After serving her country, female veteran struggles to find a job

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Female veterans face job challengeUnemployment for female veterans is higher than the national averageIn September, the national unemployment rate was 9.1%For female veterans, jobless rate was 14.7%Former Navy officer Kenya Smith is one of those unemployed female veterans

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Kenya Smith only has good things to say about the U.S. Navy, where she served a total of 14 years before leaving in 2009.

It's the only profession she's ever known. "I love the Navy," she said during a recent interview in suburban Maryland. "If you split me open, I'm blue and gold."

Smith, a former lieutenant and medical service corps officer, first enlisted right after college but by the time she left had earned two master's degrees, deployed to Iraq and racked up substantial experience in healthcare and administration -- experience she thought would impress potential civilian employers.

"I ran projects. I was an HR manager. I was a logistics manager," she said. But despite all that, Smith now is unemployed -- two years after leaving the military. A single mother with two teenage children, she lost her home to foreclosure in September and is currently living in transitional housing.

Kenya Smith served in the U.S. Navy for 14 years. Now, because she cannot find a job, she is homeless.

"I'm a female homeless vet with children, and I mean that, that's horrible, that's the worst, I think. You go from being self-supportive, having a great income to now serving your country, fighting for your country, and then you get out, and now I'm homeless, all because I can't find a job."

Smith is not alone. In September, the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans was 11.7%, higher than the national average of 9.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For female veterans in particular, the number is even worse -- 14.7% last month.

It's not entirely clear why the picture appears worse for female vets. Veterans advocates point to challenges like child care and dealing with a Veterans Affairs system -- and a civilian world -- still relatively unaccustomed to dealing with female combat veterans.

"A lot of people in this country don't understand or appreciate that women are in combat, that women are even in the military in the scope that they are. So, 15% of returning veterans are women, they are on the frontlines, they are getting shot at, they are leading tough missions," Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said. "And they, too, need the same training and skills that their male counterparts do."

Skills like how to create a resume.

"I really didn't know how to do a resume. I never had to do one. So, that was a challenge," Smith said. "Also a challenge was taking all of my military experience and putting it in layman's terms so a civilian employer could understand what I did."

Smith has since worked with professional resume writers, attended job fairs and sent out her resume dozens of times. But she's gotten few call backs and only two interviews. One of them was at Macy's. She didn't get that job and surmises it's because she was overqualified -- perhaps, but she needed a job.

"There were not a lot of jobs, and jobs I was applying for I was actually overqualified for, which led of course to depression and all things that come along with, you know, being unemployed. It was difficult because when you live in a town that is not necessarily a military town, people don't honor the fact that, yes, you were fighting for your country, and now here you are trying to fight for a job and fight to hold onto your house and all of that. "

Smith said she left the Navy for health reasons, and while re-enlistment might be an option, she is not sure she would meet the enlistment requirements.

In recent weeks, she has pursued a new tack: "I want to take the advice of one person, who said, 'Apply up. Don't apply for administrative assistant when you should really be applying for director or project manager or supervisor.'"

She remains hopeful. "My faith gets me through a lot. I truly believe that God doesn't take anything away without bringing you something better. So, my faith keeps me going. And my children, they're very positive and upbeat, but not only that, they're very understanding. They know this is temporary. I know this is just temporary, I know something will turn around, soon. I know it will."

But for sure, Smith is under pressure to find something soon. She and her kids must move out of their temporary housing in just two weeks, on November 11 -- Veterans Day.

CNN's Jonathan Helman contributed to this report.

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Hotel guest leaves after 11 years

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Joy Bricker spent the better part of her adult life in New Hampshire, but the Beltway is where she has felt most at home.Joy Bricker has lived at a Falls Church, Virginia, hotel for over a decadeAilments are forcing her to move in with her daughter in upstate New YorkA job with HUD brought her to Washington in August 2001She says she plans to devote her time to church in retirement

Falls Church, Virginia (CNN) -- Garrulous and active, 79-year-old Joy Bricker presides over her hotel suite in a manner befitting a grander home. She offers tea to the staff and media with the ease of a person schooled in proper etiquette.

Like many hotel guests, Bricker has learned to make herself feel comfortable, making her room a home away from home. Only, Bricker has called the Towne Place Suites by Marriott, in Falls Church, Virginia, home for more than 10 years.

A former pilot, the 5-foot tour de force is finally turning in her key card, as movers wait to carry off the few labeled belongings she'd brought in to room 202.

"I had this chair brought up from my condo in Florida," says Bricker.

A divider serves as a mantel for framed pictures of family, separating the kitchenette and living area of her 500-square-foot suite. She's made the hotel furniture, identical in all rooms, more personal with a blanket on a sofa and stuffed animal over a lampshade.

Extended hotel stays are not so unusual, according to Carla Berberich, a general manager at the Towne Place Suites, especially for business travelers. This Virginia location is nearly half-filled, at 46 percent. But, no one has stayed as long as Bricker, who checked in on August 4, 2001. She is the longest extended-stay guest any Marriott hotel has seen.

What brought Bricker here was a job with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the second politically-appointed position the onetime homemaker says she accepted. But this one came when she was 68, when many senior citizens are well settled into retirement.

But, Bricker began her professional career at 50. Years of political organizing she says led to a friendship with Elizabeth and Bob Dole and ultimately to her first job during the Reagan administration in the Department of Transportation in 1981. A stint followed at the White House, where she worked in the campaign for A Drug Free America starting in 1986.

For the Pennsylvania native, who spent the better part of her adult life in rural Ashland, New Hampshire, the Beltway is where she has felt most at home.

The death of her husband, Glenn, from cancer gave her no pause in returning to work in 2001, which landed her at the Towne Place Suites. For less than the price of many apartment rentals in the Washington metro area (roughly $1,500-$1,700 a month) Bricker's room was supplied with wifi, which fueled her hours of daily online research and reading a day, and the added benefit of daily room cleaning, and round-the-clock security. Though she says she still makes her bed each day, though not nearly as well.

Bricker has become a pillar of the transient, makeshift community. She's made friends of staff and short-term neighbors alike. Next door, her new Kuwaiti friend brings traditional meals of spiced stew for them to share.

"It's helped my appetite," says Bricker as she acknowledges her frail frame. "I call it community planning," she adds, "I turned it into a community."

Her daughter, Chris Winton, explains further, "She turned them into family, and they accepted."

And, it was this family of hotel staff who came to her aid when last year a late-night fall landed her in the hospital with a broken hip. General Manager Bobby Bellinger was the first person Bricker saw when she awoke in her hospital bed.

"It ran through my mind how many people would have been this lucky," says Bricker as she holds Bellinger's hand on what will be a final visit together.

Now, compounded ailments of osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis are forcing the fiercely independent Bricker to move in with her daughter in upstate New York.

For a woman who once flew a Cherokee 180 (which she says is still in the air), she won't be grounded by this next phase of her life. She plans to devote her time to church.

"If I've set a goal, I'm going to reach it, she says." Her goal now: "Continue offering whatever I am able to give. I have to help. I'm not a sitter."

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London cathedral to reopen after Occupy protest

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NEW: "We are very disappointed," a protester outside St. Paul's says NEW: The cathedral reopens after a week-long closure with a special service City of London authorities agree on legal action to remove tent city The Occupy London activists say they intend to remain camped outside

London (CNN) -- Authorities in London agreed to take court action Friday to remove anti-capitalist protesters who have spent two weeks camped outside St. Paul's Cathedral.

The City of London Corporation, which runs the capital's financial district, said it had legal grounds for action because the 200 or more tents were impacting roads in the area.

Stuart Fraser, the City of London Corporation's chairman of Policy and Resources, said: "We have no problem with a peaceable 24-hour protest by people without tents -- provided the highway is fully usable -- but campsites and important highways don't mix."

He told CNN it could take three to four months for the legal process to unfold.

A statement from St. Paul's said it had asked the protesters to leave peacefully but that legal action "has regrettably become necessary" given their refusal to move on.

"The Chapter only takes this step with the greatest reluctance and remains committed to a peaceful solution," it said.

Protester Spyro Van Leemnen told CNN: "We are very disappointed to see that the church decided to take the legal route.

"The church should stand by (us). Jesus himself kicked out the moneylenders from the temple and now we see this system of Christianity collaborating with the moneylenders to evict people from their doorstep."

He said the Occupy London group was consulting a lawyer on how to respond with its own legal action.

He urged church leaders and London Mayor Boris Johnson to join activists and people from all faiths in a debate to be held on the cathedral steps Saturday.

The cathedral, which lies in the heart of the financial district, reopened to worshipers and visitors with a special service Friday, a week after it closed its doors citing health and safety concerns over the tent city outside.

The decision to take court action comes a day after a senior cleric, Canon Chancellor Giles Fraser, resigned over concerns that St. Paul's planned to evict the Occupy London protesters, in a step which could lead to violence.

The week-long closure of one of London's centers of worship, also a landmark tourist attraction that usually welcomes thousands of paying visitors a day, has led to much soul-searching among senior clergy there.

The Dean of St. Paul's, the Right Rev. Graeme Knowles, said St Paul's believed in the right to peaceful protest but had asked the protesters to move on peacefully.

It was consulting lawyers on measures it could take, including court action, he said, to resolve the situation.

Knowles said the cathedral was able to reopen after changes were made to the way the tent city, which sprang up 13 days ago, was laid out, giving better access.

"The staff team here have been working flat out with the police, fire brigade and health and safety officers to try to ensure that we have confidence in the safety of our worshipers, visitors and staff which will allow us to reopen," he said in a statement Wednesday.

The activists, who say their aim is "to bring about real social and economic justice for every single person in society," welcomed the announcement that the cathedral would reopen.

They launched their own newspaper, Thursday, the Occupied Times of London.

In an interview after his resignation, Fraser told the Guardian newspaper that the issue was not about his sympathies with the protesters but the possibility that violence could be used against peaceful protest.

"I cannot support using violence to ask people to clear off the land," he told the paper. "For me I could imagine Jesus being born in the camp."

London's Mayor Johnson used more forceful language in an interview with London's Evening Standard newspaper, calling for new laws to prevent tent cities "erupting like boils" across London, and telling the activists: "In the name of God and Mammon, go."

This week's closure was the first time in decades that St. Paul's had shut its doors to visitors.

Designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren, the domed cathedral was built between 1675 and 1710. A church has stood on the site near the banks of the River Thames for more than 1,400 years.

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7 killed after flooding ravages northern Italy

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A man walks on mud and debris between broken cars in a street of Monterosso after overnight floods on October 26.NEW: The death toll rises to seven and a state of emergency is declared348 Italian military personnel are dispatched to help in flood-ravaged areasCinque Terre town is "isolated, accessible only by sea," its mayor saysThe storms have caused transportation problems across Liguria

Rome (CNN) -- Seven people have died and seven others are missing after rains triggered severe flooding in northern Italy, civil protection officials said Friday.

Especially hard hit was the tourist-popular Cinque Terre region on Italy's northwest coast.

The Italian Council of Ministers declared a state of emergency in the flood region, which means 65 million euros ($91 million) will be put aside to deal with the disaster, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported.

A special cabinet meeting was called Friday to discuss the situation, the Italian government said.

Heavy rains continued to fall Thursday night in Milan and other spots across the southern European nation, according to the Servizio Meteorologico, Italy's official weather agency. The agency gave an alert about intense, widespread rainfall -- potentially with strong wind gusts and hail -- in the regions of Calabria and Basilicata in southern Italy, as well as the eastern part of Sicily.

Meanwhile, Monterosso al Mare -- between Genoa and Pisa in the Cinque Terre region of Liguria -- has been "isolated, accessible only by sea" because of earlier rains and floods, Mayor Angelo Betta told the news agency ANSA.

So, too, is the nearby town of Vernazza, with even bulldozers and cranes still not able to reach it.

That said, Betta reported some progress Thursday thanks to round-the-clock efforts by emergency workers and volunteers to clean up the town. One volunteer in that community died in the flood Wednesday.

"The situation is much better compared to yesterday," Betta said.

Italy's Defense Ministry noted Thursday on its website that 348 military personnel have deployed to the provinces of Massa Carrara and La Spezia to assist in the wake of flooding here.

Three people were killed after a house collapsed in La Spezia, an ANSA report said.

ANSA also reported that prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation related to the deaths of two people from flood-related injuries in Aulla. Authorities are assessing whether their deaths had anything to do with faulty work that may have caused the Magra River to overflow.

The weather has also caused major travel headaches throughout the region. A mudslide that trapped a truck driver, who was eventually freed, has caused the A12 highway in Liguria to be blocked since Tuesday. Train services in Liguria have been halted, too, due to mud and debris on the tracks.

CNN's Hada Messia and Marilia Brochetto contributed to this report.

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3 killed, 3 missing after Kansas grain elevator explosion

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Two people are hospitalized with burn injuries, a hospital spokesman saysPeople three miles away felt the force of the blast, the city saysRescue operations are dificult, city officials sayAuthorities are investigating the cause

(CNN) -- A massive blast at a grain elevator in northeastern Kansas killed three people and left three others unaccounted for, authorities said Sunday.

Two people were hospitalized with burn injuries, said Dennis McCulloch, a spokesman for the University of Kansas Hospital.

The explosion occurred around 7 p.m. Saturday at Bartlett Grain Company in Atchison, Kansas, the city's fire department said.

People three miles away felt the force of the blast, city officials said in a statement.

Authorities were investigating the cause. Stored grain can generate toxic gases and cause explosions under certain conditions, the city's statement said.

"Rescue operations can be difficult because workers are often scattered throughout the facility, making them difficult to locate," the statement said.

A spokesman for Bartlett Grain could not be immediately reached for comment.

The company operates a total of 18 grain elevators in the central United States, CNN affiliate KSHB reported.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has completed two accident investigations at Bartlett Grain locations in the past decade, the CNN affiliate said.

In 2004, an employee fell to his death while working at the company's location in Kansas City, Missouri, according to KSHB. And in 2004, an employee fell off an elevated work platform at a grain elevator in St. Joseph, Missouri. As a result of that inspection, OSHA cited Bartlett Grain with three serious violations, and the company was fined $5,000 for each penalty, KSHB said.

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Recorded after leaving the cage chimpanzee

Chimpanzee briefly got out of his Cabinet in Dallas ZooOfficials said she did not come into contact with the publicThey are investigating how she may have gotten loose

(CNN) --Dallas authorities responded to a hairy situation in the City Zoo on Tuesday when a chimpanzee escaped from its cage.

Koko, a chimpanzee of 25 years was born and raised in the Dallas Zoo, wandered out of his cage in the main house of chimpanzee, who is confined, the officials said.

A "red code" was called at 10: 15 a.m. CT veterinary and police rushed to the scene.

Koko was shot with a DART tranquilizer and led to their neighborhoods, where she was examined, said Lynn Kramer, Deputy director of the Zoo.

"Koko is stunned but doing well," said Kramer. "Our staff was never in any danger and the public was never in contact with it." "She never left the House of chimpanzee."

The zoo has launched an investigation into how Koko got loose - if it was due to human error or defective cage door, said Kramer. The situation was resolved in 45 minutes, he said.

This is not the first time that an animal has attempted to escape. Last year, CNN affiliate, WFAA reported that a 380-pound gorilla escaped from its cage at the Dallas Zoo. This incident also wrapped safely and within an hour.

In 2004, a male Gorilla escaped from his Cabinet and attacked three people. He was shot and killed, said WFAA.

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Radwanska must wait after losing to Safarova in Moscow

Agnieszka Radwanska lost to Lucie Safarova as she bid to seal a WTA Championships berth Agnieszka Radwanska crashes out of Kremlin Cup to Lucie Safarova Pole Radwanksa misses chance to seal spot in WTA ChampionsipsMarion Bartoli can claim final place if she wins Kremlin CupDefending men's champion Viktor Troicki eases to opening victory over Pere Riba

(CNN) -- Agnieszka Radwanska faces a nervous wait to see if she will make the WTA Tour Championships after losing to Czech Lucie Safarova in the second round of the Kremlin Cup Wednesday.

Victory for the pole would have seen her qualify as the eighth and final player, but Safarova battled to a 6-4 4-6 6-4 win in Moscow.

France's Marion Bartoli, seeded fourth at the tournament, can now pip Radwanska if she takes the title Sunday.

The 22-year-old Radwanska came into the event off the back of claiming titles in Japan and China, but continued her poor run against Safarova, who is now 4-1 in their clashes.

Safarova will now play Russia's Vera Dushevina, who beat compatriot Nadia Petrova 6-2 7-6.

Earlier, top seed and home favorite Vera Zvonareva cruised into the quarterfinals with a 6-1 6-1 win over Serbian teenager Bojana Jovanovski in just 64 minutes.

"I took into consideration all of the mistakes I made in my previous meeting with Jovanovski at this year's Australian Open," Zvonareva said.

Zvonareva had taken three sets to win their clash at the opening grand slam of the season.

But Italian Francesca Schiavone, the 2009 champion, went out, losing 6-4 5-7 7-6 to Estonia's Kaia Kanepi.

In the men's ATP tournament being run at the same time, defending champion and second seed Viktor Troicki of Serbia cruised through his opening match with a 6-4 6-4 win over Spain's Pere Riba.

Russia's fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko, a three-time champion, saw off compatriot Teimuraz Gabashvili 7-5 6-2 and will next face Germany's Michael Berrer, who shocked Italy's eighth seed Andreas Seppi 4-6 6-3 6-2.

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