The Jersey City Independent "

- The jury will begin deliberations in the federal corruption trial of suspended deputy mayor Leona Beldini today. They heard closing arguments from both sides yesterday, and Beldini’s defense attorney told jurors that the feds were simply using Beldini to try to get Mayor Healy, who was ultimately not charged in the sweep.

- What does Gov. Christie have in store for Jersey City’s schools? The Reporter takes a look.

- Speaking of schools, Mercer Street’s elementary school #9 — also known as the Kennedy School — will close and become part of Ferris High School, which sits on the same property. The move has some parents upset.

- A resolution to televise City Council meetings on the city’s cable TV station JC1TV saw heated debate at last night’s City Council caucus, with the administration ultimately winning several concessions — including not televising the proceedings live — from Ward E councilman Steven Fulop, who introduced the bill. Look for more on this from us later today.

- In the aftermath of Sunday’s deadly explosion at a gas-fired power plant in Connecticut, U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg says he wants to halt Spectra Energy’s plans to build a natural gas pipeline through Bayonne and Jersey City.

- With another snowstorm potentially bringing a foot of snow to Jersey City beginning tonight, the city has issued a winter weather emergency warning.

- Jeff Marino of The One & Nines talks to Dislocations about the group’s approach to soul music. Meanwhile, dubbing the group “Jersey City’s best soul band,” Dislocations says: “The One & Nines have liberated soul and rhythm & blues from the museums and reissues and oldies stations. They have made it new, again — without sacrificing authenticity.”

- History buffs are in luck as the latest issue of the JCPD’s newsletter features Part Four of a Seven-Part Series on the “History of Jersey City and its Police.” This one covers the time period between 1879 and the late 1880s.

- Is Jersey City’s construction industry going down? Nicole Adams addresses that question in a guest post at Jersey City Construction.

- A 42-year-old Jersey City man has pleaded guilty to distributing OxyContin pills in a school zone on three occasions last year. The Journal points out the man was a former youth baseball coach, but he was suspended from coaching in May as part of another incident.

Today’s Best Bets:

- Bring the kids to the library after school today (at 3:45 pm) for a discussion and book signing by children’s book author Shawn Dray (The Sky is the Limit). Later in the evening, there will be an opening reception for the Black History Month group exhibition in City Hall (at 5 pm), and The Crosstown Country Allstars and Deivito will play a free show at Lucky 7′s (at 9 pm).

In statewide news:

- Over the strong objections of labor unions, state lawmakers have introduced reforms they said could drastically remake public worker pensions and benefits in New Jersey and stabilize a pension fund in crisis.

- State Sen. Raymond Lesniak, chairman of the Senate’s Economic Growth Committee, says the panel can be expected to vote March 8 on legislation he is co-sponsoring that would abolish the state Council on Affordable Housing and give cities and towns more control over providing middle- and lower-income housing. Meanwhile, the New Jersey NAACP is calling on Lesniak and Sen. Christopher Bateman to recuse themselves from voting on the bill, charging that the legislators’ law firms represent dozens of municipalities that could benefit.

- U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez urged the Federal Reserve last July to approve an acquisition to save a struggling bank in his state that was run by big political contributors. The fed never acted on his request, but at least one former regulator says Menendez’s behavior was “grotesquely inappropriate.”

- The state legislature has revived a controversial bill vetoed by former Gov. Corzine to delay an anti-sprawl, water quality management rule that gives state environmental officials more control over extending sewer and septic service.

- In the wake of the same-sex marriage defeat in Trenton, Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s largest gay rights group, is suspending donations to political parties and urging its members to do the same. The group will instead donate to individual candidates it supports.

- The Senate Judiciary Committee approved two of Gov. Christie’s nominees yesterday: Paula Dow as attorney general and Maj. Gen. Glenn J. Reith as head of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

- A state Senate committee has approved a measure that calls for legalized sports betting at New Jersey casinos and horse racing tracks.

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.