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- NJCU Students and Faculty Rally: More than 50 people rallied in NJCU’s administration building yesterday, urging the university to open up its budget process, freeze tuition and refrain from furloughs and layoffs. The group also decried Gov. Christie’s recent cut of higher education funding.

- Kenny Corruption Sentencing Postponed: Former Ward B councilman Phil Kenny was to be sentenced today on federal corruption charges, but the hearing has been pushed back and is now scheduled for early April.

- Tris McCall in Hoboken Tonight: Jersey City’s Tris McCall is heading up an excellent bill up in the Mile Square City tonight; he briefly talks to New Jersey Bands about the show and political corruption. (For much, much more from Tris, check out our lengthy Q&A with him from December.)

- Fighting for a Full Census Count: Star-Ledger columnist Joan Whitlow takes a look at the 2010 Census, and the efforts being taken by her hometown (Newark) and Jersey City as the two largest cities in New Jersey battle it out to see which comes out the largest in this year’s count. But, she adds, it is about more than competition — it is about adequate funding for our cities. “As I rode the PATH yesterday, looking at the condition of the roads, the rails and bridges we all depend upon, it seemed clear that if Newark and Jersey City are growing and can add a few more thousand people to the state’s total, it will not hurt New Jersey,” she concludes. “It will help.”

- The Duprees Prepare for a Homecoming: The Jersey City doo-wop group The Duprees, who met as students at Dickinson High School, will be at the Loew’s next weekend. Tony Testa talks to Jonathan Mandell about the group’s history, Jersey City and more.

- St. Peter’s Prof Honored as Peacemaker: Anna J. Brown, a professor and the chair of the college’s Social Justice Department, will be honored with the Dorothy Day Peacemaker of the Year Award at the 2010 Pax Christi New Jersey Annual Assembly this Saturday.

In Statewide News:

- Property Tax Rebates on the Chopping Block? Gov. Christie is reportedly considering scaling back or completely eliminating property-tax rebates in his budget proposal, a move that could yield significant savings but would mean going back on a campaign pledge.

- Court Rules Against NJEA on Pension Funding: In a ruling against the state’s largest teachers union, a three-member appellate court panel says New Jersey is not constitutionally required to pay the millions it owes every year into the fund for teachers’ pensions. The NJEA says it may appeal the ruling.

- Freezing Public Worker Salaries: Assemblyman Joe Malone has introduced legislation that would freeze the salaries of New Jersey public workers for up to three years and would keep property taxes at current levels.

- The Garden Hate? New Jersey is home to the fourth-most hate groups of any state in America, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s latest annual report on hate groups and extremism. The group tallies 44 hate groups that make New Jersey home, more than every other state but California, Texas and Florida.

- No Race for the Top $$ Here: The federal Department of Education announced the 16 finalists in the Race to the Top grant competition yesterday, and New Jersey was not among them. The competition rewards states for education improvement plans, including tying teacher evaluations in part to student achievement and revamping poor-performing schools. Acting education commissioner Bret Schundler blames union leadership.

- Compromise Bill on Unemployment Benefits: Democrats in the state legislature have proposed a compromise unemployment fund plan that would lessen an upcoming tax increase on businesses without cutting worker benefits.

- New Jersey Shorty Winners: Congrats to Newark mayor Cory Booker and Jersey rocker Ted Leo for their wins at this week’s Shorty awards, which go to those who best use Twitter in a variety of categories.

- More Rights for the Adopted: State legislation that would give adopted adults in New Jersey access to their original birth certificates and family medical history was passed into the full Senate by a committee yesterday.