Headline Rewind: Sadness, Silliness, Triumph and Football

Here's a look at some of the interesting stories that appeared in RSM Patch over the past week or so. If you didn't look at them the first time, they're worth checking out now. Seriously. Be informed. Take it to the water cooler.

SADNESS

It was supposed to be a celebration of the life of Elvis Kechechian, a strength and conditioning coach for at Santa Margarita Catholic, but on Saturday was hardly uplifting. The mood was somber, the moments of laughter rare as family and friends remembered a life cut short. The occasion was made more gray by news that his friend, two days earlier, also from stab wounds. Justin Alvin Tombleson admitted to the killing, though he pleaded not guilty by .

TRIUMPH

Beau Hossler, 16, won just for the U.S. Open. It was to learn from PGA professionals and meet his favorite golfer (Phil Mickelson). He , but by all accounts, he seemed to give a good account of himself as the tournament's second-youngest player in history.

A winner of another sort is John Nichols, who is graduating Tesoro High with . From the time he began kindergarten, he never missed a day of school. He's also carrying a 4.5 grade-point average.

HONOR

Take three minutes to watch video of the to learn something about our flag (you're sure to learn something); about 100 were burned by fire in a ceremony at City Hall. Plus, you'll be impressed by the headline.

OPTIMISM

High school football is less than three months away, and Patch takes a look at all the teams in the South Coast League, including schools comprised of local players, and . You can navigate your way to the other teams in the league from inside those previews. We'll have more previews this week.

CAUTION

Senator Mimi Walters was the point person on a town hall in Laguna Woods that provided a lot of information about identity theft and fraud protection. It was aimed at seniors throughout the Southland, but for people of all ages.

INCREASE

The toll roads are going to beginning July 1, when there is a 5 percent increase (rounded to the nearest nickel) for FasTrak users and 25 cent increase for cash customers.

WEYLER

Columnist John Weyler—who really is amusing—is off this month so if you've never checked out his An American Idle column, do so now. If you find that you like him, catch up on all the columns. That way you'll be up do date when he returns. For starters, How about Weyler ?

FINALLY

This is , but if you'd like to do something like this—make a shameless display to get into Patch—we're sure we can find a place for you.