The Big Dig: As part of national Make a Difference Day, young and old participated in the Big Dig on Saturday, an all-out effort to plant 17,000 flowers across Jersey City.

Political Insider: In his weekend column, Augie took on complaints of unfairness in the upcoming Jersey City special election for two At-Large council seats, the ongoing trials and tribulations of former state assemblyman Lou Manzo and the prospect of Formula One racing in North Hudson.

Who Is Ruth Bourdain? JCI contributor Adam Robb tells the Jersey Journal that he is not behind the Beard Award-winning food-humor Twitter feed.

Suicide at Arrest Scene: A Jersey City man facing sex crime charges fatally shot himself in the chest when State Police troopers came to his home Thursday to arrest him in connection with another sexual assault, officials said Friday. Jersey Journal columnist Augie Torres identified the man as the former treasurer of L. Harvey Smith’s ill-fated 2009 mayoral campaign.

Third Street Fire: A garage on Third Street in Jersey City went up in flames early Saturday and a firefighter was sent to the hospital with a knee injury.

Police Talk Down Would-Be Jumper: Jersey City police talked down a 37-year-old Hoboken man who was threatening to jump into the Hudson River Saturday afternoon, according to police reports.

Crime Blotter: A Jersey City man was shot once in each leg while smoking a cigarette Friday night outside BG’s Tavern on Communipaw Avenue. A Jersey City teen was robbed at gunpoint Thursday night by a man who took his bike and rode away on it after finding nothing in the teen’s pockets, officials said. A 28-year-old Camden man stopped for speeding Friday night in Jersey City told police he had just been shot in the head. Armed robbers made away with $1,000 in cash Friday night after clearing out a cash register at a dollar store. A 37-year-old Jersey City woman and her 39-year-old brother, a resident of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., were shot at Friday night by a man connected to the family of the sister’s ex-boyfriend. A 26-year-old Jersey City man was stabbed in the neck, ribs, and arms with a screwdriver during a fight Friday night.

In Statewide News:

Menendez Probe Dropped: In a letter sent to U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez’s lawyer, the U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Pennsylvania said the corruption probe into Menendez’s relationship with the North Hudson Community Action Corporation, opened in 2006, has been quietly closed.

Christie Pension Overhaul May Not Work: For months, Gov. Chris Christie has told audiences that his historic pension overhaul helped save taxpayers millions and turned around a system in financial free-fall. But a far more sober assessment of the future of the pension system is emerging in bond documents and administration estimates released last week, signaling that New Jersey taxpayers have not escaped the ballooning pension costs that the reform measures promised to control.

Vying for the Assembly Speaker Post: After two years of turmoil, some Democrats in the state Assembly are privately angling for the top leadership positions as Speaker Sheila Oliver’s first term draws to a close.

Christie’s Unfulfilled Campaign Promises to Cities: Nearly two years into his term, Gov. Chris Christie has fulfilled only one of his 11 policy promises for “bringing back New Jersey’s cities” and has not publicly prioritized the others.

School Choice Program Picking Up Steam: With 70 New Jersey school districts now opening their doors to outside students as part of the state’s Interdistrict Public School Choice program, nearly 2,000 students chose to leave their hometowns for their education this fall, according to preliminary figures from the state.

Public Schools Observe Hindu Holiday: On Wednesday, the South Brunswick school district will become the second in the state to close for the Hindu celebration of Diwali.

Controlling Insurance Costs: Health insurance carriers who serve individuals and small businesses in New Jersey may soon have to gain state approval before implementing rate increases.

Analyst Says Government Layoffs Are Necessary: New Jersey will have to continue to take its strong medicine by cutting government jobs while hoping the private sector recovers, an economist for a major forecasting firm said Friday.

Rutgers Nabs Stem Cell Grant: Rutgers University’s Cell and DNA Repository announced Friday that it has received a $1.2 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to study stem cells from people with mental illnesses.

- Beldini Trial: Former Jersey City deputy mayor Leona Beldini, in federal court yesterday on a bail hearing, has changed attorneys and requested an adjournment so her new attorneys can provide the court with a more complete picture of her health.

- Paul Sorvino: Actor Paul Sorvino was hit by a car as he tried hailing a taxi cab in New York City Friday, but will continue with his upcoming appearances at the Loew’s in Jersey City.

- West Bergen Library Branch Closed Temporarily: The West Bergen Branch library of the Jersey City Free Public Library will be closed to the public for the next two weeks for repairs after recent torrential rainstorms.

- Coptic Christians Hold JC Vigil: Demanding peace in their homeland, roughly 100 Coptic Christians gathered in Journal Square last night for a demonstration against the recent violence that has targeted the religious group in Egypt.

- Eric LeGrand in JC: With more than 100 Jersey City middle school students hanging on his every word, former Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand spoke yesterday for about 10 minutes about staying positive and not blaming yourself, or God, for misfortune.

- Tire Slashing Spree: Tires were slashed on 22 vehicles in a Heights neighborhood early yesterday morning.

Today’s Best Bets:

- J CITY Theater’s production of Race is back for the long weekend after a successful opening last weekend (8 pm), and Cecilia Celeste stops by to be the featured band at the weekly Tempest jam session at the Lamp Post (9:30 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Congressional Shuffle: Talk of racial and ethnic representation dominated testimony at the congressional redistricting commission’s second public hearing yesterday in Newark. MORE from NJ Spotlight.

- Christie & Romney: Gov. Chris Christie, who removed himself as a candidate for the White House just last week, has endorsed Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee for president. Meanwhile, the governor is riding high this week after his dalliance with a presidential run as his poll numbers are showing a robust increase in voter approval.

- Occupy Trenton: There are no marches, no chants, and no police presence at Occupy Trenton, a small but resolute offshoot of the anti-Wall Street protests that began last month in New York.

- NCLB & Tutoring: With all the talk of New Jersey and other states seeking waivers from the federal No Child Left Behind Act, one result could be an end to the growing reliance on outside tutoring firms for students in the lowest-performing schools.

- NJ Hall of Fame: The New Jersey Hall of Fame has announced its list of nominees, revealing that instead of the usual six people in each of five categories, there are now 10, for a total of 50 nominees, up from 30 last year.

- Guarini Pleads Guilty: John Guarini, one of the targets in the massive corruption and money laundering investigation that led to the biggest federal sting operation in New Jersey history, has admitted that he took $20,000 in cash from a federal informant to help green-light a development deal in Jersey City.

- Christ Hospital Explored Buying Hoboken University Medical Center: Before it was in the process of being sold to Prime Healthcare, Christ Hospital submitted a bid to purchase Hoboken University Medical Center in September 2010.

- Student Walkouts Planned in JC: To protest soaring tuition rates and “unforgivable student debt,” walk-outs are planned at both New Jersey City University and St. Peter’s College this afternoon.

- JC Man Involved in Nobel Research: A Jersey City resident and Rutgers assistant professor was a team member with two astronomers named as winners of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics.

Today’s Best Bet:

- There’s a panel discussion as part of Hudson County’s presentation of Sandra Swieder’s 9/11 photography exhibition, From Across the River, at the Courthouse (6 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Christie & the White House: Gov. Christie reshaped the American political landscape with one word Tuesday. He said “no” he would not run for president ending weeks of furious speculation that he would enter the Republican primary field. Meanwhile, his announcement marks the unofficial beginning of the 2013 race for governor — and the 2016 race for president. And lastly, NJTV is drawing some flak for not covering Christie’s midday press conference live.

- Energy Master Plan: The Christie administration is not yet done tinkering with its draft Energy Master Plan, saying it will come out with recommendations later this month, including options for scaling back a surcharge on gas and electric bills that finances most of the state’s clean energy programs.

- Manzo Looks to Have Corruption Charges Tossed: The attorney for former Jersey City Assemblyman and failed mayoral candidate Lou Manzo argues in a motion filed in federal court yesterday that all corruption charges against him should be dismissed.

- Heights Killing: The Jersey City man accused of strangling his wife and encasing her body in concrete inside a 55-gallon drum was calm and soft-spoken when he made his first court appearance on murder charges yesterday.

- Parking Authority Protest: Roughly a dozen fed up Heights residents and business owners picketed last night in front of the Jersey City Parking Authority’s headquarters, protesting parking stations they say often don’t work and are aiding a ticket blitz on the part of the authority.

- Stack in Trouble? A committee that oversees ethics in the Legislature has voted to take a look at whether state Sen. Brian Stack improperly used a legislative aide as a spokesman for Union City, where he is also mayor.

- Postal Workers Protest in JSQ: Hundreds of U.S. Postal Service workers rallied in Journal Square yesterday afternoon to support federal legislation they say will put the ailing agency in the black and spare jobs.

- Rape Case: Yesterday’s opening statements made it clear that DNA evidence will play a key role in the trial of a Kearny mechanic facing up to life in prison on charges he raped women in Jersey City, North Bergen and Newark in 2005.

Today’s Best Bets:

- Ensemble Chaconne performs a free afternoon concert as part of the Music@1 Series at NJCU (1 pm), while St. Peter’s College hosts an opening reception for its first-ever group photography show, Through the Lens (6:30 pm). At the Lamp Post, the Hudson County Clerk’s office presents a fundraising night to fight breast cancer from 5:30 to 9 pm; after that, the weekly Tempest Jam Session takes over, with special guest JuneStar.

In Statewide News:

- Christie in Cali: Standing before an exuberant crowd of the conservative elite, Gov. Christie lashed out at President Obama last night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, sounding every bit like a candidate polishing his stump speech. But when asked later whether he was running for president his answer was artful, not direct — and not what many of the crowd of Republican faithful seemed to want to hear. They groaned at his response. He never said, “Yes I’m running,” and he never said, “No I’m not.”

- School Funding Formula: Lawyers for 16 poor rural districts — virtually all in South Jersey — have gone back to the state appeals court to contend that they, too, are entitled to full funding under the state’s school funding law.

- No Toll Hikes Planned for Turnpike, Parkway: A slow economy and harsh weather drove a drop in toll collections on the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, but the gap won’t be plugged with more tolls, according to Turnpike Authority Chairman James S. Simpson.

- Smart Growth Changes Afoot? The state is thinking about revamping its policies dealing with what projects receive financial incentives to reduce energy use in buildings, a change smart growth advocates fear will lead to further sprawl and loss of open space.

- ‘Sexting’: New Jersey teenagers caught texting sexually explicit photos or posting them online can avoid prosecution under a new law Gov. Christie signed this week.

- Murder Suspect Arrested: A 19-year-old Jersey City man on the run since July when he allegedly killed a man with three gunshots to the back was arrested yesterday in a Grant Avenue building during an early morning raid by city, county and federal law enforcement.

- Any Day Parade: The much-loved and now defunct Jersey City band played a special semi-private reunion gig Friday night at 58 Gallery; Dislocations was there.

- Elwell Trial: Lawyers for former Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, who was convicted by a jury in July on a bribery charge, argued in federal court in Newark yesterday that he should be acquitted of that charge or be afforded a new trial because of prosecutorial misconduct and other issues.

- Pit Bull Shooting: The Jersey City man whose dog was shot dead by police when it allegedly lunged at an officer Sunday in the Heights was ordered held without bail when he made his first appearance on the charges yesterday.

Today’s Best Bets:

- There’s a free screening of the documentary Talking Through Walls at St. Peter’s College (6 pm); the Just Add Laughs comedy open mic night at Made with Love (7 pm); and live music from Jim Testa and the Milwaukees’ Dylan Clark at Lucky 7′s (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Disability Pensions: Some officials say that a wave of disability pensions for police and firefighters has swelled since the state Supreme Court loosened standards for the cases in 2007 and 2008 decisions. If nothing is done to stem the tide, they could destabilize the pensions for police and firefighters despite recent reforms.

- Environment: A state Senate panel yesterday took a step toward blocking the Christie administration’s controversial plan to allow businesses, towns and residents to bypass state environmental regulations.

- Teacher Tenure: The Democrats’ leading bill to change teacher tenure in New Jersey is unlikely to get another public viewing until after the election, but its chief sponsor has begun a series of private meetings to fine-tune and amend the controversial measure.

- Christie’s Ethics Bills: Gov. Christie is urging the Democratic-controlled Legislature to act on ethics legislation he has proposed last September.

- School Lunch Scandal in Elizabeth: The president of the Elizabeth Board of Education and the spouses of two other school officials were arrested yesterday on charges of cheating the federal school lunch program to get free or reduced-cost meals for their children — in one case for six years.

- Sunshine Law: The Senate is pushing a revamped bill to overhaul the state Sunshine Law, key lawmakers say.

- Prostitution: A Senate panel has approved a bill that would automatically spare minors from criminal prosecution if they’re caught engaging in prostitution.

- Webb-Washington Indicted: Jersey City housing activist and former City Council candidate LaVern Webb-Washington was indicted yesterday for defrauding her campaign fund in connection with money provided to her by government cooperating witness Solomon Dwek in exchange for her future official assistance.

- Gatti Murdered? Private investigators and a panel of experts didn’t pull punches yesterday in presenting the results of a 10-month probe into the death of boxing champ Arturo Gatti that they say prove the fighter was murdered.

- Empty Sky Memorial: There was a media tour yesterday of the 9/11 memorial in Liberty State Park, which will be officially dedicated Saturday.

- Marc Anthony at Newport: Grammy-winner Marc Anthony launched his clothing line yesterday morning at Kohl’s department store inside Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City.

- Water Main Break: Some 50 customers in Jersey City lost water service yesterday when a 12-inch water main broke on Communipaw Avenue.

Today’s Best Bets:

- There are three worthy art openings tonight: NYC-JC Suites hosts the opening reception for The BIG BIG BIG Show, by Norwegian artist Unni Askeland (6 pm); Kirland Bray’s solo show of new paintings, Gatherings, launches at 58 Gallery (7 pm); and Made with Love hosts the opening of Most of Who We Are, a new solo show by Wendy Weber Eaton, with Glen Coleman playing guitar during the reception (7 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Christie, Oliver & the Pension/Benefits Deal: Newly leaked audio reveals that Gov. Christie says he agreed to help Assembly speaker Sheila Oliver remain in power for help passing public employee benefits overhaul. But Oliver says Christie is “mentally deranged” and accused him of telling a “blatant lie” about her at the closed-door Colorado retreat organized by wealthy conservative businessmen.

- Education: The U. S. Department of Education has announced a third round of “Race to the Top” grants on Wednesday for previous finalists, including New Jersey. State education officials say they plan on applying again.

- Christie, the Koch Brothers & Environmental Initiatives: Months before Gov. Christie announced the state was withdrawing from a pact aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions among 10 Northeastern states, he met with one of the billionaire oil industry brothers who have fought to end regional greenhouse gas initiatives. Now environmentalists and liberals are holding up that meeting and a closed-door seminar in June hosted by brothers David and Charles Koch, in which Christie was the keynote speaker, as evidence of their claims that Christie is influenced by big oil.

- Transportation: The New Jersey Turnpike Authority voted yesterday to redirect $1.25 billion from the canceled New Jersey-New York commuter rail tunnel to local road and bridge projects over the next five years.

- Smuggled Smokes: About 40 percent of all cigarettes smoked in New Jersey are smuggled into the state illegally — the highest percentage of any state in the nation — resulting in a loss of more than $500 million in uncollected tax revenue each year, according to a report obtained by The Star-Ledger.

- Irene’s Cost to the Turnpike Authority: Tropical Storm Irene has so far cost the New Jersey Turnpike Authority at least $6.3 million in labor, lost revenue, and other expenses.

- Gas Pipelines: The Christie administration’s aggressive effort to expand the state’s system of natural gas pipelines is posing uncomfortable policy decisions for the agencies overseeing that effort.

- Carl Lewis: District Court Judge Noel Hillman has ruled that 8th District Senate candidate Carl Lewis is ineligible to appear on the November ballot.

- Christie’s National Profile: Gov. Christie has been elected vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association, a group that raises money to support GOP candidates in Statehouse around the country.

- Candidate Filing Deadline Mixup: Candidates hoping to run this November for two vacant At-Large seats on the City Council were scrambling yesterday after they learned the deadline to submit petitions was yesterday and not next week as they had originally been told.

- Toll Hikes to Hit Buses as Well: Bus companies are facing higher costs when new tolls take effect at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Hudson River crossings on September 18.

- Living Wage Bill: Hudson County’s freeholders intend to update the county’s living-wage ordinance to make it apply to part-time workers who work for vendors doing business with the county.

- Motorcyclist Dies in Crash: A 41-year-old Roselle man was killed just before midnight Monday when he crashed his motorcycle into a divider on Tonnelle Avenue near Charlotte Circle in Jersey City and was thrown 103 feet.

- Former County Worker Pleads Guilty to Extortion: A Bayonne man who worked as a Hudson County welfare administrator pleaded guilty to attempted extortion in federal court yesterday after he admitted demanding cash from welfare recipients in exchange for not cutting off their benefits.

- Shooting: An 18-year-old Jersey City man was shot in the leg in a ride-by shooting on Grant Avenue early yesterday morning.

Today’s Best Bets:

- The Iron Monkey kicks off a three-day beer event featuring two west coast breweries — Stone and Rogue, while the Tempest Jam Session is at the Lamp Post.

In Statewide News:

- Congressional Redistricting: New Jersey’s population did not grow fast enough in proportion to states in the South and West, according to the latest Census, so the state is losing one of its 13 seats in the House of Representatives. The process of redrawing the districts began yesterday with a short meeting. MORE from NJ Spotlight and Politicker.

- FEMA Claims: More than 15,000 New Jersey residents have already filed claims with the Federal Emergency Management Agency seeking help paying for damage from Hurricane Irene.

- Shellfish Beds Reopened: State environmental officials Tuesday reopened most of the shellfish beds along the New Jersey coast line after tests showed no health risk in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

- State Legislative Elections: Labor Day weekend, the unofficial opening of campaign season, has come and gone. This year, the main event of the November elections is the Legislature, where all 120 seats are up for grabs. While voter turnout is expected to be low, much may be at stake.

- Transportation Projects: More than 1,900 highway and transit projects in New Jersey could be stopped and nearly 23,000 people put out of work if Congress does not approve an extension of the federal transportation funding system this month, the White House said Tuesday.

- Special Council Election: The Insider takes a look at who’s running so far for the two At-Large City Council seats up for grab this fall, and profiles one of them: Imtiaz Sayed.

- Homeless Man Found Dead: The body of a 34-year-old homeless man was found Saturday in the cliffs near Manhattan Avenue off Paterson Plank Road in Jersey City.

- Bergen Avenue Manhunt: Searching for the suspect in a shooting, Jersey City cops surrounded and entered an apartment building at Bergen Avenue and Stegman Street yesterday afternoon but left the building empty-handed.

- Reality Show Coming to Downtown JC: French reality television show Angels of Reality is coming to Jersey City for its third season, thanks to a last-minute lease brokered by two Keller Williams agents. The show, which takes a group of reality TV stars and puts them up in a “dream house” as they pursue careers in the entertainment industry, signed a six-week lease on a home at 361 First Street in the historic downtown section for $60,000.

- Corruption: Some 33 of the 46 defendants initially charged in Operation Bid Rig III have been convicted by a jury or by a plea, two have been acquitted, one died shortly after his arrest, one saw charges against him dropped and one remains a fugitive. Only eight of the defendants — four of them from Hudson County — still have cases pending.

- Hefty Prison Sentence for Murder: The Jersey City man convicted in June of the brutal 2008 murder of a friend was sentenced to more than 31 years in prison Friday in a Jersey City courtroom.

- Accident at Metal Recycling Firm: Hundreds of tons of steel and iron fell from a shipping crane Sunday at Sims Metal Management, with some of the metal landing in waters that lead into the Upper New York Bay.

- Duncan Projects Reunion: Hip-hop stars Biz Markie and Doug E. Fresh were among the people who attended an informal reunion this weekend of those who used to live in the now-demolished A. Harry Moore Housing Complex, aka the Duncan Projects.

- West Nile Virus: The number of mosquitoes that have tested positive as carriers of West Nile virus has plummeted by 75 percent in Hudson County.

- Crime Prevention & Fashion: It’s not often a crime prevention meeting is paired with a fashion show, but that’s what took place Saturday as the members of the Communipaw Avenue Block Association played host to an event at Ercel Webb Park that drew roughly 70 people.

Today’s Best Bet:

- Newport hosts an Indian Independence Day celebration this afternoon (5 pm) if the rain holds off. UPDATE, 9:56 AM: This has been postponed due to weather; it is now slated for Tuesday, same time.

In Statewide News:

- Businesses & Biz Groups Thank Christie with Cash: Corporations, executives and related political action committees have opened up their wallets to the major state Republican committees the past 18 months, helping end the Democratic Party’s long fundraising dominance heading into the fall legislative elections.

- State Police & Minorities: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, which settled discrimination claims with the State Police in 2000 to force greater minority recruitment, says it will return to court to argue the state has given only lip service to the problem.

- Recall Effort Targets Christie: Gov. Christie could face a recall election in 2012, if activists are able to obtain the signatures of at least 1,317,000 of New Jersey’s 5.27 million registered voters — or 25 percent of them.

- Small Brewers Hope Bill Will Loosen Restrictions: A bill proposed in the Legislature would revamp the rules governing brewpubs — any restaurant that brews its own beer — and microbreweries, stand-alone beer producers working on a smaller scale than the major companies.

- Mortgage Fraud: New Jersey was among the top states for mortgage fraud last year, the FBI said Friday.

- Spectra Pipeline: Nearly a year after local residents and elected officials in Hudson County began organizing in opposition to a proposed natural gas pipeline that, if approved, will run under parts of Hudson County, residents across the Hudson River in NYC are starting to take notice.

- Shooting Death: A 21-year-old Jersey City man died early Saturday after he was shot in the back near Ocean and Winfield avenues.

- Elwell Trial: Pointing to an outspoken juror who they say clearly “misunderstood or misapplied the law,” the lawyers for former Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell filed papers in federal court Friday seeking to overturn the mayor’s recent bribery conviction.

- Apparent Suicide: Authorities have identified the man found dead in a car Thursday night on Wales Avenue as a 23-year-old city resident whose death is being ruled a suicide.

- Eliu Rivera: The Hudson County freeholder is in his “last hurrah” phase due to deteriorating health, the Insider notes.

- Fire: Pulled from a burning building yesterday morning in Jersey City, a 5-year-old girl and her 54-year-old grandmother were in critical condition last night at the Burn Center at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.

Today’s Best Bet:

- Con Vivo Music presents a free performance of classical era music played on gut strings this evening at St. Paul’s Church near Journal Square (7 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Labor: Gov. Christie says contract talks with the Communications Workers of America, New Jersey’s largest public worker union, are continuing at a slow pace.

- Food Deserts: Stranded in “food deserts,” hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents lack access to healthy, fresh food.

- Data Centers: As more and more of our information is digitized and our attention spans are consumed with services like live-streaming video, social media websites and online gaming, the need for a place to store it all is only rising. National companies are increasingly choosing New Jersey to expand their data center operations.

- HudCo Judge Sues State Over Pension/Benefit Changes: Calling the state’s new pension and health benefits increases for employees unconstitutional, a Superior Court judge in Hudson County is suing the state in an attempt to get the hikes voided for all judges.

- Prisoner Re-entry Program: As part of a program to reintroduce prisoners nearing their release dates back into society, 10 inmates from the Garden State County Correctional Facility in Mercer County will be spending the next two weeks cleaning up the shoreline at Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

- Working Outdoors in the Heat: The Journal talks to some folks who have to work outside about how they are coping with the heat wave.

- Dog Killed in Argument: A dog was killed by a shotgun blast on a Jersey City street Wednesday night after an argument between the gunman and dog owner.

- Church Turns 100: St. Ann Roman Catholic Church, at the corner of St. Paul’s and Tonnelle avenues in Jersey City, turns 100 this Sunday and will be marking the occasion at its 10:30 mass.

In Statewide News:

- Clean Energy: With hearings scheduled to begin next week on a revamped draft energy master plan, clean energy advocates and a prominent lawmaker yesterday called for increasing New Jersey’s efforts to promote solar power and energy efficiency, rather than scale back those goals.

- State Budget: For the second year in a row, Gov. Christie’s budget cuts will reach into the state’s courthouses to the tune of $25 million, forcing judges and their staffs to tighten their belts and delay plans for modernization.

- Special Education: New Jersey’s oversight of local special education programs — ever a complex and contentious topic — won some praise but also received warnings from federal monitors in a new compliance report.