The Jersey City Independent "

- PAL Atheletes Going to California After All: A week ago, it appeared that four 11 and 12-year-old runners with the Jersey City Police Activity League (PAL) Roadrunners would not be heading to the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships in Sacramento because of insufficient funds. But that all changed Friday afternoon, when an unnamed woman donated $3,300 to the Jersey City PAL to pay for the entire trip after seeing the story on ABC’s local newscast.

- DiNardo Widow Pushes Organ Donation: Yesterday, on the anniversary of JCPD detective Marc DiNardo death, Mary DiNardo came to Liberty State Park with more than 500 police officers, firefighters, family members, friends, and union officials to announce a partnership, in name of the fallen officer, with the New Jersey Sharing Network for the Legacy of Heroes program.

- IPO for Direct Edge? An initial public offering for Direct Edge Holdings LLC, the Jersey City company whose two stock markets became registered exchanges this week, is a “possibility,” CEO William O’Brien tells Bloomberg.

- Officials Hope to Clean Up Home Where Woman Died: City officials hope to clean up the Woodlawn Avenue home where a bedridden, mentally disabled woman was found dead on July 8, to prevent it from becoming a health hazard.

- Alleged Bank Robber Caught: A 32-year-old Jersey City man suspected of robbing the PNC Bank on West Side Avenue was arrested on an NJ Transit bus just minutes after the heist. By afternoon police had charged him in three additional bank robberies committed over the past three months.

- Crash on Route 139: An unidentified man who suffered life-threatening injuries in a horrific crash on Jersey City’s State Highway 139 yesterday was rushed to the Jersey City Medical Center after being extricated from his crushed SUV. He is reportedly fighting for his life.

- Lady Liberty Evacuated: The Statue of Liberty was evacuated for nearly an hour yesterday when a faulty sensor misled park officials into believing an elevator motor inside the monument was overheating.

Today’s Best Bets:

- Jazz for Lunch returns to Grundy Pier with a performance by Rich Reiter at noon, while a few hours later in the same spot, the Kennedy Dancers will perform as part of the free Summer Dance Fest series (6:30 pm). JCI contributor Dylan Schenker, who wrote last week’s feature on Muskrat John, also blogs for the NYC-centric arts site Hyperallergic, and they’ve put together The PBR Tour to lure folks over to The Golden Door for some mini-golf, food and drink to help raise money for the Jersey City Museum. But don’t worry, Jersey Cityites are invited too (7 pm). Fish With Braids Gallery hosts the opening reception for Alphabet Soup, a new group exhibition featuring graffiti artists past and present paying tribute to Rammellzee, a pioneer of the culture who recently passed away (7 pm). And at the Warehouse, there’s a free screening of Michael Haneke’s The Piano Teacher (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- ‘Las Vegas East’: Gov. Christie yesterday unveiled plans to get the state government out of horse racing, while getting into Atlantic City, where he pledged to take over the faltering casino district and turn the city into “Las Vegas East.” More details, and the actual report, can be found here. Meanwhile, the state’s horse industry is feeling betrayed by the governor’s proposal. And the Times weighs in with an analysis piece, calling the move a “daring approach to a long-festering set of problems.”

- Christie Says Deficit Projection is ‘Fake’: Gov. Christie says a projection that the state faces a $10.5 billion budget deficit next year is “completely fake” and he will build upon the deep cuts he made this year. He says the projection was invalid because the Office of Legislative Services counted all mandatory increases in state funding and assumed all programs now in the budget would be included next year.

- Groups Call for Independent Investigation into Newark Shooting: The American Civil Liberties Union joined gay rights groups and civic and religious leaders yesterday in calling for a thorough and independent investigation into the shooting death of Atlanta CEO DeFarra Gaymon by an Essex County sheriff’s officer Friday evening.

- Stimulus Money for Schools Being Used Well: The state’s first 45 reviews show that $1.6 billion in federal funds for New Jersey schools has largely gone to staffing, training and technology, just as intended.

- Residents Not in Favor of Offshore Drilling: In the “no surprise” department, there’s been a significant drop in the number of New Jerseyans in favor of drilling for oil or gas off the state’s coast. Only 31 percent are in favor, according to a new Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll — down from 56 percent two years ago.

- UMDNJ Tuition Hikes: Most students at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey will be facing double-digit tuition increases this fall.

- Children & Disaster Planning: New Jersey lags behind other states when it comes to requiring emergency-response plans at child-care centers and private schools, according to a new report by Save the Children.

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