* U.S. Sen. Richard Burr makes a cameo in a new ad from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, but he's not yet in the top spot.

* Liberal blogger Adam Linker notes that the state bid it's $8,000 contract for cauliflower but not the $100 million contract for the State Health Plan.

* The Independent Weekly notes that a bill prohibiting publicly owned Internet and cable services has been filed again.

* Conservative blogger Jeff Mixon takes issue with a bill to give free tuition at community colleges to recently released convicts.

* U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler could face trouble in a Senate primary over his vote on the stimulus and his views on abortion, some say.

* Gov. Beverly Perdue says the final stimulus package leaves the state about $150 million short of covering its $2 billion shortfall.

* Independent Weekly's Fiona Morgan wonders what it says when an ombudsman takes a job with "one of the most egregiously mismanaged and obfuscating agencies."

* Democratic firm Public Policy Polling finds 65 percent of those surveyed want to keep the schools superintendent an elected post.

* N.C. Spin commentator Tom Campbell praises Gov. Beverly Perdue's recent changes to the top management of the State Board of Education.

* Republican consultant Carter Wrenn suggests GOP legislators push hard to open up certain personnel records related to probation officers to score points with voters.

* Conservative blogger Katy Benningfield says the race is heating up for the next state Republican Party chair, with gladhanding all around at the county conventions.

* Independent Weekly reporter spies jawbreakers, a miniature purple hat, Texas Pete and Diet Coke on legislators' desks, but not a lot of family photos.

A former Wake County commissioner candidate may be appointed to the state House.

The Independent Weekly reports on its Triangulator blog that Don Mial, who ran unsuccessfully for the county board in 2006 and currently serves as vice chair of the Wake County Democratic Party, may be appointed to replace Rep. Linda Coleman.

Gov. Beverly Perdue recently appointed Coleman head of the Office of State Personnel.

Party officials in Coleman's district will nominate Coleman's successor.

The alternative weekly also named former Knightdale Mayor Jeanne Bonds, mental health activist Ann Akland and advocate Bridgette Burge as possible nominees, although Akland and Burge said they're not candidates.

A man featured briefly in Sen. Elizabeth Dole's recent ad says he is not an atheist.

Retired Bible teacher Rick Stone is shown answering the door in grainy footage of a Sept. 15 fundraiser at the Boston home of Wendy Kaminer and Woody Kaplan, The Independent Weekly reports.

The ad criticizes Dole's Democratic rival Kay Hagan because Kaplan is a founder of the Godless Americans political action committee.

But Stone says the fundraiser was not an atheist event and he is a believer, according to a story in the alternative weekly based in Durham.

He is in fact, Charles Frederick (Rick) Stone III, who currently studies theology at the Harvard Divinity School. Until his 2007 move to Boston, Stone lived in Greensboro and taught Biblical studies at Greensboro College, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, and Guilford College, which draws on Quaker tradition.

His courses have included Old and New Testament, religious law, and the teachings of Jesus. Stone himself is Episcopalian and a believer in God.

Stone met Hagan at the First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro.