WRECK- A car with three boys said to be from Agoura Hills lands upside down just off the 101 Freeway on Canwood Street at about 7 p.m. on Mon., Dec. 4. There were no apparent injuries. Firefighters called to the scene discovered smoking pipes and other drug paraphernalia in the car. More...

Although the holidays are traditionally full of cheer, for some the holidays are a source of sadness, according to the Department of Mental Health. The period between Thanksgiving and New Year's can offer unwanted reminders of loss-for example, the death of a loved one or a recent divorce. More...

THURS., DEC. 7 GOP Holiday Gala Thousand Oaks Republican Women Federated hosts holiday gala, "Christmas Festivities at Mount Vernon." Sherwood Country Club, 320 W. Stafford Road, Westlake Village. 11 a.m. reception, boutiques. 12:15 p.m. luncheon, program. Carolers, officer installation. Guests: retired Lt. Col. Steve Chealander, "George Washington." $50, RSVP by Dec. 4. More...

Financial software maker Intuit Inc. has agreed to acquire Calabasas online banking provider Digital Insight for $1.35 billion, the companies announced last week. The all-cash transaction is subject to regulatory review and approval by Digital Insight shareholders. The deal is expected to close early next year. More...

Calabasas High School doesn't want to take any chances. When the state budget afforded a onetime opportunity to obtain direct school site funding, Calabasas High School Principal Dave Jackson jumped at the prospect of extra funds. More...

Ohio State won't play Michigan again this season, but fans who love a rematch can see a good one Friday night when football rivals Oak Park High and nationally ranked Oaks Christian square off for the CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division championship. More...

MAKING FRIENDS- Two-year-old Sophia Derrig-Palumbo and her father, Greg, meet one of the horses during the Leonis Adobe Museum's 19th-century holiday party on Sat., Dec. 2. Other activities during the event included holiday caroling and making gingerbread houses. More...

Agoura Hills A thief stole a backpack containing keys, books, and a wallet with $450 in cash and bank cards from a car parked on Roadside Drive Nov. 27. Vandals caused $400 in damages when they scratched the paint on a vehicle parked on Quail Run Drive Nov. 26. More...

Max Nutkiewicz was called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah at Temple Etz Chaim on Nov. 4. He is the son of Karen and Allan Nutkiewicz of Westlake Village and an eighth-grader at Colina Middle School. Taylor Bronte was called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah at Temple Etz Chaim on Nov. 11. More...

"Laughter is the sun that drives the winter from the human face" -Victor Hugo There was once a group of friars who were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked buying flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair, so he asked them to close down. They refused to. More...

For sheer drama addicts (and particularly Anglophiles who love the likes of "Vera Drake" and "Mrs. Brown"), "The Queen" may be a character study that's hard to beat. This mildly humorous, deadly serious docudrama stars Helen Mirren in the title role as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II-the detached, oblivious and arguably obsolete puppet ruler of a world power. More...

I'd like to add my two cents and comment about Ken Grow's Nov. 23 letter regarding "whiny teachers." When I was a teacher, I heard many comments like Mr. Grow's. Yeah, yeah, teachers get "all these vacations." But summer school positions are not available to most teachers, and short term positions during vacation times do not pay professional-level wages. Would Mr. More...

For many Americans, Dec. 7, 1941 is a date that will never be forgotten. President Franklin Roosevelt called it a "date which will live in infamy." On a quiet Sunday morning in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii exactly 65 years ago, forces from the Japanese fleet launched a sneak attack on the heart of the American Navy. More...