But when everyone's in place, you realize classroom 603 in the continuing education building is a bit different.

"The word ‘mature' is a self-select," Komives said smiling. "I know 80-year-old people who are young. I know 30-year-old people who are old."

This is Job Search Strategies for Mature Professionals. All here are over 40. Many are in their 50s. And, because of this recession, all are looking for new career paths.

"A lot of my contacts have gone cold because of the economy," said Tom Harned, who is in his 50s and makes his living as a freelancer in the audio and video field.

Harned and the dozen or so students in this class spend Tuesday and Thursday afternoons honing their networking skills.

"If you're a mature professional like I am ... you have to be a little bit more on the game," said Mary Moore, who is coordinator of the Human Resource Development Program. "You've got to be smarter, wiser, sharper."

These classes are free to people who are unemployed or under-employed.

"So many people come into these classes not believing what they have to offer and not understanding how their skills transfer from one industry to another," Moore said. "Eighty percent of jobs are found on the hidden job market. This is no longer the time to look at online job ads."

Edna Adams said the class has done wonders for her confidence.

"I had a job for 13 years," she said. "I lost my job due to a company going overseas."

"You never get too old to learn."

The grandmother was a supervisor in shipping and receiving before the company laid her off in March. Now, she has some life choices to make. She's thinking about going into medical coding or interior design.

"The jobs are out there; the opportunities are there, but you need that certification and you need the on-hands experience," Adams said. 

Free Workshops for Job Search Strategies For Mature Professionals
From Mike Komives:

Starts: February 9, 2010
Period: six weeks
Days: Tuesday, Thursday
Time: 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Orange County Skills Development Center
503 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill

Starts: March 30, 2010
Period: six weeks
Days: Tuesday, Thursday
Time: 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Where: Durham Tech Community College
Corporate Education Center
1637 Lawson Street, Durham

Networking Groups For Job and Career Search
St. Joseph JOBS Network of St. Thomas More, Chapel Hill. Meets at 8:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Saturday morning each month at the St. Thomas More Youth House, from the STM Lower School, 940 Carmichael Street in Chapel Hill. People seeking jobs or new careers meet, give a short "elevator" speech, exchange contact names, provide leads and offer suggestions. Guest presenters on topics of interest: interviewing, networking and more. Group links on Yahoo and LinkedIn for job postings and informative articles. Contact Mike Komives, mike@mikekomives.com

TAFU [To Avoid Future Unemployment} - meets the first and third Thursday every month, 7:30 a.m., at Carolina Bakery and Café, 137 West Parkway in Cary. For professional managers, have your "elevator" speech ready. Phone number is: 919-678-8855.

TNG [Triangle Networking Group] - meets once a month, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday evenings at various locations in Morrisville or Raleigh. Dress code is business casual; bring business cards and resumes. Most meetings will have some recruiters in attendance. For information and to get on the e-mailing list for announcements of upcoming meetings, send an e-mail with contact info to tng_rsvp@yahoo.com

Colonial Baptist Church, Jobseekers Ministry, located on Tryon Road and Holly Springs Road in Cary. Meets 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. almost every Monday morning. Weblink: http://www.colonial.org/jobseekers/

St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 804 High House Road in Cary. Link to Career Transition ministry. Meets at 7:30 a.m. every Tuesday morning.

Hope Community Church, Job Seekers, 821 Buck Jones Road, Raleigh. Web site: www.gethope.net/ministries/HJS_home.html
Telephone: 919-532-0620.
Meets 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. on Thursday.

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, 7506 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh. This is facilitated by CareerNet, and meets every Wednesday morning from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. in the church's fellowship hall. Website: http://sapc.ryark.com

Antwoine Yates, 31, is charged with hitting another man in the face with a brick during an argument on October 24. Police say the victim suffered a broken jaw and was hospitalized.

Anyone with information on Yates' whereabouts is asked to call Investigator Byrd at 560-4415, ext. 29309 or CrimeStoppers at 683-1200.

Dexter Lavern Hooks, 44, of Angier Avenue and Demario Lashaun "Real" Boyd, 24, of Vickers Ave. are wanted by Durham Police in connection with two cases that were reported during the first week of November.

Both men are charged with first-degree kidnapping, two counts of extortion and one count of assault inflicting serious injury.

Justin Brooks Sharpe and Adrian Whoie have been arrested in connection with the case and placed in the Durham County Jail.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Boyd or Hooks is asked to call Investigator Chappell at 560-4415, ext. 29311 or CrimeStoppers at 683-1200.

When she said no, he pulled out a knife and demanded money. The victim screamed and fought with the man, who then ran, and left in a white, four-door car.

The suspect was described as a male, about 6 feet tall with a slim to medium build. He was wearing a black Avirex jacket with designs on it, a green shirt, blue jeans and green and white Nike Air Force shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator Walcutt at 560-4281, ext. 29121or CrimeStoppers at 683-1200. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.

Sony Ericsson announced Wednesday it's closing its RTP headquarters and moving to Atlanta.

Worldwide, Sony Ericsson is hoping to cut 2,000 jobs -- more than 20 percent of its work force.

The restructuring will affect at least six facilities, including the site in RTP, along with sites in Miami, Seattle, San Diego, Sweden and India.

"I think that it was obviously a tough message for everyone," Karen Morris, Sony Ericsson's vice president of marketing for North America, said.

The announcement wasn't exactly unexpected, though, either.

"In April of 2009 we announced our business transformation project. It's really to reduce our costs worldwide," Morris said.

Sony Ericsson officials say they're not sure yet how many people will lose their jobs or how many will be offered new positions elsewhere, but they hope to have the entire move finished by the third quarter of 2010.

The loss of a major corporate headquarters is a big change for the make-up of the research triangle.

"This is hard; it's hard for North Carolina, it's hard for me as governor," Governor Bev Perdue said. "It's much harder for those folks that are going to get those pink slips than it is for any of us put together."

Part of the reason for the relocation is the chance to be closer to AT&T, Sony Ericsson's single biggest client in the US. Corporate officials say they're combining the South American headquarters with the RTP location to make a bigger hub in Atlanta for Sony Ericsson world-wide.

Morris says the company will start talking with employees one-on-one about their futures soon.

Sony Ericsson cut more than half the jobs here at the RTP headquarters just last fall.

_______
Keep up with the stories Chris Cowperthwaite is working on every day: http://twitter.com/CCowperthwaite.

Contact him at ccowperthwaite@wncn.com.

This area is consistently ranked as the top congested location in the region and the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization is hosting a public workshop to address the problem.

The meeting will be held at the William and Ida Friday Center for the Continuing Education in Chapel Hill from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday.

Read More On The NC 54/I-40 Study Here

Read Full Story

Charlie Kernodle, of the Personal Defense and Handgun Safety Center, says the latter really doesn't surprise him.

"More and more people now are learning how to shoot; a lot of couples learn to shoot," he said. "A lot of 40, 50 and 60 year-olds who have never fired weapons are coming in to take lessons."

"I would say that's probably tripled. One of the other instructors would do as many as 15 to 30 people in one week that are new to shooting."

According to the Wall Street Journal, gun sales were up earlier in the year: 27 percent for the first few months compared to the same time the year before. It meant 4 million background checks, which is one of the best measures of gun sales, according to the journal.

Kernodle said gift cards are popular here at the center; that giving a gun blindly for Christmas is not the best idea.

"You need to know how to use that particular gun," he said. "People should look at it as a sport. If you've never fired a gun before - to some people - it can be sort of frightening."

Jenny Jump came here to the center to fire a weapon for the third time. She doesn't want to own one. But she said she wants to protect herself by knowing how they work.

"The majority of things go wrong when you don't know what to do," Jump said.
"Even those who don't want a gun - too many safety issues for children or whatever - at least become knowledgeable as to how to operate one. So if one is ever in your distance, you're going to know. It's something worth taking the time if it's going to save your life."

Click here to read more about what people want this Christmas.

The robbery happened about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 1200 block of West Markham Avenue.

Police say two students were sitting in a parked car, talking with the door open, when two men approached them.

One of the suspects had a gun and demanded money. Both men fled on foot toward Buchanan Boulevard.

The suspects are described as 5'8" and about 140 pounds. They were wearing dark jeans and sweatshirts.

Anyone with information is asked to call Durham Police at (919) 560-4427, Duke Police at (919)684-2444 or CrimeStoppers at (919)683-1200

The mission needs about 70 turkeys to serve an estimated 600 people at this year's event.

Ten turkeys were delivered by a community member Tuesday, but Sean Saunders with the mission said it's not enough and encourages others to do the same.

"This is an opportunity to show someone that you care during this time of year and it's more than just a meal, it's the thought behind it," Saunders said.

Community officials will begin cooking the turkeys around 4 a.m. Thanksgiving morning in order for them to be ready for the families.

The clinic will be held at the National Guard Armory at 801 Stadium Drive on Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. or while supplies last.

The clinic will offer the vaccine to those considered to be a part of the target group and will also offer the second dose of H1N1 to elementary aged children.

Children that receive the second dose of the vaccine must have received their first dose at the Durham Public Schools Staff Development Center on October 19 or 21.

For more information about Durham County's H1N1 vaccination clinics, call 919-560-7882.

Freshman Andre Dawkins had 13 points and Jon Scheyer and Miles Plumlee added 10 apiece for the Blue Devils (2-0).

They held the Chanticleers to three field goals during a 14-minute stretch of the first half, put themselves up by 25 points with a 24-11 spurt midway through the second and cruised from there to a second-round matchup with the Elon-Charlotte winner Tuesday night.

Mario Edwards scored 12 to lead the Chanticleers (1-1). Their coach, Cliff Ellis, beat Duke three times from 1987-90 during his decade coaching at Clemson. But that didn't translate onto the court for a Coastal Carolina team seeking its first win against an Atlantic Coast Conference team since 1987.

But on a night when the Blue Devils once again were short-handed due to an injury and a suspension, Singler was there to keep them rolling. The ACC's preseason player of the year followed his 20-point performance in the opening win against North Carolina-Greensboro with even bigger numbers, scoring 15 in the first half and finishing 8 of 14 in 36 minutes.

Dawkins, a freshman with a quick trigger from long range, hit two 3-pointers during the overwhelming second-half spurt. The first made it 50-28 with 11 minutes left and pushed Duke's lead into the 20s.

The Blue Devils extended their NCAA-record nonconference winning streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium to 70, claimed their 30th straight win at home against an unranked team and improved to 19-2 in the preseason NIT, a tournament they have won three times.

Coastal Carolina, which was playing its first game against a top-10 team since a 43-point loss to No. 7 Florida in 2002, fell to 1-28 against the ACC and lost its sixth straight road game. The Chanticleers were without three first-year players - including South Carolina transfer Chad Gray - who were serving one-game suspensions for violating undisclosed team rules.

Duke had just eight players in its rotation because guard Nolan Smith sat out the second of his two-game suspension for playing in an unsanctioned summer league and 6-foot-10 freshman forward Mason Plumlee remained out with a broken left wrist. Smith is expected back for the second-round matchup.

Without them, the Blue Devils pushed their lead into double figures to stay by scoring 10 straight points midway through the first half and forcing the Chanticleers into some miserable shooting.

Coastal Carolina reeled off six quick points in the first 2 minutes - but managed just six more during the following 14, when they were held to 3-of-22 shooting while allowing Duke to take a 26-12 lead. The Chanticleers attempted their only two free throws of the half at the 2:20 mark.

"My grandmother always told me that talent is ten percent and everything else is hard work," the 17 year-old said with a big grin on his face. "I think I'm more of a testament to that than being a whiz kid."

The senior at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics recently received the highest honors at the Region Six Finals of the 2009 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. Lett won the "individual category," which carried a $3,000 college scholarship for his biochemistry project.

"Science has so much room for critical thinking," he said. "The journey to the answer is so interesting. You learn so much stuff along the way."

His research started last summer when a program called Project Seed accepted him. His mentors for this project were Leslie Brinson, a Biology Teacher at NCSSM, and Dr. Jeffery Tessem, at the Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center at Duke University.

"I'm measuring how certain genes affect Beta cell growth and Beta cells are the insulin-producing cells of the body and diabetes. One of the treatments that they take is insulin. So this definitely pertains to diabetes in that way," Lett said. "I changed how a certain gene was expressed and the Beta cells and Islets to see how it affected growth and tried to get them to grow more, basically."

"More cells equals more insulin, which is good for diabetics."

And this is where this story takes a personal turn. His mother and grandmother are fighting the disease. In June 2007 Lett learned he had it, too.

"If you have something - you want to know as much as you can," he said. "I learned so much more than any textbook could teach me when I was doing research about it."

The finals in New York City will run from December 3 to December 7. Winners from six regional competitions will compete for scholarships ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.

"The hardest part about this competition isn't just explaining your research but answering to a panel of judges in a room all by yourself where you have to defend your work and what you know about it," Leslie Brinson said. "[Lanair is] himself. He's not trying to be all stuffy and formal. He talks from his heart and that really paid off."

Another North Carolina team also received top honors at the Regional Competition in Atlanta. Neil Shah and Katie Shpanskaya of Greensboro and Raleigh, North Carolina respectively, received the highest honors in their category.

The Consulate General of Israel to the Southeast is holding its annual student conference Sunday on the Duke campus. Issues include Israel's relationship with the U.S. relationship and cultural diversity.

Students from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are expected.

The private event is a collaborative effort between groups including Jewish Life at Duke and Duke Friends of Israel.

The Consulates annual conference is part of its mission to help Americans get past the headlines and learn more about Israel.

The conference runs from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Duke's Freeman Center for Jewish Life.

Lyons, 27, of Dowd Street is charged with robbing a man of cash and a wallet at gunpoint November 9 in the 500 block of Dowd Street. Lyons is facing charges of robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Anyone with information on Lyons' whereabouts is asked to call Investigator Cristaldi at 560-4281, ext. 29123 or CrimeStoppers at 683-1200. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for information leading to arrests in felony cases and callers never have to identify themselves.

Christopher Alexander Hicks, 17, is charged with stealing computer equipment, iPods, a camera, cash and other items. Hicks is also charged with two counts of injury to property.

Anyone with information on Hicks' whereabouts is asked to call Investigator Rogers at 560-4935, ext. 29416 or CrimeStoppers at 683-1200.

High water has been reported along creeks flowing into the Roanoke river in nourtheast Halifax county, Patch Rubber road in Weldon has been closed due to high water. Persistent rainfall into streams and saturated soils will continue the risk of flash flooding thorugh early afternoon.

A downed tree on Maynard Road and Ralph Drive in Cary caused two separate five-vehicle accidents Thursday morning, but the tree has since been cleared from the road.

NBC 17 Precision Traffic

Raleigh Police believe strong winds overnight knocked down telephone powerlines onto Corporation Parkway and New Bern Avenue in Raleigh, forcing police to close the road in that area.

A flood warning has been issued for the Neuse and Haw rivers. 

Rainfall totals, so far have been 4 to 5", more rain is expected this afternoon with another inch possible.  A Wind Advisory for wind with gusts up to 35 mph is in effect for the area until early Friday morning.  This will be strong enough to bring down some trees and possibly cause power outages.

Temperatures will hold in the 50s both Thursday and Friday.  Rain should let up Friday morning with light scattered rain and drizzle mainly in the morning, improving to sunshine and 70s for the weekend.

Get More Details On The Latest Forecast & Check Out Radar Here

Apartment dwellers on Dana Drive in Raleigh are keeping a wary eye on the water from Crabtree Creek that rushes past their homes.

“I’m concerned because I’ve been in two floods over here before,” said resident Abdul Abdarrahin.

Every 30 minutes Abdul says he checks the water level and if it reaches a tree near his apartment, he’s out of there.

“I’m waiting and when I see that water coming, I’ll stop, take our cars and go stay with friends or something,” he said.

On the other side of the apartment complex, one resident was less worried Wednesday night than she was Wednesday morning because the creek didn’t look as threatening as it did earlier.

“Our concern was little higher this morning as it was rising more and more,” explained Victoria Krantz. “But now, the water has defiantly gone down 6 to 12 inches.”

Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers says the area's two major water supplies need this precipitation.

“Any rainfall in the Piedmont area will help our projects,” said Daniel Emerson, a hydrologic engineer with the Corps.

With Falls Lake three and a half feet below normal and with Jordan Lake two feet below where it needs to be, the Army Corps says it has plenty of room to take whatever amount of water is dumped into the watershed from this storm system.

“We have not increased discharges at Jordan or Falls Lake so no one has to worry about our contribution to any downstream flooding,” said Emerson.
Crabtree Valley Mall has blocked off parking areas prone to flooding, just in case.

In Chapel Hill, Bollin Creek along Estes Drive was filled to the brim by Wednesday afternoon. It's an area that floods easily, so officials will keep an eye on it.

Juan Sepulveda of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans will be at El Centro Hispano center in Durham on Thursday to speak with residents and local leaders about the status of Hispanic education. He will host two sessions.

The initiative was created in 1990. It focuses on federal efforts to improve Hispanic education.

The Department of Education said Sepulveda has spoken around the country to help guide the Initiative in a new direction. He is scheduled to speak in Atlanta on Friday.

The county started with 1,300 doses of the injectable vaccine and 1,400 doses of the nasal mist for people in high-priority groups, including: pregnant women, caregivers for children under six months old, people aged six months to 24 years, people with chronic medical conditions, and healthcare workers.

People began lining up outside the National Guard Armory hours before the clinic opened at 10 a.m.

The county offered a free shuttle bus from the health department building downtown to the Armory for people in need of transportation.

Durham County plans to have another clinic aimed at the target groups next Wednesday, depending on supplies. The location has not yet been announced.

The summit, held at the Holton Career and Resource Center, included groups such as Durham Public Schools, Job Link, and Durham Technical College.

"Durham Public Schools are offering vocational classes in small engine repair, barbering school and networking classes," said James Dickens, of Durham's Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

Durham Technical College was promoting their spring classes for high school students who want to get ahead.

Courtney McCollum of Job Link said they hoped to help youth by teaching them how to interview and prepare resumes.

McCollum said they are also working with young people trying to find seasonal jobs.

"Seasonal jobs can range from customer service positions, cashiers and stockers but we have all that information at our JobLink table," McCollum said.

Youth Rashida Smith said she took advantage of everything the organizations had to offer.

"I do have a job interview today, but I did pick up some application so if that doesn't work out, I have a back up plan," Smith said.

Kimba Sambou with the North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Services said the summit also offers opportunities to kids and adults with disabilities.

"Vocational Rehabilitation Services is for anyone with a disability who wants to go to work or college. It really helps people with disabilities obtain employment," Sambou said.

The city of Durham also holds a youth summit in the summer focusing on similar issues.