New research from the John Locke Foundation this week targeted one community’s ill-advised competition with the private sector and the state government’s spend-and-tax cycle. Research Director and Local Government Analyst Michael Sanera and Research Intern Katie Bethune critiqued Wilson’s Greenlight city-owned fiber-optic cable system. Joseph Coletti discussed the impact of poor state budget planning on North Carolina’s current budget woes. Meanwhile, research linked to the John Locke Foundation attracted attention this week from several media outlets. Education Policy Analyst Terry Stoops wrote an opinion piece for the Fayetteville Observer that recommended more options for teachers to gain certification. Dave Saba, president of the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, liked the piece. Saba cited Stoops’ work in two forums. Legal and Regulatory Policy Analyst Daren Bakst also enlightened Fayetteville Observer readers this week with a letter picking apart a previous editorial on Environmental Protection Agency regulation of coal-fired power plants. In other news, the Coastland Times in Manteo published a story about North Carolina’s Beach Plan coastal property insurance program, quoting Eli Lehrer, author of a recent JLF report on the Beach Plan. The Charlotte Weekly also published a recent story citing David Hartgen‘s report for the John Locke Foundation on Charlotte’s LYNX light-rail line.