Julie Rose

The airwaves - and your mailbox - may be full of campaign messages for U.S. president or North Carolina governor, but further down the ballot you'll be expected to choose judges next month, too. 

Trouble is, you're not likely to find much if you search for information about those candidates online. They often don't have much money to spend campaigning, so even a Facebook page for the candidate can be hard to find.

"It's not easy!" admits Nancy Roberson, executive director of the Mecklenburg County Bar. "We had the same dilemma."

A small contingent of Occupy Charlotte protesters returned to the lawn of Old City Hall yesterday to commemorate the one year anniversary of their encampment. The city council banned camping on public property in January and evicted Occupiers who'd been living on the lawn for several months.

Last night about a dozen protesters set up two tents on the lawn as a symbol of their protest and were again evicted by police. Deborah Alexander was arrested.

The recession and a trend toward gentrification in Charlotte have caused a shortage of rental housing that's affordable to low-income households. Meanwhile a new study commissioned by the city finds plenty of housing for middle-income earners.

The city of Charlotte only has so much money to spend building - or encouraging developers to build - affordable housing.

So the study released Monday gave Mayor Anthony Foxx some clarity: "From a bang for the buck standpoint, it looks like the 30% or below is where we get the bang for the buck."

The City of Charlotte is set to renew its contract with D.C. lobbying firm Holland and Knight Holland and Knight for $210,000 a year. The firm is credited with helping the city get more than $290 million in federal funds in recent years.

One of the big wins for Holland and Knight was the $50 million federal grant Charlotte got for security during the DNC. However, every convention host city since 2004 has received the same amount of money. 

Mecklenburg County is lifting its 30-year ban on public swimming at Lake Norman - possibly by the summer of 2015.

Currently only people with boats or lakefront property have access to swim. A series of drowning deaths in the 1970's prompted the swimming ban.

"Over the past few years there's been a lot of growing requests and need and recognition that 'Yes, we need to have public swimming on our lakes,'" says Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Deputy Director Michael Kirschman. "We have three major lakes - all in Mecklenburg County - with no public swimming facilities."

Extending the light rail from Uptown to UNC Charlotte will cost just over $1 billion. That price tag has contributed to the project's sometimes on-again-off-again status as local, state and federal funds tighten.

But Danny Rogers - the Blue Line Extension's project manager for the city - says all the funding is nearly in place.

"Right now we're just waiting on the full-funding grant agreement - FTA recommended and has approved it, pending the congressional review," says Rogers.

Gubernatorial candidates Pat McCrory and Walter Dalton addressed the role of economic incentives in attracting new jobs to North Carolina during their first debate Wednesday night.  Democratic Lieutenant Governor Dalton says he doesn't like giving tax breaks and cash to lure businesses, but we have to offer incentives since other states do.

The two leading candidates for North Carolina governor met in their first televised debate Wednesday night.  They touched on health care, education, energy and - of course - the need for more jobs.

"The first thing we need is change the culture of government and attitude to make sure our state government treats small businesses and all business as a customer - not an adversary," says Republican former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.

McCrory outlined his jobs plan for the state, which includes getting rid of regulations that hinder growth and reforming tax system.

Chiquita's new CEO is better versed in selling soap than bananas, but the company's board believes it needs a someone with turnaround experience right now and Edward Lonergan is their choice. 

News of CEO Fernando Aguirre's exit from Chiquita last month caused some angst in Charlotte. He's been ever-present around town and on Twitter as the charismatic, bow-tie wearing face of the company. . . not to mention the man city leaders dealt with in wooing Chiquita's headquarters here with significant incentives.

Alcoa has gotten its wish from a judge - the chance to start over in trying to get the approval of state regulators for its dams on the Yadkin River.

Alcoa is in this game for the rights to operate dams on the Yadkin River another 50 years. Right now the company's just a few yards shy of that goal. The final thing it needs is approval from state water quality regulators.