Thursday Morning News Roundup
By Jon Whiten • Dec 17th, 2009 • Category: Blog
- Former Parking Authority director Mark Russ alleges in a lawsuit that Mayor Healy ordered Russ not to issue tickets after 6 pm to curry favor with voters during Healy’s re-election campaign, and had the parking official fired when a few of his officers violated the illegal order. (Story from Courthouse News is no longer online.)
- The City Council withdrew an ordinance last night that would have guaranteed an $8 million federal loan for the developer of a Downtown Hilton hotel.
- Investigators have not yet determined if the death of a 17-year-old Jersey City girl this week was a suicide or homicide; her guardian says there’s no way it was a suicide.
- Judge Irwin Rosen, who was swept up in ticket-fixing charges that resulted in the suspension or resignation of five others Jersey City judges, will return to the bench in Jersey City on a part-time basis.
- Sixteen new police officers are patrolling the city streets after being sworn in Friday at a ceremony at New Jersey City University.
Today’s Best Bets:
- Artists Billy Miller and Pollie Barden will be at the Jersey City Museum at 1 pm for a conversation and film screening that explores the connection between the Hudson River and the community, the legacy of industrialism on the river, and new ways artists engage the environment. This evening, “A Tuna Christmas” is back for one of its last few performances at St. Michael’s Church, and The Nightmare Before Christmas will be screened for free at the Warehouse.
In statewide news:
- New Jersey can’t afford to inspect bridges, fix drainage systems or even fill potholes, so it’s pushing off nearly $70 million in routine repairs onto the Transportation Trust Fund, which is nearly bankrupt.
- The state’s unemployment rate stayed at 9.7 percent in November, even though the private sector lost almost 11,000 jobs.
- New Jersey Turnpike Authority commissioners have approved another highway widening contract, boosting the level of construction and contracting in 2009 to three times that of prior years.
- Gov. Corzine and Gov.-elect Christie are ratcheting up their clash over dozens of last-minute nominations to state boards and authorities.
- State officials have lifted the restrictions that had limited the swine flu vaccine to people considered high risk. The shots are now open to everyone.
- Bald eagles continue to make a dramatic recovery in New Jersey, according to the state’s census released this week.
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Jon Whiten is the founding editor of the Jersey City Independent; he now works for a public-policy nonprofit in Trenton.
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