Grief besets family of Pistorius' slain girlfriend

Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius , in court Friday Feb. 22, 2013 in Pretoria, South Africa, for his bail hearing charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The defense and prosecution both completed their arguments with the magistrate soon to rule if the double-amputee athlete can be freed before trial or if he must stay behind bars pending trial) (AP Photo)

Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius , in court Friday Feb. 22, 2013 in Pretoria, South Africa, for his bail hearing charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The defense and prosecution both completed their arguments with the magistrate soon to rule if the double-amputee athlete can be freed before trial or if he must stay behind bars pending trial) (AP Photo)

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius' uncle, Arnold Pistorius, speaks to journalists at the end of the bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. Oscar Pistorius was granted bail in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Friday and will return to court June, 4, 2013 to face a charge of pre-meditated murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, right, and his sister Aimee, left, are driven to a relatives home in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. Pistorius was released on bail and will return to court June, 4, 2013 to face charge a charge of pre-meditated murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. (AP Photo/Nelius Rademan-FOTO24-Beeld) SOUTH AFRICA OUT NO SALES. NO ARCHIVE, ONLINE OUT MAGAZINES OUT INTERNET OUT TV OUT

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius' sister Aimee Pistorius looks on during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. Pistorius was granted bail in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Friday. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Mike Steenkamp, the uncle of Reeva Steenkamp, centre, speaks to an unidentified man, holding a photo of Reeva, after her funeral in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius is charged with the premeditated murder of Steenkamp on Valentine's Day. The defense lawyer says it was an accidental shooting. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Far from the courtroom drama that has gripped South Africa, the family of Oscar Pistorius' slain girlfriend has struggled with its own private deluge of grief, frustration and bewilderment.

The victim's relatives also harbor misgivings about efforts by the Olympian's family to reach out to them with condolences.

Pistorius, meanwhile, spent Saturday at his uncle's home in an affluent suburb of Pretoria, the South African capital, after a judge released him on bail following days of testimony that transfixed South Africa and much of the world. He was charged with premeditated murder in the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day, but the athlete says he killed her accidentally, opening fire after mistaking her for an intruder in his home.

"We are extremely thankful that Oscar is now home," his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, said in a statement that also acknowledged the law must run its course. "What happened has changed our lives irrevocably."

The Pistorius family took steps to lower its profile on social media after someone hacked into the Twitter account of his older brother, Carl, family spokesman Janine Hills said.

"Carl did not tweet this afternoon, out of respect to Oscar and Reeva," Hills said in a statement. "We are busy cancelling all the social media sites for both Oscar's brother and his sister."

Mike Steenkamp, Reeva's uncle, told The Associated Press that the family of the double-amputee athlete initially did not send condolences or try to contact the bereaved parents, but had since sought to reach out in what he described as a poorly timed way. After Pistorius was released on bail in what amounted to a victory for the defense, Arnold Pistorius said the athlete's family was relieved but also in mourning "with the family" of Reeva Steenkamp.

"Everybody wants to jump up with joy," Mike Steenkamp said, speculating on the mood of Pistorius' family after the judge's decision. "I think it was just done in the wrong context, completely."

A South African newspaper, the Afrikaans-language Beeld, quoted the mother of Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model, law school graduate and participant in a television reality show, as saying the family had received a bouquet of flowers and a card from the Pistorius family.

"Yes, but what does it mean? Nothing," June Steenkamp said, according to the Saturday edition of Beeld. She also said Pistorius' family, including sister Aimee, a somber presence on the bench behind the Olympian during his court hearings in the past week, must be "devastated" and had done nothing wrong.

"They are not to blame," June Steenkamp said. According to Beeld, she said she had hoped to plan a wedding for her daughter one day.

In an affidavit, 26-year-old Oscar Pistorius said he was "absolutely mortified" by the death of "my beloved Reeva," and he frequently sobbed in court during the several days during which his bail application was considered. However, prosecutor Gerrie Nel, suggested in a scathing criticism that Pistorius was actually distraught because his vaunted career was now in peril and he was in grave trouble with the law.

"It doesn't matter how much money he has and how good his legal team is, he will have to live with his conscience if he allows his legal team to lie for him," Barry Steenkamp, Reeva's father, told Beeld.

"But if he is telling the truth, then perhaps I can forgive him one day," the father said. "If it didn't happen the way he said it did, he must suffer, and he will suffer ... only he knows."

Barry Steenkamp suffered "heavy trauma" at the loss of his daughter and his remarks to the newspaper partly reflect how he is working through it, said his brother, Mike Steenkamp.

Steenkamp was cremated in a funeral ceremony on Feb. 19 in her family's hometown of Port Elizabeth on South Africa's southern coast. Mike Steenkamp delivered a statement about the family's grief to television cameras, at one point breaking down in tears.

The three-story house where Pistorius is staying with his aunt and uncle lies on a hill with a view of Pretoria. It has a large swimming pool and an immaculate garden.

Pistorius was born without fibula bones due to a congenital defect and had his legs amputated at 11 months. He has run on carbon-fiber blades and was originally banned from competing against able-bodied peers because many argued that his blades gave him an unfair advantage. He was later cleared to compete. He is a multiple Paralympic medalist, but he failed to win a medal at the London Olympics, where he ran in the 400 meter race and on South Africa's 4x400 relay team.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-23-Pistorius-Shooting/id-92da7aa20dc045e59a45af859707a5fc

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Mandiant goes viral after China hacking report

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Source: http://technolog-discuss.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/23/17070706-mandiant-goes-viral-after-china-hacking-report

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Singer Mindy McCready dies in apparent suicide | The Salt Lake ...

HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. ? Perhaps there was one heartbreak too many for Mindy McCready.

The former country star apparently took her own life on Sunday at her home in Heber Springs, Ark. Authorities say McCready died of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot to the head and an autopsy is planned. She was 37, and left behind two young sons.

McCready had attempted suicide at least three times since 2005, as she struggled to cope amid a series of tumultuous public events that marked much of her adult life.

Speaking to The Associated Press in 2010, McCready smiled wryly while talking about the string of issues she?d dealt with over the last half-decade.

"It is a giant whirlwind of chaos all the time," she said of her life. "I call my life a beautiful mess and organized chaos. It?s just always been like that. My entire life things have been attracted to me and vice versa that turn into chaotic nightmares or I create the chaos myself. I think that?s really the life of a celebrity, of a big, huge, giant personality."

This time it seems the whirlwind overwhelmed McCready.

Her death comes a month after that of David Wilson, her longtime boyfriend and the father of her youngest son. He is believed to have shot himself on the same porch of the home they shared in Heber Springs, a small vacation community of large lakefront houses about 65 miles north of Little Rock. His death also was investigated as a suicide.

It was the most difficult moment in a life full of them. McCready issued a statement last month lamenting his death. And she called him her soul mate and a caregiver to her sons in an interview with NBC?s "Today" show.

"I just keep telling myself that the more suffering that I go through, the greater character I?ll have," she said, according to a transcript of the interview.

Like so many times before, McCready showed a little toughness in the midst of a personal storm, again endearing herself to her fans. But as usual, the brave face for the camera hid a much more complicated internal struggle that surfaced publicly time and again over the last 10 years.

story continues below

This time, along with her remembrances of finding Wilson as he lay dying, she also answered questions about whether they?d argued earlier that evening about an affair and if she?d shot him.

"Oh, my God," the "Today" transcript reads. "No. Oh, my God. No. He was my life. We were each other?s life."

It?s unclear what circumstances led to McCready taking her own life, but it appears she was struggling again with twin issues that have persisted for years ? substance abuse and the custody of her children. She checked into court-ordered rehab and gave her children up to foster care earlier this month after her father asked a judge to intervene, saying she?d stopped taking care of herself and her sons and was abusing alcohol and prescription drugs.

It?s not clear where her sons, 6-year-old Zander and infant Zayne, were Sunday.

A deputy stationed outside McCready?s home Sunday night referred questions to the Cleburne County sheriff, who was unavailable. Yellow crime-scene tape cordoned off the front yard and a dark-colored pickup truck sat in the driveway.

News of McCready?s death spread quickly Sunday night on Twitter, with major country stars paying their respects to the onetime Nashville darling.

"Too much tragedy to overcome. R.I.P Mindy McCready," wrote Natalie Maines of The Dixie Chicks.

And Carrie Underwood added: "I grew up listening to Mindy McCready...so sad for her family tonight. Many prayers are going out to them... ."

On Monday, neighbors who never met McCready but knew well of her very public struggles expressed grief.

Jim Jones, 58, said police had already blocked off McCready?s house Sunday evening when he and his wife pulled up to their weekend home down the street. People knew McCready lived in town, but many homeowners live only part-time in Heber Springs, particularly in the warmer months for the boating, fishing and golfing.

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Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment2/55849818-223/mccready-mindy-death-suicide.html.csp

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Teen killed after sister attends Obama gun speech

The sister of one of the students who attended President Obama's speech on gun violence Friday was shot and killed while walking with a group of friends. Police say the gunfire was meant for someone else in the group. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

By Alexandria Fisher and Summer Nettles, NBCChicago.com

Police are questioning two men in the murder of an 18-year-old Chicago woman who was killed Friday in a north suburb, officials said Sunday.

Janay McFarlane was shot and killed while leaving a store in North Chicago, hours after her younger sister attended President Barack Obama?s speech on Friday addressing gun violence in Chicago.

McFarlane's mother, Angela Blakely, said McFarlane was not the intended target and that the bullet was intended for a friend she was with. Blakely said McFarlane had asked two male friends to go with her to the store because she didn't feel safe walking alone.

Read more at NBCChicago.com

Two men followed McFarlane and her friends out of the store, police said, and one of them fired nine rounds, missing his target and hitting McFarlane in the head.

McFarlane's family said she talked a lot about the death of another slain teen, Hadiya Pendleton, in the days before her sister attended Obama?s Chicago speech at Hyde Park Academy High School.

McFarlane?s younger sister, 14-year-old Destini Warren, who attended the speech, recalled McFarlane saying she was, ?excited for [Destini]? to see the president.

Warren said the president?s speech ?really connected to what was going on? and she ?didn?t expect that to happen.?

Warren also did not expect the speech to relate to her so personally.

"We could go to each other for everything," she said. "We were more of best friends than we were sisters."

Blakely said McFarlane was "her little buddy."

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"Me and Janay were so close," she said. "It was always 'mommy go with me' or 'mommy let's do this.'"

McFarlane was a senior at the World Changers Leadership Academy and was scheduled to graduate in June. She had plans to go to culinary school.

Blakely said she and McFarlane were supposed to go prom dress shopping later this week.

McFarlane is survived by her sister, mother and 3-month-old son, Jayden.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/18/17003635-chicago-teen-killed-hours-after-sister-attends-obamas-gun-speech?lite

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UTC women start 2013 golf schedule

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's golf team will begin the 2013 part of its schedule Monday at the Central District Invitational in Parrish, Fla., with Golfweek's 12th-ranked Michigan State as the official host. The two-day, 54-hole tournament will include 12 teams at the River Wilderness Golf Club, including 16th-ranked Vanderbilt and No. 25 Iowa State. The Mocs won their last fall event, Furman's Lady Paladin Invitational, with junior Marion Duvernay as medalist. The UTC men's team will play Friday through Sunday in the Bayou City Collegiate in Humble, Texas.

Football

? Former Central High School and University of Chattanooga star running back Ed "Racehorse" Nobles died Friday at the age of 85, less than three months after the death of his fellow Central "Touchdown Twin," Bob McCoy. Nobles, a retired advertising salesman for the Chattanooga Times Free Press who lived in East Ridge, was born in Richard City, Tenn. His funeral service is set for 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, and visitation is set for 6-9 p.m. there Monday. A U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Korean conflict, he will be buried with military honors at Chattanooga National Ceremony. The family asks that memorial donations be made in lieu of flowers to the American Alzheimer's Association, 4825 Trousdale Dr., Suite 220, Nashville, TN 37220.

Baseball

? Chattanooga State completed a weekend baseball sweep of East Georgia CC by winning 14-6 Saturday with Aaron Wright blasting a three-run home run and Tyler McClure striking out 10 batters and allowing three hits in seven innings. Tyler Troutt and Carson Bryant were the winning pitchers in the Tigers' 8-2 and 8-5 victories Friday. Jared Wilson was 7-for-11 with a triple, a double and five RBIs in the three games, while Marquis Webb was 6-for-12 and scored five times, Ryan Whitt was 5-for-10 with three doubles and five RBIs, Jordan McDonald was 5-for-10 with three RBIs and Casey Mannion was 5-for-11 with five RBIs. The Tigers are 6-3 with five wins in a row.

? Cleveland State edged Georgia Perimeter 6-5 and lost 7-3 in their junior college baseball games Friday in Cleveland. Brandon Zajac got the host Cougars' pitching win with a save by Andre Wilson. Evan Speicher and Michael Hargrove each doubled and scored for Cleveland State (5-3) in the opener, when Zach Janes, DeAndre Allen and Speicher had RBI singles, and Chase Edwards had an RBI single, Speicher doubled in a run and Cody Hiefnar tripled and scored on a Hargrove sacrifice fly in game two. Pierce Ressmeyer hit a home run in each game for Perimeter, a two-run shot and a three-run blast.

? Reigning NAIA baseball champion Tennessee Wesleyan defeated Indiana Tech twice Friday in games moved up a day because of Saturday's expected chill, 7-6 and 4-1, and added a 3-1 victory Saturday -- the Bulldogs' eighth in a row. David Donald was 5-for-7 in Friday's sweep for the Bulldogs (8-3), with a homer and three RBIs in the 7-6 win when Trey Griffin was 4-for-4 and Travis Burnside was 3-for-4 and scored three runs from his leadoff position. Burnside had two RBIs in the other game, when Tyler Wilson and Noah Piard combined to pitch a five-hitter. Brackton Smith was 1-for-2 with two RBIs and Donald scored twice in Saturday's win, when Jarrod Jameson and Zach Fleshman combined to pitch a three-hitter with eight strikeouts and no earned run.

? Roberto Duran went 3-for-3 with a homer and four RBIs as third-ranked Lee University completed a weekend Southern States Athletic Conference baseball sweep of visiting Mobile with a 12-0 rout Saturday. The Flames (10-2, 3-0) had 15 hits while Clint Terry (2-1) and CJ Lusted held Mobile to three. Catcher Danny Canela doubled twice and singled and his courtesy runner, Chris Avey, scored three runs, while Mark Silva was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs and Karsten Strieby was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs. Josh Silver also had two hits and two runs for Lee.

? Bryan College edged visiting Georgia Gwinnett 8-7 but then lost 8-6 in their baseball doubleheader Friday in Dayton, and Gwinnett won 3-2 Saturday. Josh Harris had a two-run homer and Cody Rhinehart was 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI in the win for Bryan's Lions (6-3), when they overcame a four-run top of the seventh for Gwinnett with a two-run bottom of the inning. Leadoff man Grant Zawadzki was 3-for-4 and scored twice in the second game for Bryan, which trailed 8-2 before its last two at-bats. The visitors' Christian Van Camp was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two sacrifice flies. Jess Cartner was 1-for-2 with the RBI and Cody Rhinehart was 2-for-3 in Saturday's loss, when L.J. Rowden and Tristan Speak pitched well.

? Covenant College won its weekend baseball series with visiting Emory & Henry by taking Saturday's game 11-5 with Will Cleland going 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs and three runs scored, David Lockwood going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI and Perry Rigby going 2-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs. The Scots are 4-1.

Soccer

? Baylor School defender Marci Carter was one of 12 recruits representing seven states and two other countries announced last week by University of Pittsburgh women's soccer coach Greg Miller. Her commitment was reported last August. "Marci is a smart and gifted athlete," Miller said of the Ooltewah resident. "She is a composed defender that has a huge competitive drive about her. She reads the game very well and has proven leadership qualities that will come in handy for us. We are expecting her to challenge for time at the center back spot."

General

? The Chattanooga Quarterback Club will honor one of its members, Jim Reynolds, as its special guest at its noon luncheon meeting Monday at Finley Stadium, and the public is invited. Attendance costs $10 with a meal, $4 without. Reynolds is about to do his 1,000th radio broadcast of a UTC basketball game; he also does radio play-by-play for Mocs football.

Source: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/feb/17/utc-women-start-2013-golf-schedule/

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South Florida outdoors notebook

??? Faced with opposition from spearfishers, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has tabled a decision to create sport fish and game fish designations for some saltwater species. At a meeting last week in Orlando, commissioners directed staff to develop catch-and-release provisions for bonefish and tarpon. The FWC is expected to gather public input and then consider a draft proposal at its April meeting. The sport fish and game fish designations were aimed at enhancing protection and limiting harvest of some of Florida?s important recreational fisheries.

??? The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is seeking public comment on an amendment that may lift the Nov.?1-through-March?31 recreational closure of vermilion snapper. The most recent stock assessment shows that overfishing for vermilions has ended. However, the amendment might impose some additional restrictions on red porgy, which are still overfished. The council is expected to forward the amendment to the Secretary of Commerce for final adoption at its March?4-8 meeting in St. Simon?s Island, Ga. Public comment will be accepted through March?4. Comments may be faxed to 843-769-4520 or emailed to SGRegAm18Comments@safmc.net.

??? Water sports aficionados fishing for an excuse to stay in South Florida following Monday?s conclusion of the Miami International Boat Show and Yacht & Brokerage Show don?t have to look too hard. The Blue Wild 2013 ? a dive and marine art expo ? will be held Feb.?23-24 at the Broward County Convention Center. Organizer Sheri Daye of Boca Raton says the event will appeal to anyone interested in the world?s oceans. ?I?m trying to dispel the notion this is only about freediving and spearfishing,? Daye said. ?My intent is to make it well-rounded for anyone who loves the ocean.? Besides dive gear and travel exhibits, the expo will feature a variety of speakers and workshops, including Miami shark wrangler Manny Puig; freediving instructors Kirk Krack and Martin Stepanek; Mote Marine Laboratory founder Eugenie Clark; and renowned underwater videographer Stan Waterman. There?s also an extensive marine art exhibit, a photo and video contest, and a raffle and auction. Information: thebluewild.com or call 561-715-0247.

??? The International Game Fish Association has added eight species to its two-year-old All-Tackle Length record program. The program recognizes superior catches in both salt and freshwater based on length rather than weight, and requires fish to be released alive. The new additions, effective March 1, are: black grouper; cero mackerel; Dentex; gray snapper; Madai; Nile perch; Orinoco peacock; and Papuan black snapper. The record-keeping organization also has added new Slam and Trophy clubs, also effective March 1. They are: the 50-pound Dolphinfish Club; the 30-pound Muskellunge Club; and a new Offshore Grand Slam Club. Visit igfa.org for more information.

Susan Cocking

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/16/3238559/south-florida-outdoors-notebook.html

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Rohrabacher, GOP Blast Obama for Not Protecting Iranian Dissidents

Lawmakers complained on Sunday that President Barack Obama had failed to protect Iranian dissidents from persecution by Tehran following a deadly attack on their camp near Baghdad, and urged they be allowed back to their long-time base in Iraq.

A congressional delegation led by Dana Rohrabacher, chairman of the Republican-controlled House subcommittee on Europe, said that the Obama administration should not have backed the movement of members of Iranian dissident group Mujahadin-e-Khalq, or MEK, to a place where they would not be safe.

At least five people were killed in a Feb. 9 rocket attack on their base in the former U.S. military compound "Camp Liberty" in the western part of the Iraqi capital. The attack was condemned by the United Nations.

"It was unethical for the United States to have endorsed the relocation of the people whom we promised to protect to Camp Liberty, where we knew they would not have proper protection, just because it wants to please Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and the ruling mullahs of Iran," the delegation said in statement after meeting Iranian dissident leaders in Paris.

The MEK, which calls for the overthrow of Iran's clerical rulers and fought alongside the forces of former Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, was relocated last year from its long-time Iraqi home in exile at Camp Ashraf.

The MEK is no longer welcome in Iraq under the Shi'ite Muslim-led government, which came to power after U.S.-led forces invaded and toppled Saddam in 2003.

But some U.S. politicians view it as a potential opposition force to replace Tehran's rulers and have taken up their cause in Washington. The congressional delegation issued its statement after meeting with Maryam Rajavi, who heads the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

"Iran needs regime change and the MEK can help bring it about," the congressional delegation said, sharply criticizing the U.N. mission in Iraq for failing to grant more MEK members in Camp Liberty the status of refugees.

"The U.S. Government, the Secretary General of the United Nations, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees should give top priority to resolving the security situation of the residents of Camp Liberty - which can be ensured by their return to Camp Ashraf."

? 2013 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Rohrabacher-iranian-dissidents/2013/02/17/id/490743

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