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The Wanted star Max George has said he is “staying positive” while in hospital waiting for tests that could shine a light on issues with his heart. In a post to Instagram on Thursday the singer, 36, explained that he went to hospital after feeling “really unwell” and added that he needed “a lot more tests” to determine “what surgery I will need to get me back on my feet.” Updating his fans, George posted a video from his hospital bed on Friday, and said he “had a bit of a rough day”. A post shared by Max George (@maxgeorge) He added: “My heart rate dropped a bit this morning, which was, it was a little bit scary. “But everyone here is amazing, so wanted to get it back up a little bit and get it stable again, which is great. “Reason I’m not... like a lot of friends and family are asking why I’m not just going in and having anything (like surgery) done yet, because there’s so many tests that need to be done before we do anything. “So I just need to get through till, I guess, next week. Get all the tests done, and then they’ll know exactly what to do, because otherwise, obviously, they’ll be able to do something, but it’ll be better doing it with all the information that they need. “But, yeah, it’s shit, but still here and staying positive. “And thanks everyone as well for all the lovely messages and any friends and family and that that have messaged that I haven’t got back to. “I see you all and yeah, means a lot. Much love and have a nice Friday night.” George rose to fame in the 2010s with The Wanted, who had a number of hit songs including All Time Low, Glad You Came and Heart Vacancy. His bandmate Tom Parker died in 2022 at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. George, who helped carry Parker’s coffin at his funeral alongside fellow bandmates Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes, previously said on This Morning that he continued to message his late bandmate following his death as it brought him “a bit of comfort”. He also appeared in the US musical series Glee as Clint and in his band’s reality series The Wanted Life. Over the years, he has competed in a number of competition series including Strictly Come Dancing in 2020, Bear Grylls: Mission Survive and Richard Osman’s House Of Games. George’s girlfriend is former EastEnders star Maisie Smith, who appeared on BBC One dancing competition series Strictly Come Dancing in 2020 at the same time as George, though they have previously said that romantic sparks only began to fly in 2022. He was due to appear on a MasterChef Christmas special before the BBC pulled the show from its festive schedule amid allegations about the conduct of judge Gregg Wallace across a range of shows.How California ranks as the most active political statePhiladelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton is used to showing up, playing hard and letting the spotlight shine on other players. This week has been different for Laughton, a 12-year veteran who has spent his full career with the Flyers. He is coming off a career-best, four-goal performance that led to his teammates giving him a standing ovation after the game in the dressing room. Laughton will try to maintain his newfound star status when the Flyers visit the Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon in Saint Paul, Minn. "Scotty's one of those guys that it doesn't matter where he is in the lineup or what his job is, he's always a good spirit at the rink," Flyers teammate Travis Konecny said. "He never complains about anything. He just goes and puts his head down and does what he has to do. I think when he's called upon for offense, he has got a lot of skill." The Flyers also are thriving as a group as of late. Philadelphia is coming off back-to-back wins as it travels to Minnesota. The Flyers have at least one point in 13 of their past 17 games (10-4-3). Laughton poured in all four goals, including a short-handed marker and two empty-netters, in their 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. "Great play by (Konecny) finding me backdoor," Laughton said of his goal on the penalty kill. "... We haven't really been that great on it the last couple weeks so it's nice to pot one there and get the ball rolling in the right direction." Philadelphia's top scorer is Konecny, who has 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 30 games. Matvei Michkov has 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 28 games. Like the Flyers, the Wild also are off to a strong start to the season, but they are coming off a lopsided 7-1 loss against the Edmonton Oilers in their most recent game Thursday. They have lost two out of their last three games after winning the previous five in a row. Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild with 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 28 games. Matt Boldy is second with 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 29 contests. Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson could get an opportunity to bounce back from an ugly performance his last time out. Marc-Andre Fleury relieved Gustavsson in their last game against the Oilers after the Wild gave up five goals in two periods, but Fleury fared no better as the Wild surrendered two more goals on nine shots in the third period. "I think we've had a lot of good things that have gone on for us this year," Wild coach John Hynes said. "(Thursday) was an uncharacteristic night for us. I'm not going to overthink it. ... We have to get ready for Saturday." Gustavsson is 14-5-3 on the season with a 2.24 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. Fleury is 5-1-1 with a 2.71 GAA and a .905 save percentage. Philadelphia is carrying three goaltenders on its roster. Samuel Ersson is the top option and could get the start in net against the Wild. He is 6-3-2 this season with a 2.85 GAA and an .893 save percentage. Aleksei Kolosov (4-5-1, 3.05 GAA, .889 save percentage) is second on the depth chart for the Flyers. Ivan Fedotov (4-4-1, 3.48, .877) is third. Kolosov has impressed his teammates in his first NHL season. He stopped 25 of 26 shots in Philadelphia's most recent victory. "You can tell he's a gamer, he battles hard, he fights for a lot of pucks," Flyers forward Sean Couturier said. "He's really athletic and never quits on pucks." --Field Level MediaIn a post to Instagram on Thursday the singer, 36, explained that he went to hospital after feeling “really unwell” and added that he needed “a lot more tests” to determine “what surgery I will need to get me back on my feet.” Updating his fans, George posted a video from his hospital bed on Friday, and said he “had a bit of a rough day”. He added: “My heart rate dropped a bit this morning, which was, it was a little bit scary. “But everyone here is amazing, so wanted to get it back up a little bit and get it stable again, which is great. “Reason I’m not... like a lot of friends and family are asking why I’m not just going in and having anything (like surgery) done yet, because there’s so many tests that need to be done before we do anything. “So I just need to get through till, I guess, next week. Get all the tests done, and then they’ll know exactly what to do, because otherwise, obviously, they’ll be able to do something, but it’ll be better doing it with all the information that they need. “But, yeah, it’s shit, but still here and staying positive. “And thanks everyone as well for all the lovely messages and any friends and family and that that have messaged that I haven’t got back to. “I see you all and yeah, means a lot. Much love and have a nice Friday night.” George rose to fame in the 2010s with The Wanted, who had a number of hit songs including All Time Low, Glad You Came and Heart Vacancy. His bandmate Tom Parker died in 2022 at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. George, who helped carry Parker’s coffin at his funeral alongside fellow bandmates Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes, previously said on This Morning that he continued to message his late bandmate following his death as it brought him “a bit of comfort”. He also appeared in the US musical series Glee as Clint and in his band’s reality series The Wanted Life. Over the years, he has competed in a number of competition series including Strictly Come Dancing in 2020, Bear Grylls: Mission Survive and Richard Osman’s House Of Games. George’s girlfriend is former EastEnders star Maisie Smith, who appeared on BBC One dancing competition series Strictly Come Dancing in 2020 at the same time as George, though they have previously said that romantic sparks only began to fly in 2022. He was due to appear on a MasterChef Christmas special before the BBC pulled the show from its festive schedule amid allegations about the conduct of judge Gregg Wallace across a range of shows.
Vote counting in Ireland's general election began Saturday with an exit poll indicating a tight finish with the incumbent centre-right coalition most likely to form the next government. After voting concluded Friday, the exit poll indicated that the leftist-nationalist Sinn Fein, the main opposition party, narrowly led with 21.1 percent of the vote. But neck and neck on 21.0 percent was the centre-right Fine Gael whose leader is the outgoing prime minister Simon Harris. Fine Gael's centre-right partner in the outgoing coalition -- Fianna Fail, led by deputy prime minister Micheal Martin -- were slightly further back in third with 19.5 percent. "Forming a government will depend on two of the three being able to cooperate with one another," Lisa Keenan, a political scientist at Trinity College Dublin, told AFP. But Fine Gael and Fianna Fail are "in the driving seat to reestablish coalition" in the new 174-seat lower chamber of parliament, said the Irish Times newspaper. During the campaign both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael ruled out entering coalition with Sinn Fein, who also prioritise Irish unification. "Sinn Fein could well finish first in the popular vote for the second time in a row, but face another five years in opposition," said the paper. At the last general election in 2020, Sinn Fein -- the former political wing of the paramilitary Irish Republican Army -- won the largest vote share but could not find willing coalition partners. That led to weeks of horsetrading, ending up with Fine Gael, which has been in power since 2011, agreeing a deal with Fianna Fail. Partial results are expected throughout Saturday, while a final result may not be clear for days. During the last parliamentary term, the role of prime minister rotated between the Fianna Fail and Fine Gael leaders. The smaller Green Party made up the governing coalition. EU member Ireland's proportional representation system sees votes of eliminated candidates redistributed during multiple rounds of counting. While the exit poll suggests Fine Gael and Fianna Fail's performance is down on the last election, "their supporters are increasingly willing to transfer from one to the other," as the count rounds progress, Keenan told AFP. Smaller opposition parties including the Social Democrats, and Labour would be in the mix for coalition talks after the final result according to analysts. Non-aligned independent candidates could also play a role in the next government if sought by the frontrunner parties to make up an 88-seat majority in the Dail. The three-week campaign, launched after Harris called a snap election November 8, was marked by rancour over housing and cost-of-living crises, public spending and immigration. Harris, who became Ireland's youngest-ever taoiseach (prime minister) when he took over in April, held a solid lead entering the campaign. But the party lost ground, in particular after Harris was seen in a viral clip appearing rude and dismissive to a care worker on the campaign trail. Both centre-right parties stressed their pro-business and pro-EU credentials and said returning them to power would ensure stability, particularly with turmoil abroad and the risk of external shocks. Ireland's high-growth economy depends on foreign direct investment and lavish corporate tax returns from mainly US tech and pharma giants, and would suffer if incoming US president Donald Trump follows through on pledges to slap tariffs on imports and repatriate corporate tax of US firms. The exit poll revealed "no enthusiasm for the government, despite the buoyant economy," Eoin O'Malley, a political scientist at Dublin City University, told AFP. "But neither is there any enthusiasm for the opposition parties," he said. Mary Lou McDonald's Sinn Fein saw a dip in support among its working class base in the past year because of its progressive stance on social issues and migration policy, as immigration became a key election issue. But it rallied on the back of a campaign heavily focused on housing policy and claimed it is the only alternative to Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, which have swapped power since Irish independence from Britain in 1921. pmu/ach
Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to stop housebuilding and infrastructure projects being “held to ransom” by nimbys and environmentalists, saying he will push through reforms to Britain’s “ruinous” planning system. Writing in The Times, the prime minister attacked the “blockers and bureaucrats” who had “choked off” economic growth in the UK and made homeownership unaffordable. Starmer has instructed ministers to plan laws that would streamline complex environmental rules that can add millions of pounds to the cost of a development. • Sir Keir Starmer: We will launch a golden era of building These are expected to end “case-by-case negotiations” of measures to deal with ramifications for wildlife, required under habitat regulations derived from EU law, that can delay projects by years. This could allow developers to offset potential environmental damage of projects by paying for environmental improvements elsewhere, with clearer rules about what kind of mitigation would be acceptable to avoid protracted negotiations on individual projects.None
Kosovo arrested several suspects Saturday after an explosion at a key canal feeding two of its main power plants, while neighbouring Serbia rejected accusations of staging the blast. The explosion Friday near the town of Zubin Potok, which sits in an ethnic Serb-dominated area in Kosovo's troubled north, damaged a canal that supplies water to hundreds of thousands of people and cooling systems at two coal-fired power plants that generate most of Kosovo's electricity. As security forces swarmed the area around the canal, whose concrete walls were left with a gaping hole gushing water, Prime Minister Albin Kurti visited the site and announced authorities had arrested several people. Law enforcement "carried out searches" and "collected testimony and evidence, and the criminals and terrorists will have to face justice and the law," he said. The arrests follow a security meeting late Friday, when Kurti pointed the finger at Serbia. "The attack was carried out by professionals. We believe it comes from gangs directed by Serbia," he told a press conference, without providing evidence. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hit back Saturday, denying the "irresponsible" and "baseless accusations". "Such unfounded claims are aimed to tarnish Serbia's reputation, as well as to undermine efforts to promote peace and stability in the region," he said in a statement to AFP. Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric had earlier suggested on X that the Kosovar "regime" could itself be behind the blast, calling for an international investigation. The main political party representing Serbs in Kosovo, Serb List, also condemned the attack "in the strongest possible terms". AFP journalists at the scene saw water leaking heavily from one side of the reinforced canal, which runs from the Serb-majority north of Kosovo to the capital, Pristina. However, electricity supplies to consumers were running smoothly on Saturday morning, with authorities having found an alternative method to cool the plants, said Kosovo's Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli. Repair work was ongoing, authorities said, while Kurti confirmed workers had managed to restore water flows to 25 percent capacity. The United States strongly condemned the "attack on critical infrastructure in Kosovo", the US embassy in Pristina said in a statement on Facebook. "We are monitoring the situation closely... and have offered our full support to the government of Kosovo to ensure that those responsible for this criminal attack are identified and held accountable." Turkey's foreign ministry also condemned the attack, adding: "We call on all parties to exercise restraint to avoid escalation in the region." The NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping mission for Kosovo joined the calls for restraint. "It is important that facts are established and that those responsible are held accountable and brought to justice," it said in a statement. The force is providing security in the surrounding area and has offered logistical, explosives removal and engineering support to the Kosovo authorities, it added. The European Union's ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, joined the international condemnation, saying on X: "The incident needs to be investigated and those responsible brought to justice." Animosity between ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo and Serbia has persisted since the end of the war between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents in the late 1990s. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a move that Serbia has refused to acknowledge. Kurti's government has for months sought to dismantle a parallel system of social services and political offices backed by Belgrade to serve Kosovo's Serbs. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on Saturday denounced "the act of sabotage on the critical water supply infrastructure in the Iber-Lepenc Canal" in comments on X, calling it "a serious crime that endangers the lives of Kosovo's citizens and undermines the process of normalizing relations in our region." Friday's attack came after a series of violent incidents in northern Kosovo, including the hurling of hand grenades at a municipal building and a police station earlier this week. ih/ach/giv/jhb/sbk
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By Lindsay Shachnow New England natives and residents were not hard to come by on Forbes’ 14th annual 30 Under 30 List , unveiled Tuesday. The Forbes list recognizes leaders from North America within 20 different industries. Boston ranked as one of the top five cities where the listers reside, alongside New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin. The list was developed by an independent panel of judges, including Olympic Champion Lindsey Vonn, New York Liberty CEO Keia Clarke, National Geographic Society Chair-person Jean Case, and more, according to a press release . “Over the past decade the 30 under 30 lists have spotlighted over 12,000 young leaders and entrepreneurs around the world,” the statement said. “Forbes lists capture some of the most prominent people and companies that have profound impact at the time of publication.” Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum , who has earned five All-Star selections, three All-NBA nods, and the 2023 All-Star Game MVP since the Boston Celtics drafted him in 2017, has also “built a robust portfolio off the court,” Forbes said of the 26-year-old basketball star. Forbes estimates Tatum’s off-court endeavors, including a sneaker deal with Nike’s Jordan Brand and a starring role in Netflix reality series Starting 5 , earn him $13 million annually. In a sitdown interview as part of the list’s announcement, Tatum, who was named a notable honoree on this year’s list, said he wants to “continue to keep getting better.” “As a kid, I was very motivated — I set a bunch of goals for myself, and I’ve been blessed in real time to slowly be able to check off certain boxes that I wanted to accomplish,” he said. Forbes wrote that 2023 was a “breakout year” for Vermont native Noah Kahan, whose folk-pop style music is seven years in the making. Kahan’s album Stick Season climbed to the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 last summer and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist last year. “Kahan’s own tour has also taken off, selling out every show in North America and Europe(,) all while he raised $4 million for his nonprofit The Busyhead Project, which focuses on mental health initiatives,” the New England singer-songwriter’s profile says . Claire Cottrill, publicly known as Clairo, was raised in Carlisle, Massachusetts. She emerged as a singer-songwriter in 2017, when her song “Pretty Girl” went viral on YouTube. The following summer, Clairo opened for Dua Lipa and performed at Lollapalooza. “Clairo has now opened for Boygenius’ shows in 2023, released an EP, and shared a full-length album,” Clairo’s Forbes profile says . “With multiple headlining tours now under her belt, Clairo counts 4 million followers on her Instagram account.” Gabby Thomas, who grew up in Northampton, Massachusetts, was honored on Forbes’ sports list. Thomas helped launch 2024’s Athlos Invitational, a women’s-only track meet, according to her profile. “After winning bronze in the 200 meters and silver in the 4×100-meter relay at the Tokyo Olympics, Gabby Thomas upgraded to gold in both events at the Paris Games, adding a victory in the 4×400 to become the first American track athlete to win three golds in the same Olympics in 12 years,” Forbes wrote . Vermont’s Ilona Maher, a 28-year-old rugby player, helped the United States obtain its first Olympic rugby medal — a bronze at the 2024 Paris Games. In the process, Maher has become a social media sensation, posting Tiktok videos about her life. “She now has more than 7 million social media followers and uses her videos to speak openly on body positivity and the issues she faces as a female athlete,” Maher’s profile reads . Maher was also featured in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition and on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.” Coi Leray of Boston, Massachusetts, has added Forbes 30 Under 30 to her list of accomplishments, including 2024 Best Rap Performance and Best Pop Dance Recording Grammy nominations. According to her profile , Coi started making music at age 14, and has now reached 14 million monthly Spotify listeners. She released her first full studio album in 2022, which charted Billboard’s US 200. Lindsay Shachnow Lindsay Shachnow covers general assignment news for Boston.com , reporting on breaking news, crime, and politics across New England. Boston.com Today Sign up to receive the latest headlines in your inbox each morning. Be civil. Be kind.In a move to curb the growing menace of illegal rice smuggling, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan visited Kakinada Port on Friday, overseeing the seizure of a vessel involved in trafficking PDS (Public Distribution System) rice. Pawan Kalyan, accompanied by State Food Civil Supplies Minister N. Manohar, visited the, “Stella EL” ship seized with ration rice at Kakinada Anchorage Port in a special boat to inspect the situation. It was caught by district authorities two days ago while en route to the African continent, carrying over 640 tonnes of illegally exported rice. Later speaking to the media, Kalyan highlighted the growing infiltration of organised crime in the region. He emphasised how the mafia, accustomed to systemic crime, was not only smuggling rice but could also potentially facilitate the transportation of dangerous materials like explosives or terrorists through the port. “A smuggler won’t stop at just rice. They will also smuggle drugs and explosives. If officials are negligent due to political pressure, it will become a national security threat.” “We cannot ignore the national security implications of these smuggling operations,” Kalyan said. He further revealed that his attempts to personally inspect the vessel were blocked, even though other officials, including the Civil Supplies Minister and local MLAs, Kakinada Urban MLA, Vanamadi Kondababu, and chairman of civil supplies corporation, Thota Sudhir, were present during his visit. “Despite my position as Deputy Chief Minister, I was denied access to inspect the vessel,” Kalyan stated. “This demonstrates the power of the mafia behind these operations. If such an influential network can obstruct even a government official, one can only imagine the scale of the operations taking place under the radar.” One of Kalyan’s primary concerns was the inadequate security at Kakinada Port. While the port sees over 1,000 trucks arrive daily, the security detail is disturbingly minimal, with only 16 personnel tasked with overseeing such a high-volume operation. In response, Kalyan has vowed to take the issue directly to the Centre. “I will be writing to the Ministry of Home Affairs about the security lapses at Kakinada Port and demand immediate action. This is no longer just about rice smuggling; it’s a national security issue,” Kalyan said. “We will not rest until the individuals behind these operations are brought to justice,” Kalyan asserted. “This is a battle not just for control of the port, but for the safety of our citizens and the security of our nation.” Explaining the issue surrounding PDS rice, Pawan Kalyan said, “The government is spending Rs. 43.50 per kilo to provide rice to the poor, and this is being given to them for free. The ration vehicles introduced by the previous government were meant to allow beneficiaries to purchase rice, but this rice is being diverted into the hands of the rice mafia. Subsequently, large businessmen are sending it from ports to African countries, which is costing the government’s treasury heavily. The money spent on subsidising rice is ending up in the pockets of the mafia. These mafia members are selling the rice in African countries for Rs. 72 to Rs. 74 per kilo. Instead of this, if the Indian government were to export rice at Rs. 42 per kilo to African nations, India’s reputation and prestige on the global stage would grow immensely.”
Former officials urge closed-door Senate hearings on Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for intel chiefMax George ‘staying positive’ amid hospital stay due to heart issuesHeirlooms Jewelry at 36 Main Street in downtown Stockbridge, will be under new management starting Jan. 1 as long time owners Robin Fleet and Phil Coleman, are retiring. New owners Ella and Shaun Hall are planning to continue a 54 year tradition of local ownership. STOCKBRIDGE — Since 1970, Heirlooms Jewelry — a shop tucked into the back of The Mews at 36 Main Street, near Once Upon a Table — has maintained a robust presence within the compact downtown business center. That presence will continue in 2025, with new owners. After 25 years of co-proprietorship, Philip Coleman and his wife and shop owner Robin Fleet are retiring at the close of business at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Without skipping a beat, Stockbridge native and current Lee resident Shaun Hall and his wife Ella, the new owners, will be opening the doors around 11 a.m. on New Year’s Day, with the intent of being open year-round, seven days a week. Heirlooms Jewelry in Stockbridge, established in 1970, is the second oldest business downtown. It will be under new ownership as of Jan. 1 as co-proprietors Robin Fleet and Phil Coleman, at left, are retiring and moving to a condo in a French chateau. At right, new owners Shaun and Ella Hall are planning to keep the store as is. During a recent conversation on a busy day inside the brightly-lit store, the foursome made it clear that very little will change following a smooth transition. Heirlooms counts on repeat visits by longtime steady customers, said Coleman. “It’s a business that people love,” he said. “This has been our best years.” Why sell it now? Coleman and Fleet are retiring to a condo they’ve purchased at a chateau in the Loire Valley of central France — where they had been frequent visitors for 50 years. “It’s a lovely spot,” said Coleman after acknowledging that leaving the store and the Lenox home they recently sold would be bittersweet. He had been ready to retire several years ago, but Fleet was not. “This store has been like a second child,” she explained. What did it take to persuade her? “He found the chateau!” she exclaimed. “We’ve met thousands of people from all over the world,” Coleman pointed out. “We’re going to miss the people and the good times with literally thousands of frequent customers who love the store and feel like they’re dealing with regular people. It’s a cool, fun place.” He said the store completes more than 5,000 sales annually, with tens of thousands of customers passing through. Heirlooms Jewelry in Stockbridge has had a 54 year tradition of local ownership. Specializing in antique and estate jewelry from the Victorian era to the present. Philip Coleman and Robin Fleet, co-proprietors for a total of 25 years, are retiring, having sold the business tp Shaun and Ella Hall of Lee. Fleet recalled one of her favorite moments, when a customer gifted a $250 piece of jewelry to a total stranger who had been looking it over but deemed it unaffordable. “I’m doing it because I can,” said the customer. “It was just a complete gift,” Fleet recalled. The business, originally called Folklorica, was started by Ellen Kenwood, taking over a space first occupied by fashion designer Nicole Miller . In 1980, Minna Zaret, the second owner, bought it, renaming it Heirlooms Jewelry. Befitting its name, the store always has specialized in antique and estate jewelry — “anything that’s technically not new,” Coleman explained. The stock is acquired from wholesale jewelry dealers, local estates, trade shows and events such as the Brimfield antique show. Coleman, a Philadelphia native, met Fleet, who grew up in Jacksonville, Fla., in first grade after his family moved there. They’ve known each other for 64 years and have been married for 40, moving to the Berkshires to raise their daughter. Fleet, stopping at Heirlooms to look for a ring, returned a week later, encountered a sign for a “closing” sale and bought business from Zaret in October 1995, paying about $130,000 for the value of the business and the inventory. Last summer, the Halls had considered buying it, Shaun explained, but it didn’t work out. On the day after this past Thanksgiving, with some revisions, the deal was consummated. With 75 percent of the store's inventory sold since last January, the price of the business transaction was $50,000, said Coleman. The building is owned by a subsidiary of William Gottlieb Management, LLC. Shaun Hall, born and raised in Lee but with deep family roots in Stockbridge, noted that his father and grandfather were models for Norman Rockwell . “We are very happy to be part of the community,” he said. A year ago, just a pebble’s throw from Heirlooms, Hall purchased 7 Arts Music, a record store specializing in vinyl, including half of his personal collection of 30,000 discs, which includes CDs and some vintage 45s and 78s. Customers call it “a walk down memory lane,” he said, with albums including '60s and '70s rock as well as classical and jazz. His wife Ella is a native of Armenia whom he met while in the Peace Corps teaching English from 1998 to 2000 in Armenia. Ella was among his students prior to their marriage. They’ve been raising four daughters in Lee, now ranging in age from 16 to 22. Ella, who teaches seventh grade English Language Arts at Lee Middle and High Schoo l, will keep that job despite her new role as co-proprietor of Heirlooms. The Halls have been apprenticing with Coleman and Fleet, learning how to run the business. “It will be a juggling act,” Ella conceded, “but I’m a hard worker and these are my passions — teaching and being surrounded by jewelry.” Her husband, who will keep his part-time job at St. Mary’s School in Lee , and their oldest daughters, Liana and Ariana, will take their turns running the store. Heirlooms Jewelry will continue to be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 11 to 8 Fridays through Sundays. A revamped website, heirloomsjewelry.com, will be online soon, complementing the store's Facebook page. “We have a lot to grasp and learn,” Ella said. “Eventually, I’d love to bring in jewelry from around the world.” Coleman and Fleet will be available for consultation even after they’re ensconced in the French chateau. “I have his number,” said Shaun, though he’ll bear the six-hour time difference in mind. “We’ll keep everything here exactly the same, the service and everything customers are used to,” he said. “This store has been a part of Stockbridge history for a very long time.” Heirlooms Jewelry is the second-oldest business in Stockbridge. Williams & Sons Country Store holds pride of place as the first, established about 60 years ago. “We’re keeping the legacy,” Ella said. “We wish Robin and Phil the best of luck, and we’re really thankful to them for their guidance and support.”