Hercules once had a reputation as a city that never saw a development it didn't like. But as Wal-Mart has learned in the past few months, times have changed. Today, this city of about 24,000 residents stands as a national symbol of small-town audacity after its City Council unanimously agreed to invoke eminent domain to take over a tract where the world's largest retailer applied to build a store. The David-versus-Goliath quality of the showdown has drawn the attention of the national media and created a public relations quandary for Wal-Mart, which in commercials has portrayed itself as a good...