Las Cavañas: Mexican food hides in Crozet gas station
Sep 7th 1:52pm
by Lisa Provence
Charlottesville is no stranger to gourmet gas stations. What's more of a surprise: finding killer auténtico Mexican food hidden behind the facade of a rural gas station with a Citgo sign on U.S. 250 in Crozet.
Walk into Las Cavañas, and the smell of roasting, mouth-watering meats immediately gives it away that this isn't your standard antiquated convenience store.
"Everything is homemade," says Maria Garcia, standing behind the counter of a store with the usual cigarettes on the wall and sodas in the coolers.
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Price reduction helps land sale in Western Albemarle
Sep 7th 1:20pm
by Samantha Masone
Albemarle
6/8/12
Michelle J. & Thomas E. Willis, II to Stacy J. Taylor, 1806 Steeplechase Run, $240,000
Michael E. & Pamela I. Lutz to Ryan James Koeniger,1160 Cedarbrook Court, $272,000
John D. & Michelle R. Brown to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, 1550 Reynovia Drive. $233,016
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Ayn Rand: Her detractors miss her stellar vision
Sep 7th 7:07am
by Cathy Young
Ayn Rand, the Russian-born writer and self-styled philosopher who died three decades ago, is back in the news as a favorite author of Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan.
In recent years, the passionately individualist, pro-capitalist Rand has been embraced as a champion of freedom by many conservatives and libertarians, and denounced as a prophet of greed and narcissism by many liberals.
Yet, if Rand admirers tend to ignore the flaws of her vision, her detractors reduce her to grotesque caricature – and invoke her popularity as proof of right-wing nuttiness.
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Deadly crash: Garth Road victim mourned as additional charges considered
Sep 6th 1:15pm
by Courteney Stuart
A week after a fatal crash took the life of a Charlottesville teen, the family of 18-year-old Samuel Taylor is mourning their loss as police weigh additional charges against the driver of the other vehicle allegedly involved in the accident.
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Property auctions
Sep 6th 12:31am
by Hook Staff
September 6 at 10am at the Albemarle Courthouse Property: 1104 Vegas Court Debtor: Myrna A. White Original amount owing: $223,200 Bidder brings: 10 percent sale price Info: ALG Trustee LLC 703-777-7101
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Crozet Library arises
Sep 5th 12:50pm
by Lisa Provence
The long-awaited Crozet Library broke ground in July and part of the $5.77 million structure has now emerged. It's being built by M.B. Contractors out of Roanoke.
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Unfathomable: Grief, shock, and questions follow family slaying
Sep 4th 4:54pm
by Courteney Stuart
"The shining light in the room." That's how Jenny Clark remembers her friend Beth Walton, the 49-year-old mother of three who died along with her children in a murder-suicide that police say appears to have been perpetrated by her older son.
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The week in review
Sep 4th 1:48pm
by Hook Staff
Most second-degree murder sentencings: Francis Panal Quiros, 40, gets 25 years August 28 for the brutal December slaying of Amy Holden, his brother's sister-in-law, in Shipman, according to the Nelson County Times. And former UVA lacrosse player George Huguely gets 23 years August 30 for killing Yeardley Love.
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What did you think about Obama's visit?
Sep 4th 10:53am
Violence in Virginia: Moonshiners vs. the law in Franklin County
Sep 4th 9:35am
by Roger Ebert
Lawless is a well-made film about ignorant and violent people. Like Killer Joe of four weeks ago, I can only admire the craftsmanship and acting, and regret its failure to rise above them. Its characters live by a barbaric code that honors murder. They live or die in a relentless hail of gunfire. It's not so much that the movie is too long, as that too many people must be killed before it can end.
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An apology to the Romando and Walton families and friends
Sep 3rd 7:36pm
by Courteney Stuart
To the friends and family of the Romandos and Waltons and to the Charlottesville community at large,On Thursday, August 30, I wrote and posted an article covering the deaths of Lily, Andrew, and Noah Romando and their mother, Beth Walton. While to the best of my knowledge the facts contained in my article are accurate, the tone of the article, a lack of context, and the original headline were insensitive and have added to the anguish of those who knew and loved the deceased. For that, I am truly sorry.
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More savory changes in Seminole Square
Sep 3rd 12:58pm
by Hawes Spencer
A worker cuts metal studs as part of the ongoing effort to move Charlottesville's Outback Steakhouse from Albemarle Square to Seminole Square. The popular chain steakery will take the place of Cheeseburger in Paradise, a Parrothead-friendly chain that spans 17 states.
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FunStuff: Charlottesville events September 6 and beyond
Sep 2nd 9:22am
New port: Mexican restaurant seeks downtown harbor
Sep 1st 1:35am
by Lisa Provence
A popular Mexican eatery in the Meadowbrook Shopping Center, El Puerto's, is opening a new location on the Downtown Mall, replacing Reflections salon.
El Puerto, which means "the port," is a town in Mexico where the restaurant chain's founder was born, and now lends its name to this Central Virginia chain of cantinas, the first of which was opened in Blacksburg. Pablo Abalos-Lopez, a cousin of the founder, split from the family chain in 2000 when he opened the Meadowbrook Shopping Center El Puerto's.
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Siriusly: DMB Radio launches
Aug 31st 4:30pm
by Lisa Provence
Joining the ranks of Elvis and the Grateful Dead, the Dave Matthews Band will now have its own radio channel on SiriusXM– at least during September.
The limited-run channel coincides with the release of the band's newest album, Away from the World, which will come out September 11. DMB Radio kicks off with a live concert at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington state September 1 at 11pm.
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THC in blood: Mom pleads guilty in daughter, ex-husband deaths
Aug 31st 10:42am
by Lisa Provence
The fiery crash on a Crozet lane last fall left 20-year-old Amber Johnson and her father, Michael Johnson, dead. In court August 29, the driver, Amber's mother, Jessica Marie Lewis, pleaded guilty to two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Related stories
Family tragedy: Mother charged in crash that kills daughter, ex-husband
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Cory Farm colonial sells second time around
Aug 31st 10:35am
by Samantha Masone
Albemarle
6/1/12
Katherine W. Kapala to Stacey A. Austin, 113 Georgetown Green, $199,500
Benjamin W. & Mary Allison Shifflett to William L. Keating, 115 Grayrock Drive, $314,000
Bruce L. & Yoke San Reynolds to Steven Ross & Jacquelyn Kremper Shuman, 50 Lynnwood Lane, $410,000
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R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find out what it means to me
Aug 31st 8:28am
by Janis Jaquith
Girlfriend, we need to talk. These guys in your life– they’re no good for you. It’s time to cut them loose. Remember what Maya Angelou said about people like this? “When a man tells you who he is, believe him.”
If he wants to put up obstacles between you and your birth control method, or if he says you were not legitimately raped because you ended up pregnant after the assault, then ask yourself: Is this the man for me?
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Ag living lite: What's up with Greene's Farm Colony?
Aug 31st 5:05am
by Samantha Masone
Address: 451 Colony DriveNeighborhood: Farm ColonyAsking: $369,000Assessment: $392,900Year Built: 1976Size: 3,298 finished sq. ft., 500 unfinished sq. ft.Land: 2.07 acresCurb Appeal: 8 out of 10Listing Agent: Erin Garcia, Loring Woodriff Real Estate Associates - 434-981-7245
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With a whimper: Giant closes at 6pm Thursday
Aug 30th 7:45pm
by Hawes Spencer
A few seconds after ordering a Hook journalist off the premises, the manager warned customers– both of them– over the public address system that it was now 5:55pm and time to bring all purchases to the front. He didn't mention that it was the last and final day for the Giant store; but with the shelves mostly denuded, and fresh foods all gone, he probably didn't need to.
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23 skiddoo: Huguely given over two decades in prison
Aug 30th 5:09pm
by Hawes Spencer
His jailhouse pastor never saw any signs of violence. Neither did his aunt. And his uncle never saw any drinking. But after hearing from witnesses who did, the judge who oversaw the February murder conviction of former UVA lacrosse player George Wesley Huguely V went ahead and assigned most of the 26-year sentence recommended by a Charlottesville jury for the in-bed battering death of girlfriend Yeardley Love.
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Presidential visit
Aug 30th 9:05am
by Bill Emory
It takes a village to protect and coordinate for a Presidential trip.~Commentator Bill Emory puts up a new photo nearly every day at billemory.com/blog.
(ONLINE BONUS #1: More Bill Emory pix from around the event: here)
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Property auctions
Aug 30th 1:31am
by Hook Staff
August 31 at 3:30pm at the Albemarle Courthouse Property: 844 Club Drive, Keswick Debtor: Eleanor and Thomas G. Baldwin Jr. Original amount owing: $1,592,500 Bidder brings: 10 percent sale price Info: BWW Law Group 301-961-6555
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Campaign stop: President Obama woos 'Hoos
Aug 29th 8:06pm
by Lisa Provence
The last time President Barack Obama was in Charlottesville in 2010, he was here to lend a hand to Congressman Tom Perriello's ultimately unsuccessful reelection bid. This time, he was here to boost his own reelection. And thousands filled the nTelos Pavilion August 29 in a sea of orange, white, and blue.
The visit was part of a three-campus swing to get out the youth vote. Orange-clad UVA students were plucked from the crowd to sit on the dais behind Obama, and three took the stage to introduce him, including volunteer Mathias Wondwosen.
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Opposition: 'Oust Obama' rallies Tea Party
Aug 29th 6:15pm
by Lisa Provence
On the same day President Barack Obama swung his campaign through Charlottesville, the Jefferson Area Tea Party hosted an "Oust Obama" rally in Lee Park. Some 150 citizens gathered to show their support for not reelecting the President.
Correction September 13: Steve Janes was misidentified in the original version.
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Stony Point tragedy: Four dead in apparent murder-suicide
Aug 29th 4:31pm
by Courteney Stuart
Yellow police tape surrounds the tidy home at 3880 Stony Point Road across the street from Stony Point Elementary School where, police say, a mother and her three children were killed last night in what police are calling a murder-suicide.
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Queue longer than Downtown Mall for Obama
Aug 29th 9:34am
Hit and Run: So much better than the title suggests
Aug 29th 5:05am
by Roger Ebert
With an off-the-shelf title like "Hit and Run," I had worked up less than a white-hot enthusiasm to see this movie, but it's a lot more fun than the title suggests. How many chase comedies have you seen where the hero's sexy girlfriend has a doctorate in nonviolent conflict resolution? Her counseling would have been invaluable to the U.S. marshal (Tom Arnold) in an early scene where he attempts to shoot his own SUV.
***1/2
Hit and Run
Directors: Dax Shepard and David Palmer
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Hunters wanted
Aug 29th 4:04am
Peers and paychecks: Sullivan greets faculty with merit pay idea
Aug 28th 9:52pm
by Hawes Spencer
In her first major public faculty meeting since her emotion-packed summertime reinstatement, University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan joked, extolled the importance of honor in daily life, and told members of the faculty that in addition to the three percent bonus they'll get from the state this December, the best ones– as judged by their peers– may see some merit pay in their future.
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Your advice to George Huguely?
Aug 28th 1:55pm
The week in review
Aug 28th 1:11pm
by Hook Staff
Most like a snow day: A week after classes begin, Charlottesville schools lets students out at 12:30pm August 29 in advance of a Presidential visit by Barack Obama at the nTelos Pavilion. Albemarle sets 11:25am dismissals for seven northern elementaries.
Biggest rejection: UVA declines to host Obama's visit– saying an open-ended security cost and cancellation of up to 186 classes would be too disruptive on the second day of classes.
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Play ball: One Meatball Place gears up
Aug 27th 5:26pm
by Courteney Stuart
Most of the time we leave the weather forecasting up to the meteorologists, but this week, Dish feels pretty comfortable issuing a prediction for West Main Street only: Cloudy with a near 100 percent chance of meatballs. That's because One Meatball Place, under the direction of chef and general manager Valentino Bolling, was just days away from opening when Dish stopped by on Monday, August 27.
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Degrees of cheese: Nook featured in cookbook
Aug 27th 5:02pm
by Courteney Stuart
If you think mac and cheese is toddler food that comes in a blue box, a new book has a surprise for you.
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The General: Douglass battles for 5th District seat
Aug 27th 3:39pm
by Lisa Provence
The skill set of military general and Virginia farmer is a popular one in American politics, dating back to George Washington. That's why Democrats tapped Brigadier General John Douglass, who's retired from the Air Force, to challenge Robert Hurt for the 5th District congressional seat.
Related:
Whose hissy? Douglass camera bump no 'macaca' moment
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Whose hissy? Douglass camera bump no 'macaca' moment
Aug 27th 3:39pm
by Lisa Provence
The 5th District congressional race got a little more in-your-face at an August 21 Farmville forum when Democratic challenger John Douglass swatted the video camera of a member of Representative Robert Hurt's campaign with rolled up papers. Both sides lashed out following the caught-on-tape incident.
Related:
The General: Douglass battles for 5th District seat
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Sunday night rites
Aug 27th 1:25pm
by Hawes Spencer
Some people think that they can park for free on Sundays; others simply overstay their welcome.
More towing stories:
• Towing tales: Like hassles, everybody has one
• Tough business: Collier's boss talks shop
• Caveat emptor: How $2.75 generates $145
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Price reduction spurs multiple offers in Foxchase
Aug 27th 10:15am
by Samantha Masone
Albemarle
5/29/12
Redus VA Housing LLC to NVR, Inc, 1557 Wickham Pond Drive, $82,000
Vincent W. & Elizabeth O. Broderick to Spencer Terence Watkins & Kevin Michelle Knewstep-Watkins 1723 Easy Lane, $242,000
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Almost 45: Huguely likely facing middle-age prison release
Aug 27th 5:05am
by Hawes Spencer
So how long will UVA student-turned-killer George Huguely be in prison? According to a reporter's math, the young man jailed since the very morning that he violently awakened and then brutally beat ex-girlfriend Yeardley Love to death faces 22.1 years behind bars. That's based on the 26-year sentence recommended in February by a Charlottesville jury, tempered by Virginia's rule that prisoners must serve at least 85 percent of their time, and despite the right of Judge Edward Hogshire to lessen the jury's recommendation.
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Accidental dream: Would-be filmmaker turns to cakes
Aug 27th 5:05am
by Dave McNair
Less than a year a year ago, Amanda Smith didn't have business cards and wasn't even sure what direction she wanted to take her company. But who knows, maybe an unexpected dream fueled by a childhood passion is more important.
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