NEW YORK  Macy's says it will close 11 underperforming stores in nine states after one of the weakest holiday seasons in years. The closures will affect 960 employees.

NORFOLK
The state's first Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, a grocery concept focused on convenience and low prices, is scheduled to open Wednesday morning on East Little Creek Road.

Soon after Uniquely Leo's Ltd. opened at 10 a.m. Friday, a man came in with a shopping list from his wife. That gave store owner Marcelyn Miller a flicker of hope through the gloom of recent weeks. Her downtown Suffolk gift shop hosted an after-Christmas sale as part of continuing efforts to entice reluctant shoppers to spend.

By James Thomas Jr. Correspondent SMITHFIELD Smithfield Town Council will install a mayor and two council members Tuesday, but choosing the new mayor to lead the seven-member body is shaping up to be more a wait-and-see who draws the short straw task than conferring an honor on a well-deserving public official.

By Barbara J. Woerner Correspondent

On a recent Sunday afternoon, Margaret Ditty and her son David, 13, laughed while working on ceramic projects around a large table at Little Secrets Ceramics Art Studio.

By Laine M. Rutherford Correspondent OCEANFRONT The Chesapeake Bay's majestic beauty has inspired artists for centuries. Their works will be brought together at The Artists Gallery during a juried show featuring original artwork, prints, wood carvings, jewelry and pottery by gallery members and invited regional artists opens.

By Stacy Parker Correspondent The 2008 Mid-Atlantic Home & Flower Show will have homeowners covered inside and out. "We're bringing the whole package together as far as designing the indoor and outdoor portions of your house, said Thomas W. Dye, who chairs the 2008 Mid-Atlantic Home & Flower Show.

From wire reports Worker productivity, the key factor in rising living standards, slowed sharply in the final three months of the year, another sign that economic activity is weakening.

By Laine M. Rutherford Correspondent VIRGINIA BEACH With its soft lights and homey aromas of freshly brewed java and just-baked muffins, Perked Up! Coffee Cafe offers an easy way for morning customers to start the day.

By Samantha Critchell The Associated Press NEW YORK  — We ask more of our clothes during the holiday season. The rest of the year, an office outfit is an office outfit and an evening ensemble is just that.