Editor's note: The last names of some people in this story have been withheld due to their illegal citizenship status.

Editors note: When the holidays come around, many of us go out of our way to help others in need. But some dedicated Napa County residents go to extraordinary lengths to help others year-round. This series of articles tells some of their stories.

The Calistoga City Council could end an eminent domain lawsuit slowing the city's efforts to boost its water supply because it voted unanimously this week to approve a $1.9 million payout to buy land.

The district attorney's office has sent a letter to veteran Napa officer Gil Gallegos, 43, ordering him to appear in court Jan. 6 for misdemeanor charges of making annoying telephone calls and attempted extortion.

Two people were killed in a head-on crash on Hwy. 121 east of Napa Road in Sonoma County on Thursday. At about 1:30 p.m. a BMW stationwagon and a Toyota Matrix were traveling in opposite directions on Hwy. 121 when one of the vehicles crossed over the double yellow line and the two crashed head-on, according to Sgt. John Evans of the California Highway Patrol. The driver and passenger in the left rear seat of the BMW were killed. They were taken to Queen of the Valley Hospital. There were two other passengers in the BMW.

WASHINGTON -- The House passed a five-week extension of the Patriot Act on Thursday and sent it to the Senate as Congress scrambled to prevent expiration of anti-terrorism law enforcement provisions on Dec. 31.

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration formally defended its domestic spying program in a letter to Congress late Thursday saying the nation's security outweighs privacy concerns of individuals who are monitored.

SACRAMENTO -- California auto insurance companies would be required to change how they calculate rates, focusing less on where motorists live and more on how well they drive, under a proposal announced Thursday by Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi.

VATICAN CITY -- A U.S. judge in Texas dismissed Pope Benedict XVI from a civil lawsuit accusing him of conspiracy to cover up the sexual abuse of minors by a seminarian, ruling Thursday that the pontiff has immunity as a head of state.