Table of contents

COVER
Summer reading
A young girl born and raised near the tar pits of Alberta, Canada, suffers as a result and a man finds a way to help his dying brother see the stars. Here are the runners up to the Hook's 2013 short story contest. Read 'em and weep. In this case, you literally just might.

NEWS
Pumped up
With the gas tax change that went into effect on July 1, drivers hoped for relief at the pump. That's not been the case— in Charlottesville, anyway. What's the story?

LETTER
Cop weighs in
The hullaballoo over the Virginia ABC's arrest of a young woman who'd bought ice cream and cookie dough has gone national, and one retired officer has some specific questions about the agency's handling of the incident.

BACK PAGE
Matthews at Monticello
Rock star Dave Matthews charms the crowd at Monticello's 51st Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony as he and a sold-out crowd cheered 79 new American citizens.