Nicole Ruth Peters, center, an avid spear fisher, died Sept. 14 on the Romero Canyon Trail above Montecito. (Spearboard.com) 
Jackson and Carly Wopat, left, greet their mother, Kathy, as son Eli embraces their father, Ron, during a May 24 gathering to honor the life of beloved daughter and sister Samantha Wopat, who died March 25 at Stanford Hospital from an undisclosed medical emergency. (Lara Cooper / Noozhawk) 
Eager for a good shot of celebrities attending Drew Barrymore’s wedding at her Hot Springs Road home on June 2, photographers and camera crews gathered at a nearby property — to wait. (Marjorie Large / www.decomarketinggroup.com) 
Law enforcement personnel responded Nov. 9 to a report of a body found on an Isla Vista beach. (Beth Farsnworth / KEYT) 
Santa Barbara County emergency responders work the scene of a crash Jan. 12 in which an 18-wheeler and vehicle collided on Highway 101 south of Santa Rosa Road in Buellton. The truck driver died, and the three occupants of the vehicle were injured. (Santa Barbara County Fire Department)
Images from the Noozhawk stories that drew the greatest readership during 2012.