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Jeff Spinello opened his Kinkade-based gallery on the Downtown Mall in May 1999 and closed it in November 2003. read full story

A report in this morning's Richmond Times-Dispatch reveals that Virginia has now spent $1 million buying legal se read full story

Perhaps it's only appropriate that the same week Bob Dylan released his first album in five years, "a hard rain's a-gonna fall" on the east coast. read full story

In a somewhat confusing set of moves, Albemarle Circuit Judge Paul Peatross has opened a portion of the court file of the 15-year-old student charged in the school bombing case, this morning's Daily Progress reports. read full story

Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Camblos, on WINA this morning to discuss the alleged bomber case, revealed a key factor in the decision to quickly arrest three youths suspected of conspiring to blow up high schools: "The ringleader was born on Hitler's 100th anniversary of his birthday"– and the anniversary of Columbine. The Third Reich founder became a more significant player in this local drama when Camblos mentioned again about the 17-year-old former Western Albemarle student, read full story

This is your HookCast for the issue of August 24, 2006. Enjoy the savory listenings. read full story

George and Kathy Seymour pointed out that in seven years of selling 2,000 cars, they've never before been hauled into court read full story

At 3:39pm, word came over the New River Valley police scanner that police had apprehended William Morva in the woods near the rugby and lacrosse fields near Blacksburg's Tech Center Drive. He was armed at the time, though there are no reports of anybody being harmed in the arrest at this time. read full story

Jurors in Richmond required little time yesterday– just 30 minutes– to convict Ricky Javon Gray in the horrific New Year's Day murder of an artistic family that included Bryan Harvey who tasted some measure of fame as a member of the Dads and House of Freaks musical acts. read full story

Live from...the Hook: Rockumentary spotlights local legends. Plus a retrial in the school bomb plot case, a popular pastor gets arrested for child pornography, and a local man goes to prison for swindling 11 out of nearly $150,000. read full story

The Daily Progress and NBC29 list a shocking litany of crimes allegedly committed by the Albemarle man who somehow worked the system well enough to remain free of jail to get into an automobile chase that resulted in the death of a Colonial Heights police officer. Douglas Michael "Beefy" Brown Jr., 36, read full story

The defense attacked the case against a 13-year-old alleged bombing conspirator this afternoon toward the end of his two-day trial in Albemarle Circuit Court, and the matter went to the jury at 5:05pm. Defense lawyer David Heilberg criticized the Commonwealth's case, in part, for seizing several computers and then failing to introduce any computer evidence in the trial. read full story

Matthew Hantzmon (left) and Sandy Reisky have really thrown their future to the wind. read full story

There may be lots of potty talk tonight at Fridays After Five, but it's not because a swarm of toddlers is taking over the venue: at 5pm, the brand spanking new public restrooms at the Transit Center should be opened for the first time. Getting the bathrooms working has been a, ahem, #1 priority for the city. (And maybe a #2 priority as well). Today was the target date, says transportation boss Judy Mueller. read full story

In the latest chapter of a case that's put four local teenage boys behind bars after they were convicted of conspiracy for allegedly plotting to blow up two high schools, the Albemarle commonwealth's attorney office has subpoenaed Hook editor Hawes Spencer to be a witness for the prosecution, and assistant commonwealth's attorney Darby Lowe also demanded copies of all articles about the case the free weekly newspaper has written. Spencer, who interviewed a 13-year-old and his parents, detailed in read full story

It�s probably a good thing that 5th District Rep Virgil Goode and Democratic challenger Al Weed are running against each other. read full story

In a recent e-mail newsletter to fans, the Dave Matthews Band announced plans to put together a greatest hits album in the ââ?¬Å?near future.ââ?¬Â Apparently, itââ?¬â?¢s a requirement of the bandââ?¬â?¢s 2004 contract with RCA. read full story

Lethal Wrecker is back in the news again, and this time it's pleading bankruptcy– well, almost. Readers may remember that 2003-2005 were banner years for dust-ups involving Lethal Wrecker and the company's predatory pricing practices– specifically, consistently overcharging parkers trying to pry their impounded cars from Lethal's grasp. read full story

Yesterday, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors approved rezoning for North Pointe, the 264 acre proposed development along 29N just past the airport that will add 900 new homes and 500,000 square feet of retail space to the area. read full story