The Jersey City Independent "

- New Board Members at Liberty Humane: Liberty Humane Society’s interim Board of Directors appointed three permanent members at a meeting last night, in hopes of moving the troubled Jersey City shelter forward. The three new members are Michele Perotta, John Hanussak and Althea Bernheim.

- Cunningham Supports Charter Changes: State Sen. Sandra Cunningham is one of the sponsors of a bill we mentioned yesterday that would allow Rutgers University to authorize and monitor charter schools, in addition to the state Department of Education, and allow for more specialty charter schools like same-sex schools, special education schools and online schools.

- PCB Cleanup in the Hudson: General Electric’s cleanup of toxic chemicals in the upper Hudson River has failed to consistently meet performance standards and needs to undergo “substantive changes” in its next phase, a panel of independent scientists said in a draft report released on Monday.

- Cell Phones for Low Income Residents: Wireless providers like TracFone and Virgin Mobile are helping residents cope in these trying economic times, outfitting eligible low-income customers with free cell phone service through a federally subsidized program.

- Lawyers Disciplined: One Hudson County lawyer was disbarred and six others were disciplined in 2009, according to the Office of Attorney Ethics Annual Report.

- Man Sentenced for Sex Offense: A 75-year-old Jersey City man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his most recent crime of masturbating inside an Academy Street bodega in front of a woman while staring at her 2- and 4-year-old daughters. Prosecutors say the old man must serve his full sentence with no chance of parole due to prior sex offenses.

Today’s Best Bets:

- The Neutron Drivers, Sarah McHugh and the Everymen, Martin Rivas and Craig Meyer are slated to perform at tonight’s installment of Groove on Grove (6 pm), while the Films in Van Vorst free screening series presents Up (8:15 pm). And Made with Love hosts a special fundraising “clam bake” dinner to support JCLGO’s upcoming Pride Festival and march (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- The Wait for Medical Marijuana: While it remains unclear if medical marijuana will be available for sick New Jerseyans by January, as outlined by a state law passed last year, patients have no choice but to endure a frustrating game of wait-and-see.

- Waterfront Access: A long-anticipated package of public waterfront access rules was proposed Tuesday by the state Department of Environmental Protection, with a provision for municipal governments to develop their own public access plans and present them to the DEP for approval.

- Making it Easier to Bond: The Senate Budget Committee has passed a bill that would kill a 5 percent down payment requirement for bond ordinances approved by counties and municipalities.

- Fort Monmouth Redevelopment: Gov. Christie has signed into law a bill creating the 13-member panel that will oversee a $1 billion redevelopment of the 93-year-old fort, which was ordered closed by a federal panel in a nationwide consolidation of military facilities.

- Drug-maker Must Open the Books: An New Jersey appeals court has ordered the maker of cholesterol drug Vytorin to make meeting minutes available to shareholders who want to review the records because they say investors were harmed when results of a study showing the effectiveness of the medication was delayed.

- Mayor Busted in Corruption Probe Beats Recall in Vote: Voters on Tuesday declined by a narrow margin to remove Ridgefield mayor Anthony Suarez from office as he faces federal prosecution on corruption charges.

- NJ Soldier Killed: A 24-year-old soldier from New Jersey was killed in Iraq Sunday after insurgents attacked his vehicle with grenades.

- Cranberry Harvest: The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the nation’s cranberry crop is on track this year to become the second largest on record, but 5 percent declines are expected in New Jersey because of the summer’s hot and dry weather.

- Old Fossils: Princeton University scientists have discovered what may be fossils of the oldest animal ever recorded.

- Drunk Drivers, Watch Out: Police and state safety officials will begin stepped-up enforcement of drunken driven this Friday, as the summer winds down. Nearly 200 law enforcement agencies received grants of $4,400 each for overtime to run drunken-driver check points and added patrols during the two-week period, but the Jersey City Police Department did not.

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