Worker

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — Court documents say a woman charged with killing a co-worker at a clothing shop hurt herself and then posed with her hands tied above her head to make police think she had been attacked. The document from a Montgomery County homicide detective was filed ahead of a scheduled court appearance Monday for 20-year-old Brittany Norwood. Norwood was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree murder in the death of 30-year-old Jayna Murray, her co-worker at the Lululemon Athletica shop.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Seven Indianapolis hair stylists are trying to claim part of a $9.5 million lottery ticket they believe a co-worker purchased as part of an office lottery pool. The seven co-workers at an Indianapolis salon are seeking a restraining order to freeze the money during their court battle over the winning Hoosier Lotto ticket. Attorney Scott Montross, tells WTHR-TV ( http://bit.ly/XDH3Bg ) his clients wants "to slow down the train until we can figure things out. " The stylists want to split to prize from last Saturday's drawing with a co-worker who bought tickets for an office pool as well as some for herself.

Elkhart-based Crown International plans to shift its strategies in the market place — a move that will mean the loss of 75 production jobs. The company plans to phase out some production jobs at the plant that makes high-grade audio equipment. It wants to focus more on making prototypes, allowing engineers to have prototypes for customers within a day or so, instead of weeks. Currently those products are outsourced. The company wants to make a low volume of products, but more of them.

PLYMOUTH -- There's no official word from the company yet. But it appears Whitley Products, which employed about 100 people at its plant in Plymouth, is back to work. The company, which supplies fabricated tubular products for agriculture and off-road heavy equipment, had closed unexpectedly Jan. 24. An employee, who answered the phone at the plant Friday night, confirmed that all employees were called back to work. He didn't want to give his name and offered no additional details.

Most Indiana state workers will receive pay increases next month based on positive performance reviews. Governor Mitch Daniels says that three-fourths of eligible state workers will receive 3% raises for meeting expectations. About one in 10 will receive 5% raises for exceeding expectations, and about 5% of the workforce will get 8% raises after being evaluated as outstanding. The remaining 10% of workers will receive no raises after falling short of expectations or needing improvement.

A construction worker in Elkhart is recovering from injuries after a piece of concrete fell on his leg Thursday. While work was being done on the Main Street street-scape, a large piece of the sidewalk came loose and pinned the man's leg. Other workers helped free the man and he was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Police say he was conscious and his injury did not appear to be severe.

MISHAWAKA—Indiana Congressman Joe Donnelly talked to local workers at AM General, after news broke the U.S. Army will not order any more Humvees from the Mishawaka plant after March. Earlier this week, the Army said it is shifting more of its spending toward vehicles designed to better protect soldiers from roadside bombs and other insurgent attacks. The Democrat does not want the news to dishearten workers. He told employees heading into the plant that there are enough orders to keep them on the job through this year, and at least part of next year.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A space shuttle worker has fallen to his death at the launch pad. Officials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center say the accident occurred at 7:40 a.m. Monday. The man fell while working. Medics rushed to the pad, but were unable to revive him. Details of what happened are not yet available. NASA spokesman Allard Beutel says work on space shuttle Endeavour was suspended for the day. Beutel says the focus is offering grief counseling to the work force.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A former New Jersey Transit employee who was fired after publicly burning pages from the Quran on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks is suing to get his job back. The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit Friday morning on behalf of Derek Fenton. Fenton burned part of the Quran to protest plans to build an Islamic center several blocks from the former site of the World Trade Center in New York City.

SOUTH BEND — A drunken South Bend man tried to kick and punch two South Bend police officers early Thursday at the Fortis Plastics plant on Voorde Drive, police said. Police were called to the plant after the man, 33, came to work drunk and refused to leave. When police arrived, the man was banging his head against a wall in the plant’s break room, according to a police report. When police tried to escort him out of the building, he became violent, throwing punches and elbowing Cpl. Erik Schlegelmilch and Patrolman Kyle Dombrowski.