Jersey City’s First Female Firefighter Promoted to Captain: Among 21 JCFD firefighters promoted to Capetian last weekwas Capt. Constance Zappella, the city’s first female firefighter and a nine-year veteran.

Olympian Teaches Physical Education at Snyder High School: Four-time US Olympian Joetta Clark Diggs recently led four “Head 2 Toe Fitness” seminars for 25 ninth-graders at Snyder High School in Jersey City.

Crime Blotter: A 23-year-old Jersey City man leaving a house party in Greenville early yesterday was shot in the back, police reports said; a Brooklyn man had his Cadillac Escalade carjacked from him near the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City early Saturday, according to police reports; a 5-year-old Jersey City girl was viciously attacked by a pit bull Thursday night, sending her to a hospital with cuts, punctures wounds and swelling to her leg after the animal tried “to take her leg off”; Jersey City police found two guns under the jukebox of a Greenville bar in an incident that led to the arrest of five people and seizure of suspected marijuana and Ecstasy pills on Thursday, officials said.

Today’s Best Bets:

Celebrate Hanukkah at the Historic Downtown Special Improvement District’s first Menorah Lighting at the Grove Street PATH Plaza (5 pm, free).

In Statewide News:

Panel to Decide Which NJ Congressional District to Cut: When the 13-member commission’s work is done after three days of negotiations, one of New Jersey’s elected representatives will be out of a job.

With the End of ARC, NJ Transit Steps Up Customer Service: The halting of the ARC rail tunnel project last year has allowed NJ Transit to focus on expanding existing rail lines and finding alternative revenue sources, the head of the agency told business leaders Friday.

Speculation Spreads About Codey’s 2013 Bid for Governor: One of state Sen. Richard Codey’s closest allies appeared on Channel 12 this weekend to stoke speculation that the former governor will seek the top office in 2013.

Employers to Pay More for Workers’ Comp Insurance: The average rate employers pay for workers’ compensation will increase 6.9 percent next year, a hike pinned to rising medical costs and the lackluster economy.

New Jersey’s Reliance on Natural Gas to Grow, Experts Agree: At a recent NJ Spotlight Roundtable on natural gas, a panel of experts debated the pros and cons of promoting greater reliance on the fossil fuel.

A Year after His Appointment, Why Is Chris Cerf Still ‘Acting’ Education Commissioner?: In Gov. Chris Christie’s battle with Democrats over the confirmation of Chris Cerf as his education commissioner, a lot of political energy is being spent on a job title that most agree doesn’t mean a whole a lot in legal terms.

New Jersey’s Bid for Federal Education Funds Fails: New Jersey again finished out of the running for federal Race to the Top funds, this time in its Early Learning Challenge, which would provide up to $60 million for programs such as a new rating system for preschools and a “kindergarten readiness” assessment.

- Tire Slashings: Jersey City police have released a video clip showing the man believed to have slashed 22 tires in a Heights neighborhood Tuesday and investigators are seeking the public’s help identifying him.

- Kids4Kids Launches: Kids4Kids — an organization for kids who want to help disadvantaged children at home and abroad — has launched in Jersey City.

- Latino AIDS Awareness Day: A National Latino AIDS Awareness Day event featuring safe-sex workshops and HIV testing will be held today at Hudson Gardens Community Hall.

- Crime Blotter: A 15-year-old Hoboken girl was assaulted in a Wayne Street park Friday night by a group of roughly 30 girls who stole her cellphone; and a 45-year-old Jersey City man told a cop he was having a “bad day” after being shot in the leg early Saturday morning in the Heights.

Today’s Best Bets:

- Daniel Nayeri, co-author of Another Faust and Another Pan, is at NJCU for a free talk (5 pm); the Golden Door Film Festival kicks off with an opening night gala and a few screenings tonight at the Loew’s (6 pm); and Race is at J CITY Theater (8 pm). On the open mic front, the Just Add Sound open mic celebrates its second anniversary at its new home, Port-O Lounge (8 pm); and Uptown Crew’s open mic is at Moore’s Lounge (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Charter Schools: In a rare election-season session, the Senate education committee has scheduled for today a hearing on a series of contentious bills that would place new limits and rules on charter schools in the state.

- Film Tax Credits: Two Democrats are urging Republicans to reinstate a tax credit for production companies that film movies or television shows in New Jersey.

- Blue Acres Program Proposed: A proposal to allow New Jersey towns to buy flood-prone properties using open space funds gets its first legislative hearing on Thursday.

- NJ Transit Satisfaction: On a scale of 0 to 10, rail customers gave NJ Transit an overall grade of 4.2 in the agency’s latest “Scorecard” customer satisfaction survey, down from 4.5 in April during the initial survey.

- From NJ to Supreme Court: The nation’s high court yesterday began hearing a case, originating in New Jersey, that will likely decide whether a detention center such as a jail can strip-search a noncriminal offender it is holding without first deciding whether there is a reasonable suspicion the person is concealing something.

- Greenhouse Gas Pact: Environmental activists will urge Gov. Christie to reconsider his decision to remove New Jersey from a multistate initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

- Epps: The Jersey City school district has released the seven-page settlement between the Board of Education and departing superintendent Charles Epps that gives Epps $268,200 in exchange for his agreement to step down in December without suing the board.

- United Water Workers Get New Contract: United Water says that the Utility Workers Union of America Local 375, which represents employees affiliated with United Water Jersey City, recently ratified a new contract with the company.

- Dogs Released: Two South African Boerboels accused in at least three vicious attacks in Jersey City were released to their owner yesterday after spending the past eight months at an animal shelter.

In Statewide News:

- Anti-Sprawl Measure on the Way Out? The Christie administration is moving to repeal an anti-sprawl measure that sought to discourage growth in undeveloped areas by imposing the cost of extending utility services on the developer or customers served by the extension.

- State Trooper Suspended for Apparently Unnecessary Force: A State Police trooper has been suspended for six months without pay for using pepper spray on a suspect who was already handcuffed in the back seat of a patrol car.

- Benefits Changes Usher in New Plans: Public employees — from state workers to local school teachers — may now choose from a wider range of health plans that include low-cost options and some with narrower coverage as they start paying more for their benefits.

- Weatherization Program: New Jersey’s U.S. senators are targeting the Christie administration for slow progress in the state’s weatherization program, saying a state agency has done little with $29 million in federal money.

- New Superintendents: The Christie administration’s controversial caps on school superintendent salaries last year helped create an exodus of district leaders out of state, as well as a few legal challenges. But drawing less attention has been the changing face of superintendent searches and hires.

The drill, which will begin at about 9 am, will take about four hours to complete. Residents will likely see increased police activity in the staging areas near the tunnels, and train riders going into and out of Hoboken may see officials inside the tunnels. Rail service will continue to operate normally during the exercise.

Jersey City’s Police Department, Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management will all be participating in the drill, as will Jersey City Medical Center personnel and other emergency responders.

- Deadly Motorcycle Crash: A man was killed Wednesday afternoon in a motorcycle crash on Route 440 in Jersey City.

- Arturo Gatti: Arturo Gatti’s widow rejected a judge’s suggestion to reach a settlement with the late boxer’s family in a bitter dispute over his estate.

- The Gong Club: Dislocations stops by the From Flames to Flowers 9/11 memorial exhibition and the Fire House Museum at the Gong Club on Bay Street.

Today’s Best Bets:

- NJCU hosts an opening reception for the Printmaking Center of New Jersey’s (PCNJ) annual exhibition; this year marks the first time the university has hosted the long-running event (4:30 pm). Meanwhile, Art House Productions hosts a closing reception for Sandra Swieder’s show of 9/11-related photography, From Across the River (7 pm). Elsewhere, there’s a stein-hoisting competition at the Iron Monkey (7 pm), and Uptown Crew’s open mic is at Moore’s (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Gov Says Climate Change Pact Never Came Up in Koch Meeting: The topic of a 10-state initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions never came up during a private lunch meeting between New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and billionaire oil tycoon David Koch this winter — five months before Christie decided to pull the state out of the pact, the governor said Wednesday.

- Christie, the NJEA & Better Education for Kids: The governor has dropped his poll-killing tough talk against New Jersey’s teachers union, while the political action committee Better Education for Kids has begun funding ad campaigns against teacher tenure.

- ‘Jersey Shore’ & Tax Incentives: Taxpayers will be covering up to $420,000 of the production costs from Jersey Shore‘s inaugural 2009 season under a state film tax credit approved yesterday by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

- Health Care Exchange: At a stakeholder forum yesterday, healthcare analysts and advocates started the difficult task of defining a state health insurance exchange.

- Fort Monmouth: On Thursday, Fort Monmouth is closing after being open for 94 years.

- Credit Card Debt: The average credit card debt for New Jersey consumers fell from $8,475 to $7,326 year over year from August 2010 to August 2011 — about a 13.5 percent decline, according to a new report by CreditKarma.com.

Closer to home, the Hudson County prosecutor says the Jersey City woman whose dangerous dogs had been impounded since she violated an order to send them away apparently took the dogs home from Liberty Humane Society as the shelter evacuated before the storm.

And there then there are the politics of the storm. Public-sector shrinker Gov. Christie yesterday “hint[ed] at government layers overlapping ineffectively during storm crisis,” according to Politicker, although he had overall praise for the government’s response. And after touring flood sites in North Jersey, Sen. Frank Lautenberg says he’s going back to D.C. to ask Congress to bulk up the national emergency reserves.

The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail will be operating on a weekend schedule, and bus service will be on a “modified weekday schedule” with “fewer trips operating during peak periods on some routes.” NJ Transit warns that some bus routes may be subject to delays, detours or cancellations due to local flooding.

The outlook for the rails looks worse.

“Rail service will be extremely limited,” NJ Transit warns. “Customers are advised that they may have to seek alternate transportation on many lines because of significant storm damage.”

Earlier this afternoon, the Port Authority announced that full PATH service would resume at 4 am tomorrow.

You can check www.njtransit.com for the latest real-time schedule updates tomorrow.

Here are some of the more notable programs being funded in our area:

The Urban Area Security Initiative will bring $37.3 million to the Jersey City/Newark area to address the unique security needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas and to help them prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from acts of terrorism. Under that initiative’s separate sub-program, the UASI Nonprofit Security Grant Program, nonprofits in the Jersey City/Newark area that have been identified as high-risk for a terrorist attack will receive $1.9 million.

Under the Transit Security Grant Program, The Port Authority will receive $28.6 million, and NJ Transit will receive $16.4 million, to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and travelers from acts of terrorism, major disasters and other emergencies.

And $42 million will go to port regions in North Jersey and the Delaware River area to implement for the New Jersey/New York and New Jersey/Pennsylvania/Delaware port regions to implement maritime transportation security plans and facility security plans among port authorities, facility operators, and state and local government agencies required to provide port security services.

“These homeland security grants invest in the safety of our communities by providing critical resources to protect against and prepare for potential terrorist attacks,” Lautenberg says in a statement. “Our state is home to the most vulnerable area in the country for terrorism and it is critical that adequate funding is provided to our country’s most at-risk area.”

- Tom Comey: Jersey City Police Chief Tom Comey recently exchanged 25 unused vacation and comp days for $11,604, thanks to a July 27 executive order signed by Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

- McGinley Square: City officials pulled the McGinley Square East Redevelopment Plan from last night’s City Council agenda so they could further study the issues that have come up during public debate about the redevelopment.

- Statue of Liberty: The U.S. government is shutting down access to the Statue of Liberty’s crown, pedestal and museum for up to a year as it undertakes a $27 million renovation project to make the monument more safe and accessible.

- Schools’ Credit Ratings: Credit agency Fitch Ratings has downgraded the ratings on long-term bonds issued by the Hudson County Schools of Technology and the Jersey City public school system that were issued in 2006 and 2007 from AA to AA-, and the outlook on those bonds was revised from stable to negative.

- Dublin’s Son Arrested: The son of Hudson County Freeholder Jeff Dublin has been charged with assaulting his mother and striking his 2-year-old half-sister in the eye with a shoe after becoming angry about the length of his girlfriend’s shorts.

Today’s Best Bets:

- Lagunitas Brewing Co. takes over the Iron Monkey (6 pm), while the Kennedy Dancers brings its Summer Dance Fest to the pier at Exchange Place (6:30 pm). Made with Love hosts a fundraising Summer in the City BBQ dinner for the 11th Annual Hudson Pride Festival and Parade (8 pm), and Uptown Crew’s Open Mic is at Moore’s (8 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Rail to NYC: NJ Transit’s derailment this week has renewed calls for second tunnel under Hudson River to Manhattan.

- Multigenerational Households: New data from the 2010 Census shows New Jersey is home to 159,323 multigenerational households, in which three or more generations of a family share a home. That number, which accounts for 5 percent of all households in New Jersey, rose about 10.5 percent from the 2000 Census.

- Class Size: Even with a slight boost in state aid for the current school year, many of New Jersey’s districts say class size will still climb.

- Prescription Plan Delayed: The new labor-management committee charged with creating new health benefit plans for teachers and educators this week delayed implementation of a new prescription drug plan designed to save New Jersey $49 million.

NJ Transit last month published the results of the first customer satisfaction survey, which asked customers to rate the agency on a scale of 0 (unacceptable) to 10 (excellent) on 32 attributes of the system. The issues that riders said needed the most improvement were fare costs, on-time performance and the handling of service disruptions. NJ Transit, which hiked fares and cut service in 2010, pledges that it will hold fares stable during Fiscal Year 2012.

Everyone who participates in the survey is automatically entered to win one of five free monthly passes. To fill out the survey, click here.