Update: The local store swapped out the old STR for a new one (customer service rocks at the B&N in Syracuse!) so hopefully this resolves the issue.
I'll post a follow-up after I've had the new STR long enough to gauge the battery usage.
Also, while waiting at the store for the replacement, I started poking around with the Nook Tablet. I bought the 16 GB model. I then got to explain to my wife why it is perfectly reasonable to own both an eInk reader and a tablet...