The Greensboro News & Record‘s “Off The Record” blog and N.C. Senate Republicans took note this week of Carolina Journal contributing editor Karen McMahan‘s article on a new economic ranking of North Carolina from the American Legislative Exchange Council. The Cato Institute’s Overlawyered.com highlighted McMahan’s story on small business owners’ opposition to Chapel Hill’s new ban on drivers’ cell phone use. WWAY Television and the Senate GOP promoted Associate Editor Sara Burrows‘ report on a state lawmaker’s efforts to target for retribution the cities that challenged North Carolina’s new annexation law in court. Senate Republicans also highlighted Executive Editor Don Carrington‘s follow-up stories involving N.C. Commerce Department official Henry McKoy and a sustainability scandal. Beaufort County Now promoted John Locke Foundation Director of Research and Local Government Studies Michael Sanera‘s CJ column on the closing of Raleigh’s taxpayer-subsidized Mint restaurant.