| Ex-reliever Beck, 38, found dead
Rod Beck, a relief pitcher who wore a bushy mustache while earning 286 career saves, was found dead Saturday. He was 38.
Beck was found by police officers responding to a call to his home in suburban Phoenix, according to police department spokesman Andy Hill. Foul play is not suspected, though the cause of death might not be known for several days.
With long hair framing a menacing stare and an aggressive arm swing before delivering a pitch, the outgoing right-hander was a memorable baseball personality and a three-time All-Star who twice led the NL in saves. He spent the first seven of his 13 major league seasons with the San Francisco Giants.
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New sex-offender laws, meant to protect, may instead ruin lives and increase risks
Everything began with babysitting. Michael's mother often made him watch her boyfriend's 7-year-old son, Aaron. One afternoon, while his mother was working, 15-year-old Michael performed oral sex on Aaron, and on at least three occasions persuaded the child to fondle him in return. What happened during those afternoons remained secret until Aaron tried to touch a cousin, who told his parents. Together, the boys' families dug out the truth about Michael. What he did may have been an echo of what was done to him. Michael said he spent the first half of his life being sexually abused by a grandfather who held his grandson on his naked lap. “Growing up, I had been through some sexual situations with older people, so I think it was acting out of curiosity.
Cage's naked intruder sent to rehab
The naked intruder that Nicolas Cage found in his home last year has been ordered to undergo six months of drug rehab, according to officials. Robert Dennis Furo, pleaded guilty to one count of stalking during a court appearance just outside of Los Angeles. A judge dropped two charges against the 46-year-old and gave credit for time already served. Cage and his family were at their waterfront home in the exclusive, gated community of Newport Beach on October 1 when Furo entered the house. The National Treasure star found Furo standing near a bathroom wearing nothing but one of his leather jackets. The Oscar-winning actor confronted him, asked him to remove the jacket, escorted him outside, and called a security guard. Furo's lawyer, Jack Kayajanian, said his client was in a stupor caused by sleeping pills and the prescription pain killer Vicodin.
Holiday stress can lead to depression
While most people are singing carols and wrapping gifts during the holidays, those who struggle with mental illness often feel increased pain and isolation. Terese Gessler knows, because she's been there. "The bigness of it, how it comes across as being a very extreme holiday," said Gessler, 38, who was diagnosed with major depression and anxiety at age 14. "The stresses that go with it shopping, parties, family gatherings." Although statistics show that suicides in Sheboygan County aren't higher than at other times of the year, mental health professionals and law enforcement officers in Sheboygan see the result of the increased stress and pressure Christmas can bring. "This can be a very lonely, depressing time for people," said Beverly Randall of Mental Health America in Sheboygan County.
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