The Jersey City Independent "

- As the federal corruption trial of Leona Beldini continued yesterday, her defense team got religion on FBI informant Solomon Dwek, who fingered former state Department of Community Affairs commissioner Joe Doria as someone he planned on giving a cash bribe to. Bob Braun has more on Dwek, and the Journal has more on who in Jersey City he’s said he met with.

- Meanwhile, the Journal is now calling on Mayor Healy to resign his office, based on his “performance” on the hidden federal videotapes and the corruption that has stained parts of his administration. David Cruz’s take? “As a leader, he is falling way short of what’s expected and those sometimes annoying demonstrators are right to call him on it.” he writes.

- Two men have reportedly been shot and killed on Woodlawn Avenue this morning.

- A Jersey City liquor store and its owner will be added to the list of defendants in the civil suit against a Bayonne man who caused severe injuries to three women during a drunk driving crash on the Bayonne/Jersey City border last year.

- New Jersey City University students are holding a candlelight vigil tonight in memory of the people who died in the Haiti earthquake.

- The Jersey City Medical Center is providing free dental care to children ages 12 and under this Friday.

- If you missed this in the comments section, here goes (and if you didn’t miss it, apologies for the duplication): The Brooklyn Brewery has a new beer based on the Oatmeal cookies at Feed Your Soul.

- Jersey City Construction has an update on the new pool in Lafayette Park.

- Goya Foods president Robert I. Unanue has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the New Jersey City University Foundation, Inc.

Today’s Best Bets:

- Lots to do this evening in Jersey City. There’s an opening reception for Jaden Rogers’ new solo exhibit, “Vendimia Reciclada,” at LITM at 7 pm, and a few hours later you can check out Melissa Surach’s special Groundhog Day BabyHole at the Lamp Post or live music from Andrew Sullivan, Kelsey From Pillow Theory and Division Monarchy at Lucky 7′s.

In statewide news:

- While Gov. Christie’s transition team suggests curbing much of the Department of Environmental Protection’s power, many critics say the suggestions amount to a giveaway to developers and polluters.

- Despite the suggestion of his transition team, Gov. Christie says he won’t put tolls on roads that do not have them now, or increase current tolls or the gas tax, to help solve the state’s transportation fund’s near-insolvency.

- A plan to eliminate the state Council on Affordable Housing and put towns in charge of their own housing obligations was debated by a Senate committee yesterday. Proponents say it would cut down on bureaucratic red tape, but opponents say it would deliver a serious setback to efforts to increase the number of affordable homes in New Jersey.

- Bad news on the solar energy front: The program that once gave homeowners 70 percent of the $40,000 average cost to install solar panels has significantly scaled back its grants to home and business owners, signaling to some that the program may soon end.

- A Superior Court judge has ruled that New Jersey’s 11,000 voting machines must be re-evaluated by a qualified panel of experts to determine whether they are “accurate and reliable.”

- The Record has a look at some ways the proposed federal budget could affect New Jersey.

- New Jersey is getting an additional $1.4 million in federal funds to help unemployed, low-income seniors get back into the work force.

- Billionaire Stephen Ross — whose Related Companies real estate firm is a major player in Manhattan development projects — has reportedly been in negotiations with Xanadu developer Colony Capital, as well as New Jersey state officials, about becoming a partner in the stalled project.

- Recycling tires by grinding them down to crumb rubber and mixing into asphalt formulations is finding wider acceptance by more state Departments of Transportation, including New Jersey’s. American Recycler takes a look at the phenomenon.

- Gov. Christie has named Janet Rosenzweig as his choice to be commissioner of the Department of Children and Family Services, and Raymond Martinez as the administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission.

- Meanwhile, a new poll finds that most folks are still waiting to form an opinion of Christie’s performance as governor, with 33 percent saying they approve, 15 percent disapproving and 52 percent offering no opinion.

Like what you've read here? Please consider making a donation or becoming a sustaining member. As a grassroots news organization, we rely on community support -- as well as paid advertising -- to survive.