The Jersey City Independent "

- Smith Trial Set for November: Mark your calendars: jury selection in the corruption trial of former assemblyman L. Harvey Smith will begin Nov. 22.

- PSE&G Rates Should Stay Steady: The state has reached a tentative agreement with PSE&G that would effectively freeze rates for its electric customers for the next two years. It would allow the utility company to collect an additional $100 million from ratepayers, but a second settlement of $122 million — for previous over-collections — will offset that increase. The settlement still must be approved by the state Board of Public Utilities; that could happen as early as its next meeting on June 7.

- Group Aims to Bring Sports to HCCC: A group of faculty, staff and students at Hudson County Community College want the athletic program, which hasn’t existed since 1996, to be brought back immediately. A PR person speaking on behalf of the college says it is just beginning the process of evaluating the idea of putting together a potential athletic program.

- McNair Alums Now Harvard Grads: Four alumni of McNair Academic High School received undergraduate diplomas from the headmaster of the Ivy Leagues last Thursday, Harvard University.

- Planning an Outfit for the Mayor: Jersey City Stringer has his duds for the Reservoir’s annual Fishing Derby all laid out.

Today’s Best Bets:

- The season finale of the Art House is tonight; it’s your last chance to catch the open mic event until it gets started back up again in the fall (8 pm). If you want to remember the old days, check out “I Remember When,” a community event featuring Bob Leach and LaVerne Ben-Mansel where participants can gather to share stories of old Jersey City and other locales (6 pm). Or you can also grab a reservation at Madame Claude and settle in for some live jazz from Manouche Bag (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Dems Will Attempt to Override Christie Tax Veto: Democratic lawmakers say they are planning a vote to override Gov. Christie’s veto of the so-called “millionaire’s tax,” despite admittedly slim chances of success.

- Fight Brews Over Watchdog Agencies: Gov. Christie’s plan to merge New Jersey’s government watchdogs has touched off a turf war with Democratic lawmakers who say they won’t let him take away the State Commission of Investigation — an agency that is part of the legislative branch.

- Judicial Advisers Resign in Protest: All seven members of the Judiciary Advisory Panel, which was formed in 2006 to advise the governor in the selection of state justices and justices, have resigned over Gov. Christie’s decision not to reappoint Justice John Wallace to the state Supreme Court.

- Court Rules Abandoned Property Can Be Searched: Highlighting an exception to protections offered by defendants claiming illegal searches and seizures, the state Supreme Court has ruled that a property search can’t be challenged once a person has denied that property belongs to him or her.

- NJ Leads Tri-State in ‘Seriously Delinquent’ Mortgages: New Jersey’s mortgage loans that were “seriously delinquent,” meaning they are 90 days or more delinquent or in the foreclosure process, stood at 10.73 percent during the first quarter of 2010, leading the tri-state area, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

- Overgrown Highway Grasses Becoming a Problem: The state Department of Transportation, responsible for trimming grassy medians and strips along state highways, has received a bumper crop of complaints from municipal leaders and police departments claiming overgrown grasses are becoming a safety hazard. The department is beginning to turn its attention to the grasses, after spending some time filling the numerous potholes created by our particularly rough winter.

- Heavy Construction Industry Lags: While the rest of the nation’s heavy and highway construction industry is beginning to grow, buoyed by increased private and public construction, business remains slow in New Jersey.

- Consumer and Small Biz Outlook Improving? A new survey from Capital One Bank finds that many consumers in New Jersey say their personal finances have stabilized compared with a year ago, and that small businesses in the state are planning to start hiring again.

- Did You Know? It’s Month of the Horse in New Jersey!

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