After five years at its location on Seminole Trail, Bassett Home Furnishings will be closing shop.
PHOTO BY GORDON BLOCK

With signs loudly proclaiming “All Must Go,” the Bassett Home Furnishings store on Seminole Trail, opened just less than five years ago, will now be closing its doors.

An invitation-only sale that started July 16 opened to the public Monday, August 3, and the store has hired a liquidator to handle the closing. While no final date has been set for the closure, the store’s owner Cort Kirkley said the store may remain open into early September for Labor Day weekend.

The stock for Bassett Furniture Industries, traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange as BSET, has seen substantial drops since trading around $16 in early 2007. The stock (more)

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Elisha Strom.
ALBEMARLE CHARLOTTESVILLE REGIONAL JAIL

Elisha Strom has been sitting in Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail for two weeks. Her alleged crime? Publishing the address of an officer on the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement– JADE– task force.

“It’s a stupid reason to be in jail,” says the 34-year-old blogger, who maintains she was merely chronicling the activities of JADE as a hobby on her blog, I HeArTE JADE.

Since October 2008, Strom— already unpopular for her connections to the white separatist movement— has earned the opprobrium of law enforcement by following around JADE members, photographing them, and giving them nicknames like “Dasani,” “Longhead,” “Pringle,” and “Porn Star.”

Her last post on July 16 reads tersely: “Uh-Oh. They’re here.”

The Code of Virginia forbids publication (more)

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McIntire Little League’s 11-12-year old All-Stars battle for the State Championship tomorrow.
PHOTO COURTESY MCINTIRE LITTLE LEAGUE

After winning the District 14 Little League Championship in dominating fashion, scoring 109 runs and only giving up 10— led by slugger Stevie Mangrum’s amazing 13 home runs in just 5 games— the McIntire Little League 11-12-year old All-Star team is poised to make history.

For only the second time, McIntire has made it to the finals of the Virginia State Little League Championship, with the title to be decided Wenesday, July 29 at 6pm in Fairfax, Virginia (depending on the weather). Not since a former McIntire Little League player named Chris Long was an All-Star has the team played in the Championship game, and no team from McIntire or District 14 has ever won the Virginia State Championship.

“I think what makes this team (more)

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The photograph shown to searchers when Comer was treated as a missing hiker and his new mugshot.
NELSONCOUNTYLIFE.COM/ALBEMARLE POLICE

One day after his arrest in Wintergreen’s Mountain Lodge, missing Glenmore Home Association Treasurer Michael Comer appeared Tuesday morning by video feed in Albemarle District Court where a prosecutor argued that he was such a flight risk that he should remain without bond at the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail.

“The likelihood of his appearing [at his upcoming preliminary hearing] is slim at best,” said Albemarle Commonwealth’s Attorney Denise Lunsford, noting the amount missing (more)

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Both City and County pay citizens $100 each to replace their toilets with new low-flow models.
PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER

Local households appear locked in a decade-long pattern of lower water consumption that, while paradoxically driving up their bills, has plunged the waterworks into deficit spending, according to a new financial report released Friday, July 24.

The new numbers show the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority finishing its fiscal year with a $606,000 deficit primarily because urban water sales fell about four percent below projections. In his financial report, Authority director Frederick concedes the deficit but makes (more)

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Republican Goode, left, suffered a 727-vote loss in the November election to political newcomer Tom Perriello.
FILE PHOTOS

Former Congressman Virgil Goode, narrowly defeated in November for reelection to the seat he held for 12 years (and under both major political parties), has issued a statement saying that he will not seek the seat again.

The news first appeared either at the blog of conservative radio talk-show host Rob Schilling, who calls the decision “disappointing,” or in the Martinsville Bulletin, or the Franklin News-Post.

Goode declined (more)

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The Embarq brand lasted approximately three years.

As Embarq readies to merge with CenturyTel to become a new landline-based company, it won’t be taking some of its customers with it. Embarq wireless subscribers recently received letters and text messages that as of October 1, the company will no longer provide cell phone service.

The trend seems to be more and more phone users ditch landlines to (more)

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After 80 years, the old Shadwell Store falls Wednesday, July 8.
PHOTO BY JEANNE BRUCE-PHILLIPS

Sometimes the loss of an old building, even an unremarkable one, can feel like loosing an old friend. So it goes with the old Shadwell Store, the small, white-bricked building that stood on a one-acre spike of land at the intersection of Louisa Road and Route 250 for nearly 80 years, which was finally demolished earlier this month.

Until last year, the store was being run by the owners of Foods of All Nations, but they decided not to renew their lease, says owner Lloyd “L.F.” Wood, whose (more)

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Michelle Obama takes the girls on an unofficial visit to Monticello.
PHOTO BY HOOK STAFF

First Lady Michelle Obama, First Daughters Malia and Sasha and First Mother-in-law Marian Robinson dropped in July 23 on Charlottesville’s First Tourist Attraction, Monticello, and NBC29 snagged the story– with video.

The Obama women took (more)

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