The Jersey City Independent "

- Jail Changes Detainee-Visit Policy: The Hudson County jail has changed its policy on visitation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees after complaints from immigrant rights groups.

- Pension on Hold for Firefighter Arrested in Corruption Sting: The state Treasury Department has put the pension application of retired firefighter and former City Council candidate Michael Manzo on hold, pending his sentencing on federal corruption charges. Manzo pleaded guilty to the corruption charges in December, and is expected to be sentenced this month.

- Banana Leaf Owners May File an Appeal: The owners of the popular Banana Leaf food truck, who had their food vendor license permanently revoked after a January raid found unsafe and illegal conditions where they prepared the food, are considering a court challenge to the revocation. They would have to file the challenge by March 15.

- Huge Solar Project Coming to Hudson Border: PSE&G, under a deal being worked out with the state Meadowlands Commission, will build a massive 20-megawatt solar project on a defunct landfill straddling Kearny and North Arlington that could power about 3,400 homes. The commission is also in negotiations to lease a portion of another Kearny landfill to SunDurance Energy of Plainfield to build a 3-megawatt system.

- New Jersey’s Higher-Ed Lobby: Federal records show that 14 tax-supported colleges and universities in the state have spent almost $14.5 million over the past decade lobbying the federal government. New Jersey City University is among the 14, but it is at the bottom of the list, having spent $20,000 on lobbying efforts in 2004. College officials say the lobbying helps pull in hundreds of millions in federal money to make up for dwindling state aid. That means we might see even more lobbying from this group in the next few years, with Gov. Christie recently pledging to cut $62.1 million in operating aid to higher education.

- Jersey City Dad Killed in Queens: A 41-year-old father of two from Jersey City was stabbed to death early yesterday after what cops say was an argument at a Queens house party turned violent.

- Looking to 2013: The Insider says Ward E councilman Steven Fulop is taking advantage of the recently packed City Council meetings to rile up the crowd as part of his efforts to run for mayor in 2013.

- NJCU B-Baller Honored: New Jersey City University freshman power forward Isaiah Johnson has been voted the 2009-10 New Jersey Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Year.

- Journal Sister Publication Cuts 37 Jobs: Oregon’s Oregonian newspaper laid off 37 employees last week, most of them in the news department, as the newspaper industry struggles with a tough economy and the digital new transformation. The Oregonian and the Journal (and the Star-Ledger) are both owned by Advance Publications.

- Street Fight: Simon Biswas has a quick blog report on a fight involving shovels that broke out in front of Crown Fried Chicken on Newark Avenue early Sunday morning.

Today’s Best Bet:

- There’s an opening reception at 5 pm for the new “Make Believe” exhibition at NJCU. The exhibit includes work from 13 artists who whose work appropriates or references folk or fairy tales.

In statewide news:

- Taking Aim at Regulatory Bodies: Gov. Christie is taking on New Jersey’s 700 boards, authorities and commissions, slashing spending and ordering a review that could kill some of them. “It’s a mission as wide-ranging and complicated as the entities themselves, many of them unique kingdoms with their own budgets, structures and standards,” the Ledger reports.

- NJEA vs. Christie: As Gov. Christie pushes through an educational agenda the New Jersey Education Association is dead-set against, the powerful union is beginning to fight back.

- Schundler Back on the Hot Seat: The confirmation hearing of former Jersey City mayor Bret Schundler, who Gov. Christie has tapped as education commissioner, will resume today. The Senate Judiciary Committee began the hearing last week but didn’t finish.

- Figuring Out New Remediation Law: New Jersey companies involved in environmental cleanups are grappling with major changes affecting their businesses stemming from a new state law that makes consultants responsible for signing off on toxic site mitigation.

- ‘No Consensus’ on State’s Foreclosures: Some real estate experts say New Jersey has remained relatively unscathed when it comes to foreclosures and are predicting that the situation will soon improve. But other experts say conditions are getting worse and might turn severe.

- Pension Decision Could Go to Voters: Under a bill being considered today in the Senate, voters would get to decide, via a ballot question, whether the state and other public employers would be bound to make one-seventh of their pension contribution in the next fiscal year. They’d be required to increase the contribution by one-seventh every year until the entire portion is being paid in Fiscal Year 2017.

- Getting Out of the Proposed NJ Transit NYC Hub: At least one safety expert is questioning just how well passengers at the new proposed station would be able to evacuate. The station, part of the new tunnel being built under the Hudson River, is set to be built 175 feet below 34th Street in Manhattan.

- Yep, the Property Taxes are Still High: New Jersey’s highest-in-the-nation residential property taxes continued to climb last year, to an average of $7,281, according to a new report from the state Department of Community Affairs.

- All This Snow Could Spell Trouble for Jersey Farmers: The widespread flooding that climatologists say is likely to follow the recent massive snowfall could delay or possibly prevent planting in some areas.

- Lautenberg Back to Work: U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, who has been receiving chemotherapy since being diagnosed with curable lymphoma of the stomach, says he’s “feeling great” and will return to work in Washington this week.

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