

(Newser) - A family of three was murdered in their Santa Barbara County home this week, and authorities don't think the slayings are random. Authorities responded to a request for a welfare check at the upscale Goleta Valley home Wednesday and found the bodies of Dr. Weidong "Henry" Han, 57,...

'This Is a Disaster': Oil Spill Fouls California Beaches

Officials estimate 105K gallons leaked from broken pipeline

(Newser) - Cleanup crews are working to contain an oil spill that has spread to 9 miles of the California coast near Santa Barbara. The leak itself is now under control—an underground pipeline that burst yesterday has been shut down—and officials' best guess is that 105,000 gallons of crude...

Judge Orders Randy Quaid, Wife Sent to Jail

Couple allegedly skipped out on $10K hotel bill

(Newser) - Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, are in jail in Santa Barbara after finally showing up for a hearing in the felony case against them. The actor and his wife, who allegedly skipped out on a $10,000 hotel tab , are being held on $100,000 bond. "The judge...

Quaids: $10K Hotel Bill Got Lost in Mail

Couple didn't think they had to pay at checkout, moved before tab arrived: lawyer

(Newser) - Randy and Evi Quaid didn’t pay the $10,000 hotel bill they’re accused of skipping out because it got lost in the mail, their lawyer told a Santa Barbara, Calif., court today. The Quaids didn’t think they had to pay upon checkout, and changed addresses before the...

Randy Quaid, Wife Arrested for Stiffing Hotel on $10K Tab

Couple fights cops in west Texas after apprehension

(Newser) - Randy Quaid and his wife were arrested late today in west Texas for skipping out on a $10,000 tab at a California resort—and, a source tells TMZ, cops had to use force to subdue both. Felony warrants were issued for the 58-year-old actor and Evi, a former model,...

Morning Winds Stoke Raging Calif. Wildfires

Firefighters unable to get blaze under control as 30,000 evacuate

(Newser) - Early-morning winds kicked up the uncontrolled Jesusita fire in the hills of Santa Barbara, causing the evacuation of thousands more residents, reports the Los Angeles Times. The fire has now burned more than 2,800 acres, destroyed dozens of homes, and forced 30,000 people to evacuate. Gov. Schwarzenegger has...

Careless Students' Bonfire Started Montecito Blaze

Sheriff not sure bonfire builders will be charged

(Newser) - A group of students who failed to completely put out a hilltop bonfire apparently caused the destructive Montecito fire, a Santa Barbara sheriff told the Los Angeles Times. The blaze destroyed 210 homes and injured at least 25 people last week. A district attorney will decide whether to charge the...

80 Homes Burn in Hills Over Santa Barbara

Blaze overwhelms firefighters in enclave of the rich and famous

(Newser) - A wildfire ripped through the wealthy enclave of Montecito in Santa Barbara County last night, destroying some 80 homes, the Los Angeles Times reports. Firefighters were overwhelmed as the wind-driven brushfire spread out of control. Much of the area, home to dozens of celebrities, was evacuated as the blazes spread...

Meet Vintners of Sideways Fame
 Meet Vintners of Sideways Fame 
GLOSSIES
Sep 18, 2008 12:34 PM CDT

Meet Vintners of Sideways Fame

Hitching Post II owner makes famed wines with ex-fisherman colleague

(Newser) - If you’ve seen the movie Sideways, you likely remember the Hitching Post II: the Santa Barbara County restaurant where Paul Giamatti nervously meets his future love. But even the most dedicated oenophile may not know that Hitching Post owner Frank Ostini and colleague Gray Hartley have been making wine...

California Blaze a 'Gorilla'
 California Blaze a 'Gorilla' 
Jul 7, 2008 3:00 AM CDT

California Blaze a 'Gorilla'

Firefighters face long, exhausting season

(Newser) - A wildfire in California's Santa Barbara County grew by another 700 acres in addition to 10,000 acres already charred as teams of exhausted firefighters continued to battle the fast-moving blaze. The Gap fire is a priority among the 1,781 blazes which have raged in the state over the...

14 Stories