- Bill Would Seek Sewer Overflow Notification: The leader of the state Senate’s environment committee says he will introduce legislation that would require cities and towns to tell residents when outdated sewer systems overflow and spill a dangerous brew of raw waste into waterways in Jersey City and elsewhere.

- Webb-Washington Pleads Not Guilty to Fraud: Longtime housing activist and 2009 City Council candidate LaVern Webb-Washington has pleaded not guilty to new fraud charges.

- JCPD Abuse? The Journal has obtained a video of the arrest of a Jersey City man who says he was punched in the groin and choked by officers while he was handcuffed.

- Library Assistant Director Stepping Down: After 56 years with the Jersey City Free Public Library, Dennis Hayes is set to retire on Saturday.

- St. Peter’s College: This year’s freshman enrollment is lower than expected, according to the student newspaper.

- HCCC & Poland Trip: Hudson County Freeholder Chairman Bill O’Dea says he is “satisfied” with Hudson County Community College president Dr. Glen Gabert’s $1,500 donation to the college in response to his inquiries into the nature of the trip.

- Crime Blotter: Jersey City police officers trying to break up a fight between three men near Lincoln Park say they were attacked by one of the men.

Today’s Best Bets:

- The “Summer Jam” fundraiser for the Jersey City Free Public Library is at O’Hara’s (5 pm). LITM hosts a closing party for Megan Gulick’s Year of the Rabid, which will also feature a screening of a video made during Gulick’s latest mural work on Newark Avenue (7 pm). If you’re looking to perform, check out Uptown Crew’s open mic at Moore’s (8 pm), or the newly reinstated live-band karaoke at Zeppelin Hall (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Irene Aid: More than 54,000 residents across New Jersey struggling to recover from Hurricane Irene have shared in $116 million in federal disaster aid, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno announced yesterday.

- Offshore Wind Developer Seeks $100M in Tax Credits: The developer of an offshore wind transmission system is seeking to qualify for $100 million in tax credits offered under a New Jersey law aimed at luring manufacturers of offshore wind turbines to the area.

- Is ‘Divided Government’ Really Working? Gov. Christie’s talk of “divided government that is working in New Jersey” is playing well nationally right now as Washington, D.C. is stuck in partisan gridlock and Republicans struggle to find consensus on a 2012 presidential candidate. A closer look at New Jersey, however, shows a state that also suffers from partisan rancor, and one that is still struggling with soaring property taxes, high unemployment and substandard government ethics rules two years after Christie stressed those issues during his 2009 campaign.

- Charter Schools: Citing possible conflicts of interest on the part of volunteer reviewers who helped select new charter schools, a New Jersey state senator has filed a legal challenge to force the state Department of Education to turn over the reviewers’ names.

- Pension/Benefit Suit: A group of state employees challenging the constitutionality of New Jersey’s new law covering pension and health benefits wants to combine their lawsuit to one brought by a Superior Court judge.

- State Officials’ Pay: Republican leaders, including Gov. Christie, will block pay raises for lawmakers, judges, cabinet members and other high-level officials by refusing to appoint members to a review board.

- Same-Sex Couples: There’s been an explosion of growth in the number of same-sex couples living together in New Jersey over the last decade, new Census data shows. But while the recent boom has been dramatic, the U.S. Census Bureau says a statistical snafu inflated earlier totals, and there are actually fewer gay and lesbian couples living together in the Garden State than previously estimated.

- Higher Education: In an unusual move, Seton Hall University will reduce its tuition by more than $21,000 next year for incoming freshmen who have high SAT scores and graduate in the top 10 percent of their class.

- 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.

- JCFD Member Wins Golf Tourney: The 39-year-old Jersey City firefighter Kevin McSorley has won the NJSGA Mid-Amateur golf championship.

- Bus Driver Arrested: A Jersey City woman and private school bus driver was arrested Thursday afternoon and charged with driving while intoxicated as she was on her way to pick up developmentally disabled children in Montclair.

In Statewide News:

- Carl Lewis: A federal appeals court has ordered that Olympic track and field star Carl Lewis be included on the ballot for the June Democratic primary.

- Weatherization Program: The state Division of Criminal Justice has opened an investigation into the actions of a nonprofit agency given a lucrative contract to help New Jersey weatherize homes.

- Biz Contributions to Unemployment Fund: An Assembly committee advanced legislation Thursday that would slow a looming increase, as well as future decreases, in taxes paid by businesses into the state’s unemployment fund.

- Tolls: Could border wars break out over New Jersey’s plan to end off-peak discounts for Turnpike drivers who bought their E-ZPass out of state? Some folks seem to think so.

- State Parks: Within the next month or so, the Christie administration is expected to unveil a long-term steady source of funding for New Jersey’s 39 state parks. Environmental groups worry that it will include privatization measures.

- Photographing Children: Some parents are pushing for passage of a state Assembly bill that would make it a third-degree crime to photograph or videotape a child without a parent’s consent.

They were summoned to the chambers of U.S. District Judge Jose Linares to find out the status of corruption charges leveled against them after they were arrested in July 2009 as a part of a sweeping corruption probe that nabbed 46 government officials and religious leaders for allegedly taking bribes from government informant Solomon Dwek.

Specifically, Linares wanted to find out how government lawyers would continue their prosecution of the Manzos, but the hearing was canceled when the judge was informed that federal attorneys will appeal the February decision by the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals upholding Linares’ initial dismissal of extortion charges against the brothers.

Linares’ ruling said that the Manzos could not be charged under the Hobbs Act, a federal law barring government officials from using their positions to obtain payments, since they held no office at the time of their alleged bribe-taking. Lou Manzo was running for mayor at the time, and Ron was serving as a campaign adviser.

The Manzos were not the only ones trying to change their legal status. Former City Council candidates Jimmy King, Lori Serrano and LaVern Webb-Washington — who all ran, unsuccessfully, on Manzo’s mayoral ticket in the May 2009 municipal election ––were also in court Wednesday. King plead guilty in September to accepting two $5,000 cash payments while Washington plead guilty in October to accepting $15,000 in bribes.

King and Washington were interested in seeing if their respective legal situations would change in any way such as their convictions being overturned. Serrano has not entered a plea and was seeking to also have her case dismissed.

Now, all five defendants will have to wait months as federal attorneys will pursue an “en banc” hearing of all 14 judges in the Third Circuit of Appeals system to see if they will reverse the three-judge panel upholding Linares’ ruling, and allow for a rehearing of their appeal. Linares, who did appear in the courtroom when the hearing was canceled, has given government lawyers until April 4 to file paperwork necessary for the en banc hearing.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not comment about the cancelled hearing and their future legal moves.

After the hearing was canceled, as Manzo sat on a bench outside the courtroom, he could only smile and accept his fate – a long wait.

“I think it’s part of the government wearing you down,” he said, adding that he believed that the government is doing this to get him and his brother to eventually plead guilty.

Manzo was relishing the thought of getting the case thrown out against him and his brother, and then challenging the government for their prosecution of a number of defendants in this case. In particular, he would like to see a special prosecutor look into why the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office was allowed to engage in “misconduct” that Manzo claims went on during the sting.

The offenses Manzo cites include allegedly informing the U.S Attorney’s Office in D.C. that all the officials arrested in the probe were elected officials when local prosecutors knew they weren’t; using taxpayer money to influence elections when Dwek purchased tickets for political events during the 2009 election; and that several of the prosecutors did not recuse themselves from the corruption probe, even though they contributed to the 2009 campaign of their boss, former lead U.S. Attorney for New Jersey and now-Governor Chris Christie.

Serrano’s goals are much simpler than Manzo’s. The mother of two children, who had been working for the city’s Board of Education before she was arrested, just wants to have the legal cloud hanging over her removed so she can return to normal life.

“Put yourself in my footsteps; what do you think I want to see happen?” she said. “The best possible scenario.”

- Bus Service: The Bergen Avenue Bus Owners Association and NJ Transit are playing the blame game over delays and malfunctioning buses. But while they do, Jersey City riders are left out in the cold.

- LaVern Webb-Washington: While the housing activist and former City Council candidate remains in legal limbo in relation to her guilty plea on corruption charges, she continues to distribute coats, winter boots and long johns to the needy.

- Lack of Dissent on the Port Authority Board: Despite being appointed by governors of different states and different parties, Port Authority commissioners rarely air any differences in public meetings as they vote on items. Current and former commissioners say that while there are often differences that must be ironed out, the real decision-making process occurs largely out of public view, with much of the board’s real authority in the hands of a select few.

- 9/11 Workers’ Settlement: More than 95 percent of workers who sued after being exposed to the toxic dust that blanketed Lower Manhattan after the World Trade Center fell have joined a legal settlement that will pay more than 10,000 of them hundreds of millions of dollars.

- Teen Shot: A 19-year-old Jersey City man was left in “extremely critical condition” after he was shot in his hip and buttocks early Saturday morning in Greenville.

- Next for Schundler: The former Jersey City mayor says he doesn’t plan on running for elected office after being forced to step down as the state’s education commissioner — “I need to make some money now,” he tells the Record.

- Japanese Developers Tour Newport: A delegation of 16 Japanese developers toured Newport last week to get ideas on how to successfully develop residential and commercial properties around a railroad station.

- Man Charged in Scam: Jersey City police have arrested a 39-year-old city man who they say has been posing as a Jersey City cop and hitting up businesses along Tonnelle Avenue for bogus donations to the police department

- Reality TV in JC: Rosie O’Donnell came to Jersey City Friday to film for an appearance on Lisa Kudrow’s reality show about genealogy, Who Do You Think You Are?

- ‘Bait and Hook’: The JCPD says it recently busted 21 hookers and 13 johns as part of a “Bait and Hook,” a prostitution crackdown operation that focused on the area of Tonnelle Avenue in the Heights.

- Bible Reading in Council Chambers: The Rev. John Bernard Wingate, the new pastor of St. John’s AME Church, will host a public reading of the Bible in City Hall’s council chambers today at noon, as part of National Bible Week.

In Statewide News:

- Transportation Trust Fund: With the debate about building a second Hudson River rail tunnel over, Christie administration officials now face a bigger and more far-reaching issue: how to renew the state’s Transportation Trust Fund, which pays for road, bridge and transit projects and runs out of cash in 2011.

- Corporate Lobbying & the League of Municipalities Convention: As usual, a good number of New Jersey companies threw lavish parties for the thousands of municipal, county and state officials who gathered in Atlantic City last week for the League of Municipalities convention.

- NJN: For more than eight hours Friday, a group of 40 high-powered political and civic leaders listened to journalists and academics sketch out a series of options to strengthen New Jersey’s public media programs. MORE from the Wall Street Journal.

- Education: The latest casualty of the Christie administration’s cuts to education funding: a program offering scholarships to employees of preschools in New Jersey’s poorest districts will soon end after its funding was cut.

- Family Planning $: State lawmakers will today again consider legislation that would restore most state funding for family planning services.

- Wind Power: The developers behind the East Coast’s largest — and only — offshore-wind electric grid say they want to launch the $5 billion project off the coast of Atlantic City.

- Bicycle Infrastructure: Newark, not Jersey City, will receive the state’s first protected bicycle lane.

- Corruption Sentencing for Van Pelt: Former state Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for accepting a $10,000 bribe from a crooked developer.

- Xanadu: State officials say at least four suitors remain at the table in a possible redevelopment deal for the long-stalled Xanadu complex in the Meadowlands — which could include the nearby Izod Center arena.

- Digital Health Records: Only 20 percent of physicians in New Jersey have incorporated electronic medical records into their daily practice, compared to nearly 30 percent nationally. Under federal health care reform, doctors must convert to electronic records by 2015, or the federal government will withhold some of the money it reimburses them for treating Medicare and Medicaid patients.

The process of bringing the accused to trial has progressed slowly throughout the last year; a year that has brought resignation, death, court and prison to some of those who were charged. Here’s an update on everyone from Jersey City caught up in the probe.

IN PRISON

Guy Catrillo

Catrillo, a former staffer in Mayor’s Action Bureau who in the spring of 2009 was Mayor Healy’s candidate to run against Ward E councilman Steven Fulop, was the first of those arrested to be sent to prison after pleading guilty last September to taking $15,000 in bribes. Today the 55-year-old longtime Jersey City resident is serving a sentence at the The Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, where he is known as Inmate 30121-050. He has a projected release date of July 5, 2011.

Phil Kenny

The former Ward B councilman was not among the Jersey City officials arrested in July of 2009, but he pleaded guilty in October 2009 to accepting $5,000 in bribes. On May 5 of this year, Kenny was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison and two years probation. He is serving his sentence as Inmate 30258-050 at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His projected release date is May 4, 2011.

IN LIMBO

Leona Beldini

The former deputy mayor, who was Mayor Healy’s campaign treasurer for the 2009 election, is so far the only person arrested to go to trial. On February 11 of this year, she was found guilty on two counts of accepting $20,000 worth of illegal campaign contributions. On June 14, Beldini was sentenced to three years in prison and forced to pay a $30,000 fine. That same month, her attorneys filed an appeal of the sentencing.

Lou and Ron Manzo

In the spring of 2009, former Assemblyman and perennial mayoral candidate Lou Manzo was taking another run at the city’s top office. He was arrested in the July sweep and corruption charges were brought against him and his brother Ron; together they were charged with accepting $27,500 in bribes. But in May, a federal judge ruled that the Manzos couldn’t be charged under the Hobbs Act — the federal law that governs many public corruption cases — because the law only applies to public officials. Both Manzos was considered a private citizen at the time. The government is currently appealing the judge’s ruling. Meanwhile, Ron Manzo is also set to stand trial as a codefendant in the government’s case against former Secaucus mayor Dennis Elwell. That trial has a scheduled start date of February 1, 2011.

LaVern Webb-Washington

The low-income housing activist, who unsuccessfully challenged Viola Richardson for the Ward F City Council seat in 2009, pleaded guilty last October to accepting $15,000 in bribes. She was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison on March 18 of this year. But a federal judge indefinitely postponed the beginning of her sentence — initially set for June 7 — in the wake of his ruling on the Hobbs Act and the Manzo brothers.

Jimmy King

The former head of the Jersey City Parking Authority, who ran unsuccessfully for the Ward C City Council seat in 2009, pleaded guilty last September to accepting $10,000 in bribes. On June 13 of this year, King’s sentencing was postponed, pending the outcome of Lou Manzo’s appeal.

Maher Khalil

The former deputy director of the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services pleaded guilty last September to accepting $30,000 in bribes. His sentencing date is pending.

Michael Manzo

The former arson investigator with the Jersey City Fire Department, who was running for the City Council’s Ward B seat in the spring of 2009, pleaded guilty last December to accepting $5,000 in bribes. His sentencing date is pending.

Edward Cheatam

The former Housing Authority commissioner and Board of Education vice president pleaded guilty on September 20, 2009 to corruption charges. In his plea, Cheatam said he took $70,000 and funneled $15,000 to the re-election campaign of Mayor Healy. His sentencing date is pending.

AWAITING TRIAL

Mariano Vega*

The former council president, who “stepped aside” to become an At-Large councilman after the corruption arrest, has maintained his innocence from the get-go, and he officially pleaded not guilty in January to the charge that he’d accepted $30,000 in bribes. He and his attorneys will get to make their case in court when his trial starts on October 12.

L. Harvey Smith

The trial of the former state Assemblyman, Jersey City councilman and unsuccessful 2009 mayoral candidate on charges he accepted $15,000 in bribes is set to begin November 22.

Joe Cardwell

The political operative, who pleaded not guilty in January to charges he accepted $30,000 in bribes, is set to stand trial beginning on November 8.

Lori Serrano

The former board member and chairwoman of the Jersey City Housing Authority, who ran unsuccessfully for an At-Large City Council seat in 2009, pleaded not guilty last December to accepting
$10,000 in bribes. On February 18 of this year, a grand jury brought new mail fraud charges against Serrano for not reporting the $10,000 in bribes she allegedly took during the 2009 campaign. Her trial has not yet been scheduled.

John Guarini

The former Jersey City housing inspector pleaded not guilty in January to charges he’d accepted $40,000 in bribes. In May, his attorney tried to have the charges against Guarini tossed out, but a federal judge declined to do so. His trial has not yet been scheduled.

ARRESTED BUT NOT INDICTED

Joseph Castagna

Castagna, a former city health officer, was arrested on charges of accepting a $5,000 bribe to pass along to political candidate Michael Manzo. Castagna was suspended from his position after his arrest. In late August of last year, it was revealed that Castagna also faced a probe from the city’s police department for possibly issuing more food vendor licenses than allowed by law. In light of all the charges, Castagna retired from his position and his request to receive early retirement benefits was approved pending the outcome of the police investigation.

Richard Greene

Greene, a former aide to L. Harvey Smith, was arrested on charges of accepting a $5,000 bribe to pass along to then-mayoral candidate Smith.

NO LONGER HERE

Jack Shaw

Longtime Jersey City political operative Jack Shaw was found dead in his Paulus Hook apartment just 5 days after being arrested on charges he’d accepted $10,000 in bribes. An autopsy later revealed that Shaw died of a valium overdose, but it did not answer the question of whether or not Shaw took his own life.

- City Offices Closed, No Street Sweeping Today: Remember, city offices are also closed for the holiday, and alternate side parking rules are not being enforced. Garbage pickup will continue as normal this evening.

- Webb-Washington to Seek New Trial: Former Ward F City Council candidate LaVern Webb-Washington has filed notice that she will seek a new trial on federal corruption charges, due to a recent ruling by a federal judge that threw out similar charges against Lou and Ron Manzo.

- Mainor’s New Organization: Freshman Assemblyman Charles Mainor is building a new civic and political organization with many influential black — and non-black — residents. “We want to tackle those issues that confront us — that need to be addressed,” Mainor tells the Insider. “Ideas and help should come from not just the black community. This is why this organization will welcome anyone with ideas. I don’t care if they are black, white or purple.” It’s been rumored that Mainor is considering a run at the mayor’s office in 2013, though he denies the rumor to the Insider.

- Fulop Reflects on the Past Year: Ward E councilman Steven Fulop discusses the tumultuous year that’s passed since he was re-elected last May with the Reporter. “The city, under the Healy administration, could have seen changes in government to make it run better,” he says. “With the July 23 corruption scandal, with Governor Christie cutting state aid, and the people coming to the council meetings, the city could have made the necessary cuts in government, but that didn’t happen, which is disappointing.”

- Body Thought to be Carjacking Victim Found: A South Jersey farmer made a grisly discovery early Sunday that led investigators to what they believe is the body of Martin Caballero, the 47-year-old Hudson County resident missing since May 21 after he was allegedly carjacked outside an Atlantic City casino. Caballero was a manager at the Jersey City Stop & Shop on Central Avenue.

- Click It or Ticket: The Hudson County Sheriff’s Office says it has issued nearly 400 tickets during the first five days of the statewide Click It or Ticket campaign to enforce seat belt use and educate drivers on the dangers of failure to use them.

- Cartoonists Descend on JC: The National Cartoonists Society’s 64th Annual Reuben Awards dinner was held Saturday night at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City in New Jersey. Here’s the full list of winners.

- JC Man Accused of Running Prostitution Ring: Police have arrested a 42-year-old Jersey City man accused of running a large-scale prostitution organization throughout Bergen and Rockland counties.

In Statewide News:

- Budget Clock is Ticking: Gov. Christie and state lawmakers have just one month remaining to come to a budget agreement, and the deal is “far from sealed,” according to the Record. If the spending plan isn’t approved by July 1, state government will shut down for the second time since 2006. However, the AP reports that both sides expect to have a deal done in time.

- Fighting Distracted Driving: Despite New Jersey’s tough laws against using cellphones and other devices while driving, legislators and law enforcement officials concede they have a long way to go to change behaviors.

- The Tea Partiers and the Primary: The Record‘s Herb Jackson says the conservative tea party movement is the “wild card” in next week’s Congressional primaries.

- Credit Checks and Job Hunting: Two state legislators have introduced bills that would make it illegal in most cases for an employer to inquire about a job applicant’s credit history. The legislation is opposed by a leading business trade group, which says it would restrict an employer’s autonomy.

- Seniors Worried About Rebate Cuts: New Jersey’s senior citizens are speaking out about the massive pending cuts to the state’s property tax rebate program.

- Saving Bus Routes: County executive Tom DeGise says the county Transportation Management Association (TMA) wants the bus route within Liberty State Park to become a weekend-only service, rather than being eliminated. He also wants more time to negotiate with a private carrier to service the route that runs between the Grove Street PATH station and Port Liberte. Both bus lines are set to cease service in the next few days as part of the NJ Transit fare hikes/service cuts package.

- Freeholder $$ Might Not be Enough to Keep Sports: Even if the Hudson County freeholders appropriates $150,000 for sports at its two high schools, athletes could still find themselves without teams to play on, according to the district’s superintendent. Meanwhile, the superintendent also admitted to the freeholders last night that an athlete was recruited to play for County Prep — a violation of New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association rules.

- Bails Set for Murder Suspects: Bail has been set at $750,000 cash only for each of four men charged in the murder of a 25-year-old Jersey City man who was shot in the head on Friday and died Sunday.

- Red Bull Air Race Gets Ready: The Red Bull Air Race, set to happen over the New York Harbor next month, officially kicked off with a press event yesterday in Times Square.

- Datapipe Up for Service Award: Jersey City-based hosting/IT firm Datapipe has been named a finalist in the Customer Service Department of the Year category in The 2010 American Business Awards. Winners will be announced June 21.

Today’s Best Bets:

- Groove on Grove gets jazzy today with performances by the Bryan Beninghove Trio and Manouche Bag (6 pm). And a little later, philosopher Michael Seifried will lead a discussion on the political relevance of the arts at Jersey City Art School (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Cuts Are Done … for Now: State Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff said yesterday that a series of budget maneuvers and tapping into the state’s surplus will stave off further budget cuts, though tax collections are still projected to be $440 million below the amount that had been expected through the next fiscal year. Meanwhile, the state has overestimated what it would collect from residents who commute to New York to a tune of more than $200 million.

- Lawsuit Could Test Christie Education Cuts: The Perth Amboy school district has filed suit against Gov. Christie over his executive order this spring that withheld $475 million in state aid payments to schools across the state, charging that the governor overstepped his executive powers with the order.

- NJ Gets the Super Bowl: The National Football League chose the new Meadowlands football stadium as the site of the 2014 Super Bowl yesterday. One expert tells the Asbury Park Press that the economic impact of the game for New Jersey and the surrounding area will be bigger than it is for its traditional warmer-weather locales such as Florida or California.

- New Nuke Application: PSEG Power and PSEG Nuclear have filed an Early Site Permit application with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the first step in the lengthy process to determine if a new nuclear power plant in South Jersey is viable.

- Menendez Recall Case Heard by High Court: The state Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday in the Tea Party movement effort to recall Sen. Bob Menendez. The court did not say when it would make its decision.

- DEP Tracking Oil Spill’s Movement: The state Department of Environmental Protection has created a special Gulf spill team to closely monitor the BP oil spill off the Louisiana coast, to create a scientific model of the likely path of the contaminated waters and to develop a plan of action should oil reach New Jersey.

- Google’s Economic Impact: As part of a series of reports released yesterday, Google says its online search and advertising programs generated $1.4 billion of economic activity in New Jersey in 2009 for advertisers, site publishers and nonprofits.

- State Aid Figures Released: Jersey City would lose 17.45 percent of state aid under Gov. Christie’s proposed budget, according to figures released yesterday afternoon by the state Department of Community Affairs. The city would still receive $63.8 million in aid. Leaders of towns and cities around the state are predicting layoffs and sharp cuts to public services as a result of the aid cuts.

- Layoffs at Christ Hospital: The Palisade Avenue hospital plans to lay off at least 60 employees starting next week to cover an expected $12-$14 million shortfall. Hospital CEO Peter Kelly says the layoffs would be spread throughout the hospital and that no one department would be harder hit than others; Kelly himself will reportedly take a 10 percent pay cut from his current $585,000 yearly salary.

- Webb-Washington Gets Prison Time: Former Ward F City Council candidate and longtime housing activist La has been sentenced to a year and a day for taking cash bribes from government informant Solomon Dwek.

- Prep Grad Headed Likely Headed Pro: Rashawn Jackson, a former football player at St. Peter’s Prep, is likely to be picked at next month’s NFL draft. He is coming off a full scholarship at the University of Virginia, and is the second-rated fullback in this year’s draft class.

- Man Shot in Front of His Home: A 21-year-old Jersey City man was shot in the chin and arm during a robbery on the front steps of his Greenville home Wednesday night.

- Turnpike Closure: One westbound lane on the New Jersey Turnpike extension will be closed this weekend for priority repairs.

In Statewide News:

- More on the Budget: Gov. Christie’s proposed $29.3 billion 2010-11 state budget has drawn criticism from labor chiefs and environmentalists and praise from business leaders. Christie, acknowledging the public outcry over his cuts, says he doesn’t care about being re-elected.

- Christie Leaves Charter School Budget Untouched: Gov. Christie renewed his allegiance to charter schools yesterday, telling a crowd of educators they can expect to see more charter schools opening next year despite the state’s fiscal woes.

- Bear Hunt is On: Acting Department of Environmental Protection commissioner Bob Martin has approved the Fish and Game Council’s black bear management policy, setting the stage for New Jersey’s first bear hunt since 2005. The move is being criticized by the NJ Sierra Club.

- Unemployment Insurance Reform: The state’s unemployment insurance system is in need of immediate reform, business leaders told state legislators at a hearing yesterday. Employers are looking at a $1 billion tax increase on employers coming down the pike.

- Teachers’ Contract on BOE Agenda: Speaking of schools, members of the Jersey City Education Association — who have been without a contract since Sept. 1 — plan to pack tonight’s Board of Education meeting, since some school board members are balking at ratifying the contract the union worked out with Superintendent of Schools Charles Epps and other administration officials in mid-December.

- Webb-Washington to be Sentenced: Former Ward F City Council candidate and housing activist LaVern Webb-Washington, who pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges in October, will be sentenced today.

- Sketch of Jitney Attacker Released: The JCPD has released an artist’s sketch of the man wanted for shooting a jitney bus driver in the back near Journal Square and then hijacking the vehicle and running the victim over as he fled.

- Ferris Teacher Arrested: A 41-year-old special education teacher at Ferris High School has been arrested on charges he masturbated in front of a 15-year-old boy in a school bathroom.

- Moloney’s Dishes the Corned Beef: Moloney’s Meat Market on Newark Avenue served over 300 corned beef sandwiches yesterday as part of a St. Patrick’s Day tradition that stretches back four generations at the family-owned establishment.

- Seen This Cat? One of the rescued cats at The Kennedy Dancers studio on Central Avenue has been missing since Tuesday afternoon, just days after it had major hip surgery.

- Man Charged With Peeing on Women: The JCPD has arrested a 27-year-old Secaucus man on charges he followed young Hispanic women on the street and urinated on the backs of their legs in as many as seven separate incidents since late December.

Today’s Best Bets:

- Free movies continue at the Warehouse tonight with Sabrina (7:30 pm), while there is free live music at three venues: Jessica Rose is at Bar Majestic (7:30 pm), Manouche Bag is at Madame Claude’s (8 pm) and A.M.P. is at O’Haras Downtown (9 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Legal Action for Marriage Equality: Six same-sex couples will ask the New Jersey Supreme Court to allow same-sex couples to marry, in the wake of the state Senate’s “no” vote on the issue in January.

- Health Care Problems Hit Middle Class Hard: Nearly 35,000 middle-class New Jersey residents lost their health insurance in the last eight years while the cost for coverage rose dramatically, according to a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

- Budget Fallout: Thousands of members of the Communications Workers of America will take to the streets today to protest Gov. Christie’s proposed budget cuts; meanwhile, Rutgers University stands to lose 15.1 percent in direct state aid under the budget. In real dollars, it would be the smallest amount of aid for the state’s largest public school since 1994. And while it is likely cold comfort to most, particularly those who will be hit hardest by the governor’s proposed cuts, Gannett reminds us that “New Jersey isn’t alone in facing serious financial problems,” with states all over the country “slashing spending and cutting services to cope with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.”

- Pension Reform on the Docket Today: Legislation that would make public worker pension and health-care benefits less generous is slated to go before a New Jersey Assembly panel today.

- State Gets School Construction $: The U.S. Treasury Department has announced that New Jersey has been allocated $216 million in federal bonds to finance school construction.

- Rebate Program Criticized by Small Biz: A New Jersey appliance-rebate program starting April 1 is being criticized by some retailers who say it favors specific appliance sellers during a time when the entire industry has struggled with a pullback in consumer spending.

- South Jersey Nuke Plant Threatens to Close: Exelon Generation, the owner of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, has been ordered to build cooling towers to comply with a new waste-discharge permit the state Department of Environmental Protection approved in January. But the company is now threatening to close the plant if the state doesn’t remove the requirement.

- Lawyer Fund Pays Out Nearly $1M: A handful of misbehaving lawyers were responsible for most of the nearly $1 million tab run up by the New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection during the fourth quarter of 2009.