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.

One member of the Iron Cabinet may stay — in a different position.

One bit of speculation among the well- and sometimes not-so-well-informed in the state capital is that Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue may keep Bryan Beatty on board.

Beatty has served Gov. Mike Easley since 2001 as secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety and is reportedly interested in staying. However, Perdue may shift him to the Department of Correction, where fellow "Iron Secretary" Theodis Beck is retiring.

In other news, Rep. Bill Owens, a Pasquotank County Democrat who was ranked among the most effective in the House in 2007, may be up for the secretary of Commerce position. (N.C. Spin had previously related this rumor.)

Other names that had been discussed for that position included Crandall Bowles, Sen. David Hoyle, retiring Rep. Jim Harrell and former deputy Tony Copeland.

Asheville Citizen-Times reporter Jordan Schrader writes on his Capital Letters blog that current Commerce Secretary Jim Fain doesn't expect to remain in the post.

Update: Owens was spotted visiting the lieutenant governor's office on Blount Street this afternoon.

It was a week for follow-ups.

The most-read posts on Under the Dome from last Sunday to noon Friday included several updates on news items from the recent past.

1. The Eason Ultimatum? The N.C. Department of Agriculture says it never threatened the job of a staffer who refused to lower the flag, though an e-mail said he might be fired. Is that a penultimatum?

2. Billions and Billions. The N.C. Senate signs off on a $21.4 billion budget that includes more than $850 million in capital construction projects. We'd settle for a rounding error.

3. Roman Holiday. N.C. Commerce secretary Jim Fain billed the state only $1,218 for his part of a state trip to Italy in April. Heck, some people spend almost that much to see the Russian ballet.

4. You Never Call Anymore. Nearly five million North Carolina phone numbers have been placed on the federal "Do Not Call" registry since it started. Now, can we do something about our e-mail spam?

5. About Schmidt. Gov. Mike Easley's office is looking into the rehiring of a Department of Transportation employee who was fired after a racial confrontation. We have nothing funny to say about that.

Department of Commerce Secretary Jim Fain billed frugally while he was in Italy.

Fain's expense report for his time in Italy shows he only billed the state $1,218 for expenses he incurred in the country in April as part of a business and tourism recruiting delegation. Fain's expenses billed to taxpayers were typically less than the amount billed by other members of the delegation. Gov. Mike Easley and his wife, Mary Easley were in Italy for the trip.

The bill from Fain and four state troopers along for security were not included in the $170,000 tab previously reported because the paperwork wasn't made available in time for the story. The new bills, including a $17,573 charge for four airline tickets for the troopers, total $30,538. For those counting, that puts the total cost of the trip to Italy right around $200,000.

The trip raised a few eyebrows for some of the expenses, such as $50,000 for two vehicles and a driver for the first couple. One lunch in Rome cost an average of $90 per person. Mary Easley was also a member of delegations that went to France and Russia at a cost to taxpayers of more than $109,000.

More after the jump.

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It costs about $200 a bottle and is a favorite of Richard T. Santulli, chief executive of private airline NetJets. A state business recruiter made a point to find that out before a December dinner for him, Jonathan B. Cox reports.

No detail was too small as the state tried to woo the Ohio company to the Triangle and gain as many as 3,000 jobs.

Records made public by the state Department of Commerce chronicle an eight-month courtship with meticulous planning — down to instructions for the governor on making small talk — that involved some of the Triangle's top business leaders.

The files illustrate the intensity of the race between the states in corporate recruitment and show how personal connections as much as financial incentives can shape decisions.

North Carolina did not lure NetJets, which in March announced expansion in Columbus, Ohio.

Meetings were highly structured. Gov. Mike Easley got instructions on exactly how to charm executives on a visit. From 2:05 to 2:15 p.m., the governor was to "lead informal, get acquainted Session, with focus on Mansion's holiday decorations & your woodworking." The whole memo is below.