A federal grand jury wants to hear from two state environmental officials who handled permits on the Cannonsgate land project, a development in coastal Carteret County where former Gov. Mike Easley acquired a soundfront lot in 2005.

The officials have been asked to appear today.

Questions have swirled around the permitting process since reports in The News & Observer in May showed that real estate broker McQueen Campbell, a friend of Easley, bragged in writing that political contacts helped secure the wastewater treatment plant permit in half the one year's time he said it should have taken, J. Andrew Curliss reports.

In an interview, Campbell would not say what he meant by political contacts, other than to say he knew "who to call to get all these things done."

State records show the plant permit at Cannonsgate was granted faster than most, but not to the degree Campbell was claiming. It was part of an express review available to all developers. It was granted in 64 days.

The average of similar sized plants was about 110 days.

More after the jump.

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A former lobbyist's name has surfaced for Environment Secretary.

Alexander "Sandy" Sands III is reportedly under consideration by Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue for the Cabinet post heading the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

A lobbyist with Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, Sands has been ranked one of the top in the state by the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research.

Others in the running include fellow Womble Carlyle lawyer John Garrou, state Sen. Dan Clodfelter, current secretary Bill Ross, corporate consultant Freda Porter, transportation board member Nina Szlosberg, Creedmoor Mayor Darryl Moss, parks director Lewis Ledford and former secretary Bill Holman.

Update: Greenbridge developer Tim Toben has also been mentioned.

How much did the candidates for Environment Secretary give?

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue will not necessarily make decisions on who to appoint to her Cabinet based on campaign donations, but that's not to say there's no link between the two.

Here's a quick list of donations from the top contenders:

Bill Ross, current secretary: $4,000, most recently on Oct. 2.

Freda Porter, corporate consultant: $4,000, most recently on Oct. 10.

John Garrou, husband of Sen. Linda Garrou: Nothing, but Senator Garrou's campaign fund gave $3,000, most recently on April 18.

Sen. Dan Clodfelter's campaign, $2,000 on Sept. 26.

Nina Szlosberg, transportation board member: $1,500, most recently on Oct. 16.

Dome could find no donations from former DENR Secretary Bill Holman, parks director Lewis Ledford, Conservation Trust Director Reid Wilson or Creedmoor Mayor Darryl Moss, although his wife Michelle gave $50 on Sept. 4.

One more name has surfaced for Environment Secretary.

John Garrou, a former managing partner of white shoe law firm Womble Carlyle and the husband of Sen. Linda Garrou of Winston-Salem, was reportedly also under consideration for the job. 

He joins a long list of names, including current Secretary Bill Ross, Sen. Dan Clodfelter, parks director Lewis Ledford, former Secretary Bill Holman, Creedmoor Mayor Darryl Moss, conservationist Reid Wilson, transportation board member Nina Szlosberg and consultant Freda Porter.

Dome has heard one more name for the secretary of Environment and Natural Resources.

Sen. Dan Clodfelter, a five-term Charlotte Democrat who currently sits on the Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, is reportedly interested in the job.

He joins a long list of names, including current Secretary Bill Ross, parks director Lewis Ledford, former Secretary Bill Holman, Creedmoor Mayor Darryl Moss, conservationist Reid Wilson, transportation board member Nina Szlosberg and consultant Freda Porter.

Who might serve as Environment Secretary?

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue has not made any announcements yet on her Cabinet pick to lead the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Current Secretary Bill Ross, who has served since 2001, is reportedly interested in sticking around and did not rule it out when asked by Dome recently.

Other names that have come up with varying degrees of likelihood: Lewis Ledford and Bill Holman. 

Ledford currently works as director of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, which oversees state parks.

Holman served as executive director of the Clean Water Management Trust Fund until last year, when he left to become a visiting scholar at Duke University.

What will happen to members of Gov. Mike Easley's Cabinet?

As the two-term governor prepares to leave office in January, at least six of his top appointees have already said they will do the same, while others may be hoping to stay under Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue.

Here's the current rundown on their plans (question marks indicate decisions are not official):

Britt Cobb, Administration: Stepping down
Jim Fain, Commerce: Stepping down
Theodis Beck, Correction: Retiring
Bryan Beatty, Crime Control: Moving to Correction?
Libba Evans, Cultural Resources: On leave already
Bill Ross, Environment and Natural Resources: Hoping to stay?
Dempsey Benton, Health and Human Services: Stepping down
George Sweat, Juvenile Justice: Retiring
Reginald Hinton, Revenue: Retiring
Lyndo Tippett, Transportation: Hoping to stay?

We've put the question to each of the secretaries and will update this post as we get more definitive answers on the remaining holdouts.

As always, e-mail any tips, gossip and unsubstantiated rumors to dome@newsobserver.com.

Reginald Hinton will not return in the next administration.

The secretary of Revenue told staff in an e-mail today that he will retire at the end of the year.

"After much deliberation, I have decided to retire from the Department, effective January 1, 2009, and have informed Governor-Elect Perdue's transition representative of my decision," he writes in the e-mail. "Because of my deep affection for all employees in this agency, I wanted you to hear of my decision directly from me."

After an earlier inquiry, Hinton was unclear on whether he was seeking a position in the Cabinet of Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue. 

Among members of Gov. Mike Easley's Cabinet, that leaves only Crime Control Secretary Bryan Beatty, Environment Secretary Bill Ross and Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett as those have not said yet that they are leaving.

Full text of the e-mail after the jump.

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Bill Ross is not ruling out working for Beverly Perdue.

In an e-mail to Dome, the secretary of Environment and Natural Resources did not rule out continuing in his job for the governor-elect.

"Any decision about who will lead the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will come from Gov.-elect Perdue and her team," he said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity I've had to serve and I plan to continue to work on the conservation and protection of our natural resources whatever the future holds."

Ross has long been rumored to be interested in staying.

Names have risen and fallen like the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

But with no Cabinet-level appointments made yet by Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue, the guessing game on her administration continues.

(Perdue has named a transition team, a chief of staff and the head of a public campaign finance project, however.)

Here's the latest rundown:

Transportation: State Sen. Clark Jenkins chairs the Appropriations committee on transportation. Gene Conti is a former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Lanny Wilson is vice chairman of the N.C. Turnpike Authority and has Senate leader Marc Basnight's backing. David Joyner is a transportation expert and head of the turnpike authority. Nina Szlosberg, a Board of Transportation member appointed to oversee environmental issues, has the support of transit advocates, women political leaders and environmentalists.

Correction: Crime Control Secretary Bryan Beatty is reportedly under consideration.

Crime Control: Scott Thomas is the district attorney for Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties and served in the state Senate from 2000 to 2005.

Juvenile Justice: Linda Hayes has chaired the Governor's Crime Commission since 1995 and is a past chair of the national Coalition for Juvenile Justice.

Commerce: Senate Finance Committee chairman David Hoyle is well known as an advocate for business in the legislature. Rep. Jim Harrell helped pass incentives bills. Former deputy Tony Copeland now works in the private sector.

Revenue: Former state Sen. Oscar Harris served as Perdue's campaign treasurer.

Legislative Liaison: Former Senate budget analyst Andy Willis is vice president of government relations for the University of North Carolina system.

Health and Human Services: Perdue may conduct a national search for this post.

Environment and Natural Resources: Current secretary Bill Ross has served since 2001 and is reportedly interested in sticking around.

Administration: State Rep. Alma Adams filmed a TV ad for Perdue in the primary, but later criticized her transition team for its lack of diversity.

Cultural Resources: Adams, an art professor, may also be considered for this department.

Charlotte Office: Crandall Bowles is the former chair of Springs Industries and wife of UNC system president Erskine Bowles.