"Why wait another day? Why not ask store owners to be good servants," Melvin Whitley said Friday. "Safe communities are good for business."

On Thursday, Whitley once again went to three convenience stores to buy glass stems that he says addicts can easily use as a crack pipe.

"Sixteen years ago this was my instrument. This was my tool of misery," he said as he held one up. "I think it's wonderful that today ... I'm God's tool of hope."

Whitley pushed lawmakers to regulate the glass tubes for years now. Last week, Governor Bev Perdue signed a law that will force store owners to keep better track of who's buying novelties like glass pens and "rose in a glass."

"They'll find ways and means to get high," Whitley said. "But why make it easier for them?"

Starting Dec. 1, retailers will require buyers of potential paraphernalia to:

• present a photo ID that includes the person's name and current address
• enter his or her name and current address on a record that the retailer keeps on hand to track these items
• sign his or her name, verifying by signature the glass tube or splitter will not be used as drug paraphernalia in violation of the criminal laws of the State of North Carolina.

Bekee Food Store owner Steven Ikecachukwu said the products like the "glass pen" only account for less than two percent of sales in the store, but can be used legitimately.

"If you look at it ... it's a pen. You can use it to write," he said. "It's none of my business to ask them - ‘what are you going to use it for.'"

He thinks regulating the items should start somewhere else.

"If this is a great problem that people abuse some of this, why should the government allow the products even brought into the country," he said. "Most of them are made overseas ... from China."

But Whitley believes controlling problems starts in communities.

"It's like saying the pharmaceutical companies shouldn't be allowed to sell narcotics. It's regulated," he said. "What we're doing now is regulating the sell of an instrument that we already know has a history towards drug addiction."

He hopes store owners will feel the new regulations will mean keeping items like glass tubes on-hand isn't worth the work required.

"Why not send a message: if you want [drug users] to take one step towards recovery, why not use this as a step to say ‘we understand; we're going to help you to do so.' They can take one small step and with this we take a small step."

Read more about the new law.

But "Fun in the Sun" summer camp in Durham says it doesn't have to.

The program is being offered through the non-profit organization Star Foundation.

"Fun in the Sun" is a full day camp designed to accommodate working parents and runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

And at just $100 per week, per child, it's a bargain compared to most camps.

Camp organizers say their program includes playtime and exercise outside.

And when the sun's at its peak, the children go inside for arts and crafts and lessons on things like creative writing, and even ecology.

"If the camp was not around, we would have a lot of young kids that couldn't volunteer this summer, we'd have a lot of kids without summer jobs, we'd have kids who would be getting in trouble with gangs and stuff this summer," said camp administrator Joyce Waller.

The camp's in its fourth year and directors say it's about more than just having fun.

The non-profit also tries to teach life lessons to its campers and teenage volunteers, encouraging the older kids to be mentors and role models to the younger ones.

"I actually like when they smile at me and they make me feel good about myself. Making them happy, makes me happy," said teen staffer Janelle Whitley.

"If you take a smaller kid and you show them what you've learned so far, then someone a little older than you show you what they learned, then that's the way to just pass it down," said Ron Williams, another administrator with the camp.

Some days there are more volunteers than campers.

Directors blame the recession for low enrollment.

Even though the camp's running on a shoestring budget, organizers don't have the heart to turn anyone away.

"If you have a child that wants to go to camp, bring the child in, let's make some reasonable payment arrangements and hopefully the people in the community will start sponsoring these children," said Waller.

If you have more than one camp-aged child, it's only $75 for the second child and $50 for a third.

And because the camp is struggling financially this summer it has a couple fundraisers planned this month.

To find out when and where, click here.  

The City of Durham received a $200,000 grant from the U.S. EPA in 2008 to train about 60 residents from Northeast Central Durham and the surrounding area to gain the skills and training needed to competitively seek employment in the assessment and cleanup activities associated with the redevelopment and reuse of local and regional brownfield sites, as well as other related "green" markets.

The EPA says the term "brownfield site" means real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

The city says 17 students graduated from the first class; 12 found jobs in related fields.

Students have received training and certifications that include: CPR/First Aid (Emergency Response) certifications; a 40-Hour Hazardous Waste Operations (HAZWOPER) certificate; field testing and equipment; lead worker awareness; and soil and water management. Employment opportunities for these students will offer starting salaries of $11 to $13 per hour.

For more information, contact Nicholas McCoy, interim senior workforce development manager for City of Durham's Office of Economic and Workforce Development and Durham JobLink Career Center, at (919) 560-4965, extension 15220 or via e-mail at Nicholas.McCoy@durhamnc.gov.

For general information regarding the Durham JobLink Career Center, visit the City's Web site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/eed/dwdb_joblink.cfm.

This afternoon, Durham Police arrested Thomas Rashawn Monroe, 23, of 3300 Shannon Road, Apt. 5A, in connection with the shooting. He's charged with assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm and is in the Durham County Jail under a $250,000 bond.

Officer D.J. Youmans was with his training officer on a "shots fired" call at an apartment complex at 3300 Shannon Road shortly before 4 a.m. Other witnesses reported a possible break-in in progress to police.

"When they responded and came to the location here, they wound up confronting someone shooting at them," said Chief Jose Lopez, Sr. "There were multiple shots apparently fired."

It woke up some in the neighborhood.

"We were all asleep and we heard pops - about four or five," said Ashley Goodyear, who lives across the street. "It is quiet [here] so it's surprising and it's scary"

Earlier, investigators questioned four people apartment 5-A. Lopez said shots came from inside an apartment but the officers did not shoot back.

"I have to point to the officer's professionalism that in light of the situation they had encountered, they did not fire into the door ... into the apartment," Lopez said. "You have to know who you're shooting at. You can't just shoot randomly into the dark or an inanimate space if you don't know what's behind it."

Emergency teams transported Youmans to Duke University Hospital, where he was in stable condition Thursday afternoon. He was wearing a bullet proof vest, but the shot struck him right below the edge of that protection.

"It's like having someone in your family, which quite frankly ... they are my family ... be subjected to such a violent act," Lopez said.

Youmans joined the Durham force in May after spending two years with the New York City Police Department.

Watch the NBC 17 News video to hear how it all started.

Read Full Story

Some community activists say drug users can turn those stems into paraphernalia for meth, heroin or crack.

Durham community activist Melvin Whitley pushed for regulation of "The rose in a glass" since 2006. That's when he started urging his city government to ban the small novelty sold in some convenience stores.

"When [drug users] start using the glass stem, that's when they became really addicted," he said when Representative Hilton introduced House Bill 722 back in March. "These glass stems are only sold in drug-infested neighborhoods and they're sold for $4 ... but the retailer pays $0.18."

"They're making money off of people's misery."

The bill passed with no opposition in Raleigh.

Part of it reads:
"Glass tubes or splitters shall not be offered for retail sale by self-service, but shall be stored and sold from behind a counter where the general public cannot access them without the assistance of a retailer's agent or employee."

Starting Dec. 1, retailers will require buyers of the potential paraphernalia to:

• Present a photo ID that includes the person's name and current address.
• Enter his or her name and current address on a record that the retailer keeps on hand to track these items.
• Sign his or her name, verifying by signature the glass tube or splitter will not be used as drug paraphernalia in violation of the criminal laws of the State of North Carolina.

Both retailers and buyers face misdemeanor charges if a court finds them guilty of breaking the new law.

Read House Bill 722
Read more about why Representative Hilton introduced the bill

This event will offer job seekers an opportunity to meet face to face with dozens of employers who are hiring today!  Companies such as Aaron's Sales and Lease, Fidelity Investments, Orange County Human Resource Department, United States Secret Service and many others will be at the event. National Career Fairs will have a local career expert on hand to provide a free professional resume review.

All job seekers are encouraged to attend this free event to network, submit resumes, and connect with hiring managers.  Make the most of the event by dressing professionally and bringing multiple copies of your resume.

Read Full Story

Fellowship applications must be received by Sept. 22. Duke will waive all application fees for fellowship applicants.

The new collection schedules will begin for Schedule “A” (North of the Eno River) on Monday, July 13th and for Schedule “B” (South of the Eno River) on Monday, July 20th, 2009.  If a Federal Holiday falls on a regular scheduled collection day, the collection will then be made on the following Saturday.

Residents who live North of the Eno River (Schedule A) who previously received collection on alternate Wednesdays, will now be assigned a different day for collection depending on where they live.  Maps are being prepared to reflect 4 quadrants of northern Durham county, one for each of the four days (Mon, Tue, Thu, Friday) that residents will use as a reference to determine their respective collection day.

Residents who live South of the Eno River (Schedule B) who previously received collection on alternate Wednesdays, will now be assigned a different day for collection depending on where they live.  Maps are being prepared to reflect 4 quadrants of southern Durham county, one for each of the four days (Mon, Tue, Thu, Friday) that residents will use as a reference to determine their respective collection day.

The last day for the current scheduled Wednesday collections will be July 1st for Schedule “A”, and July 8th for Schedule “B”.  Residents are asked to discard their current 2009 collection schedule for the remaining portions of the 2009 calendar year to avoid any confusion.  And replace the previous schedule with a “Revised 2009 New Schedule” which is being prepared for distribution through the US Mail to all property owners in the unincorporated areas of Durham County over the next two weeks.

In addition, maps and schedules are being printed and will be placed in the curbside recycling bins on the last Wednesday collection days on July 1st (Schedule A) and July 8th (Schedule B).   The revised collection schedules will also be posted on the Durham County Government website at http://www.co.durham.nc.us/; and the County General Services website at http://www.co.durham.nc.us/departments/gnsv/recycle/PickUp_Schedule.html.  

Copies of the maps and schedules will also be available at the TFC Office at 1017 South Hoover Road, Durham and the County General Services Office located at 310 S. Dillard St, Durham.

For more information residents are invited to call TFC recycling at (919) 957-8803 or the Durham County Department of General Services (560-0430) Monday through Friday 8:30 AM until 5:00 PM.

The items most needed (no glass, please) include canned meals, peanut butter, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables, rice, pasta and dried beans, hygiene items, infant products, and paper products.  Please bring your items to the Pulley Watson offices at 905 West Main Street in Durham at Brightleaf Square. Financial contributions can also be donated online at the Pulley Watson Virtual Food Drive web page:  www.foodbankcenc.org/VFD_PulleyWatson

Durham Police say they arrested 56-year-old Lewis Scarlette and charged him with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. Police say the charge against Scarlette will be upgraded to murder.

Shortly around 5:10 p.m. Saturday evening, police were dispatched to a home on Zelko Court. They found 41-year-old Joseph Best lying on the steps. Best was taken to Duke University Hospital where he died Sunday.

Scarlette is being held at the Durham County Jail under a $500,000 bond.

Now, real estate agents say things could be turning around in the triangle.

Nearly 250 homes were sold in Durham in April this year, according to Triangle Multiple Listings Services.

That's down from the 309 homes sold in april last year, but it is still the most number of homes sold in a single month in Durham for all of 2009.

The people buying those homes now are held to very different standards than the buyers of just a few years ago.

Banker Fredrick Hicks is spending this Sunday like most of his work days, by using his mobile Mortgage Bus to teach people what they'll need to get in a home.

"To get you in the door, you've got to have credit and you've got to have 2 years of employment," Hicks said.

The landscape for potential home buyers is changing.

The things needed just 5 or 10 years ago to get a home won't cut it these days and Hicks said these new rules will stick around for a while.

"People have credit challenges that are prohibiting them from getting in the door," Hicks said.

Even if you do have credit, Hicks said you'll need a reserve of money in a savings account and it wouldn't hurt to have a down payment.

Tonya Locus is getting her finanical house in order to buy a home.

"I'm excited," Locus said about the home buying process. "I will be getting me a home this year."

Though she probably would have been able to get in a home a lot easier just two years ago, Locus said she'd rather have it this way.

"You have people now that are losing their homes that couldn't afford homes with the way they were doing it," Locus said.

The new standards are there to not only put you in a home, but also to help you keep it.

Hicks travels all around the state in his mortgage bus teaching people what they need to get in a home.

He says when bankers travel to people, it eliminates a lot of the intimidation that comes with going in a bank.

"We're struggling right now to keep the doors open," said Joyce Wall, Star Foundation president.

Wall said before they even started their camp two weeks ago, they were already short $5,000 and had half the number of kids signed up this year than last. 

"A lot of parents are losing jobs, lots of kids want to come, but parents can't afford it," said Wall. "They're embarassed to bring their kids without money."

And that's where Saturday's fundraiser comes in. The proceeds go to help send kids to camp, as well as pay for art supplies, activities, and transportation. 

"This year we don't have the use of van transportation because we don't have enough funding raised," said Wall.

Counselors said they need the money for the camp to continue to provide an important service for kids and teens: keeping them out of trouble and on the right track.

"We ask them, 'do you like drawing, building things, what do you like?,'" said Christian Andrews, camp counselor. "And we work with them personally and say,'we're going to help you with such and such.'"

It's something campers said makes a big difference and many are already focused on helping the younger ones.

"We have to work hard to achieve what need and my goal is to help out with the kids," said one camper.

The camp runs through August 21st and officials said they have plenty of opening that they still need to have filled. The foundation said it will work with parents who may not have enough money to afford to send their child to the camp.