Caitlin Devitt

Ohio said it expects to lay off nearly 1,000 workers as it prepares to privatize five of its prisons under Gov. John Kasich’s budget-balancing measure.

Standard & Poor’s last week revised its outlook to stable from negative on Ohio in light of the state’s recent economic stabilization and the structural balance achieved in its new two-year budget.

Michigan’s 45-day tax amnesty program generated more than $76 million in revenue for the current 2011 fiscal year, according to the Department of Treasury.

Detroit finance director Tom Lijana announced his resignation and chief financial officer Norman White was demoted Monday as part of a sweeping reorganization of Mayor Dave Bing’s administration. Cheryl Johnson, formerly the treasurer, is the city’s new finance chief.

CHICAGO - Ohio will begin a retail order period Monday with institutional pricing scheduled for Tuesday for at least $416.7 million of general obligation refunding bonds.

CHICAGO - In a nice surprise, Indiana ended fiscal 2011 with $1.18 billion in its reserves, around $1 billion more than expected.

CHICAGO - Indiana University, a triple-A rated credit, will hit the market Thursday with $96 million of student-fee revenue bonds to finance construction of a neuroscience building.

CHICAGO - Fears expressed by some municipal market participants that cuts in state aid will spawn a wave of local government defaults are overblown, according to a new report by Nuveen Asset Management that examines 12 Cleveland-area issuers.

CHICAGO - The new administration in Cook County, Ill., has picked its first bond team, relying almost exclusively on locally based and minority-owned firms.

CHICAGO — The new administration in Cook County, Ill., has picked its first bond team, relying almost exclusively on locally based and minority-owned firms.

Cincinnati residents may vote on a new ticket tax this fall to help cover operating costs at two of the city's stadiums.

The Ohio School Facilities Commission last week approved $543 million of capital spending by 13 school districts.

Oakland County will require the cash-strapped city of Pontiac to prepay the county on a monthly basis for police services that it is set to begin providing next month.

Local governments will soon be able to post their budgets online as part of Indiana's effort to boost transparency and public access to information.

CHICAGO — For the first time since 2006, Ohio is enjoying an increase in revenue collections.

CHICAGO — The Michigan State Building Authority Tuesday will begin pricing $647 million of bonds to generate debt service relief and finance various capital projects.

Milwaukee-based Robert W. Baird & Co. is moving into the health care and senior-living financing sectors with the new hire of a public finance banking veteran.

Novi, Mich.-based Trinity Health has closed its acquisition of Chicago's Loyola University Health System in a deal that totals more than $1 billion.

South Dakota state officials said last week they had reached an agreement on a new gambling contract with the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe just days before the start of a federal trial over the dispute.

Moody's Investors Service raised its rating to Baa1 from Baa2 on $137 million of bonds issued on behalf of the Altru Health System by the city of Grand Forks. The outlook is stable.