Other items of interest

The Beaufort Observer noted again this week Carolina Journal Executive Editor Don Carrington‘s ongoing efforts to expose dubious dealings associated with former Gov. Mike Easley. Meanwhile, the Tryon Daily Bulletin recently republished a pair of CJ exclusives: Lee Raynor‘s report on annexation battles, and Hal Young‘s account of the state’s new ban on plastic bottles in landfills. Cape Fear Business News published N.C. History Project Director Troy Kickler‘s latest column discussing the importance of a strong federal system of government. Meanwhile, the Beaufort Observer is among the multiple publications that picked up a new column from John Locke Foundation Legal and Regulatory Policy Analyst Daren Bakst. Bakst spells out the benefits of a state-level “no more stringent” law to battle overreach from environmental regulators. In other news, the Asheville Citizen-Times cited a Carolina Journal exclusive from Donna Martinez that discussed the impact of a new smoking ban on hookah bars. The News & Observer‘s WakeEd blog noted John Hood’s recent reaction to the gulf between the new Wake County school board majority and the school system staff. The N&O also briefly mentioned the John Locke Foundation in an article discussing partisan politics in Wake County government.