Caitlin Devitt

CHICAGO — Columbus, Ohio-based Huntington Investment Co. has hired Timothy Reidy as the new director of its Cleveland public finance office.

CHICAGO — Minnesota-based law firm Briggs and Morgan PA, one of the state’s top bond counsels, has hired attorney Catherine ­Courtney.

CHICAGO — Ohio began its new fiscal year with revenues down only slightly from expectations and a surplus of just under $140 million, but the good news ends there as the state is bracing for a deficit that could be higher than $8 billion as it heads into a new biennial budget next year.

The Central Ohio Solid Waste Authority is expected to issue $15.5 million of solid-waste facilities improvement bonds this week.

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm last week signed off on a new tax-free Renaissance Zone in the town of Holland for a new automobile battery plant.

The board of Detroit’s main convention center last week approved a plan for a series of short-term improvements and a scaled-back expansion that is expected to cost about $20 million.

CHICAGO — Illinois’ triple-A rated Lake County Forest Preserve District Thursday will competitively sell $40 million of taxable general obligation Build America Bonds.

CHICAGO — Detroit Public Schools is facing a $363 million structural deficit — with officials warning it could get worse — as the district begins a new fiscal year today.

CHICAGO — Michigan lawmakers will fail to meet their self-imposed deadline of July 1 to complete a fiscal 2011 budget.

Standard & Poor’s upgraded to A-plus from A its long-term rating on the Columbus State Community College District following steady improvements in operations and enrollment.

Flint’s McLaren Health System Corp. is hoping to move its Pontiac-based hospital to a medical park in nearby Clarkston, according to a report in Crain’s Detroit Business.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and current Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero said if elected he would set up a state-owned bank.

Flint lost 1.2% of its population over the last year — the most of any large city in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

CHICAGO — The Ohio Water Development Authority today will begin pricing $27.3 million of water development revenue bonds to provide loans for weakly rated municipalities across the state.

CHICAGO — Local units of government in Michigan grappling with falling revenue from state aid and local property tax collections will soon have a place to turn for help in undertaking cost-saving consolidation efforts.

CHICAGO — Yields on floating-rate municipal prepaid gas bonds with ties to BP have spiked to nearly 9% from less than 0.5% as credit analysts continue to cut their ratings on the oil giant.

CHICAGO — In its first meeting after the consolidation of 10 state bond-issuing authorities into a single agency, the newly formed Michigan Finance Authority board approved a pair of transactions and acted on administrative matters.

CHICAGO — Detroit-based Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone PLC, Michigan’s top bond counsel firm, has hired a new attorney for its Grand Rapids office.

CHICAGO — Whiting, Ind., is selling $18.3 million of tax increment revenue bonds Thursday to finance a development on the city’s Lake Michigan lakefront.

Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle last week said he wants the city to issue $35 million of revenue bonds to help finance an expansion of a Hilton hotel connected to the city’s convention center.