NEWS BRIEFS
Robbers slash the throat of car wash employee

Police are searching for three unidentified men who robbed and injured an employee at $3 Car Wash, 11100 Hull Street Rd., on Oct. 10 at 11:41 a.m. The employee was taken to VCU Medical Center and is expected to make a full recovery.

Police said three suspects entered the business, forced the employee to open the safe at gunpoint and demanded money. One suspect cut the victim's throat before all three men fled in a green Dodge Intrepid with 30-day temporary tags. A fourth suspect was driving the vehicle.

All four suspects are young black males, 18-25 years old. Two suspects are about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and have dark complexions. The third suspect is about 6 feet tall, has a light complexion and wore a blue shirt.

Anyone with information should call police at 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 748-0660.

Furniture plant to close

Nearly 370 people will lose their jobs when the HON Co. office furniture plant near Chester closes by the middle of 2008. HON's parent company, Iowa-based HNI Corp., says a few workers will be offered transfers. Workers who are laid off will be given a severance package based on years of service.

HNI cites rising freight costs and the need for improved efficiency in customer service as the reason for the plant's closing, not the quality of work it produces.

Art teacher sues school board

The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia has filed a lawsuit against the Chesterfield School Board on behalf of former Monacan High School art teacher Stephen Murmer. Murmer was fired by the school board in January after students discovered an online video of him painting with his buttocks and genitals. Murmer changed his name and wore a disguise in the YouTube.com clip.

The ACLU believes the school system violated Murmer's First Amendment rights by firing him for creative activities that were done on his own time.