Richmond Curses, Cowards & Carytown (RVA witch trials, Ellwood merger, James River historic duel, etc) — Unscripted #062

You're invited to FWD:RVA - Monday, October 5th, 6 to 8 p.m. at VPM x Style Weekly Headquarters, Richmond. Style Weekly and VPM are hosting us for a live conversation about podcasting, building an audience, and creating community in Richmond. Hosted by Rich Meagher of VPM's RVA's Got Issues. Free to attend, limited capacity, so RSVP early. Tickets and details: FWD:RVA | Podcasting Tickets, Monday, October 5 • 6 PM - 8 PM | Eventbrite Vera Creative Club Merchandise: https://verahouse.co Subscribe to the audio podcast: https://verahouse.buzzsprout.com Follow us: https://instagram.com/verahouse.co Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young:  https://instagram.com/mykemetzger https://instagram.com/planetperri In this episode of Vera House Unscripted, we discuss a range of Richmond topics including Elwood Thompson's and the AI data center firm that now controls its parent company, unpaid Virginia farms and thinning shelves in Carytown, Virginia's place as the data center capital, Grace Sherwood and the 1706 witch trial at Pungo, the 1846 duel between two Richmond newspaper editors, the $2,000 foldable iPhone, the Vision Pro, and whether Richmonders are actually unfriendly. We start with Elwood Thompson's. The Carytown grocery sold in 2023, and its parent company has now completed a reverse merger with a private New York AI data center firm. High-margin tech profits are supposed to fund 19 natural grocery stores. In the meantime the shelves are thinning, several local Virginia farms have gone months without payment, and the hot bar that used to pack the parking lot at lunch never came back after COVID. Later in the episode we get into whether anything made today is built to last. Perri wants the $2,000 foldable iPhone and is fairly sure nobody needs it, Myke is just glad it costs more in Canada, and the Vision Pro is the most expensive thing Apple ever shipped that almost nobody uses. We also read the Reddit post from a transplant demanding to be carried off the plane in a sedan chair, and land on the only honest answer: Richmonders aren't mean, they've got things to do. The second half is two Richmond history stories almost nobody has heard. First, Grace Sherwood, the Witch of Pungo. In 1706 her neighbors accused her of killing pigs and slipping out of a bedroom as a black cat, the court threw her into the Lynnhaven River to see whether she would float, and Virginia waited exactly 300 years to the day before a sitting governor restored her good name. Then the 1846 duel between John Hampden Pleasants and Thomas Ritchie Jr., two newspaper editors who traded insults in print until one of them printed the word "coward." They met at the James River with pistols, revolvers, a sword cane, and a bowie knife. One of them died two days later. A jury acquitted the other without leaving the courtroom. Topics include Elwood Thompson's, Carytown, Healthy Choice Wellness Corporation, Host Digital Infrastructure, reverse merger, AI data centers, Virginia data centers, Richmond grocery stores, local farms, Grace Sherwood, Witch of Pungo, Pungo, Virginia Beach, Witchduck Road, Lynnhaven River, the 1706 witch trial, trial by water, the Tim Kaine pardon, John Hampden Pleasants, Thomas Ritchie Jr., the Richmond Whig, the Constitutional Whig, the Richmond Enquirer, the 1846 duel, dueling in Virginia, Goochland County, Chesterfield County, the James River, Blockbuster, the foldable iPhone, Apple Vision Pro, shittification, nostalgia, Richmond hospitality, Reddit, Style Weekly, VPM, FWD:RVA, and RVA history. Quick interjection to invite you to Vera House Studios. If you are a local Richmond business, entrepreneur, brand owner, or service provider—and you know you need to create better content to get your products and services in front of the right people—we can help. Support the show Get more info about our studio here. This podcast is produced by Vera House — a creative club and premium media studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Our studio exists to champion local brands, creative expression, rva culture, and produce high-impact content for founders, makers, and modern businesses. Follow the movement: instagram.com/verahouse.co youtube.com/@verahousepod verahouse.co Hosted by Myke Metzger & Perri Young: instagram.com/mykemetzger instagram.com/planetperri