Caitlin Devitt

CHICAGO — Ohio’s Kenyon College will enter the market today with $102.4 million of refunding bonds to refinance all of its variable-rate debt into fixed-rate mode.

CHICAGO — Ohio would create up to 24 new bond-issuing authorities across the state with the ability to impose tolls to finance transportation projects under a bill the House passed last week.

CHICAGO — Indiana stands out “like a peony in a parking lot” among the states for the relatively small size of its budget problems, Gov. Mitch Daniels said in his annual state of the state address Tuesday night.

CHICAGO — The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority will enter the market today with $160 million of lease-backed taxable Build America Bonds to finance construction of a Hilton hotel in downtown Columbus, adjacent to the Ohio city’s convention center.

The Findlay City School District plans this week to sell $54.2 million of school facilities construction and improvement bonds. The debt includes $50.3 million of taxable Build America Bonds and $3.9 million of tax-exempt general obligation bonds. Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. is the underwriter.

Detroit businessman Manuel Maroun, who owns the only bridge spanning the busy trade route between Detroit and Canada, has bought a piece of land that could complicate a government plan to build a second bridge across the river.

A group of Michigan business leaders last week launched a campaign to overhaul the state’s tax structure.

CHICAGO — The Indiana Bond Bank Thursday plans to price $300 million of notes as part of its annual financing to help cover anticipated cash-flow shortfalls for local governments and school districts across the state.

CHICAGO — Ohio voters would get to vote on a plan to issue up to $950 million of general obligation debt to finance a popular jobs technology program under a resolution passed by the Democrat-controlled state House this week.

CHICAGO — Cincinnati-based Xavier University will enter the market today with $48 million of general obligation lease rental bonds.

CHICAGO — Michigan faces a $1.6 billion deficit next year as its federal stimulus funds run out, but the state could begin to see slight revenue growth by mid-2011, analysts said this week after releasing new estimates.

Fitch Ratings revised its outlook to negative and affirmed its BBB-minus rating on Friendship Village of Columbus, Ohio Inc., a continuing care retirement community facility.

A committee of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority last week recommended selling $30 million of tax-exempt bonds to jump-start a privately run $278 million development project along the Cuyahoga River.

Evansville will take over operation and management of its water and sewer system after 17 years of management by private companies.

The Indiana House Monday approved a historic bill that would make property-tax caps part of the state constitution.

CHICAGO — Ohio State University today will begin taking retail orders on a refunding issue that will range in size from $154 million to $274 million in order to eliminate some of the school’s variable-rate debt and achieve savings on its existing fixed-rate bonds.

CHICAGO — The Ohio Water Development Authority today will begin taking retail orders on $400 million of new-money bonds in a transaction that could include some taxable Build America Bonds.

CHICAGO — Triple-A rated University of Michigan will enter the market today with $163 million of general revenue Build America Bonds.

CHICAGO — The Indiana Finance Authority Monday afternoon will begin taking retail orders on $350 million of triple-A rated state revolving fund program refunding bonds, before opening the sale to institutional buyers Wednesday.

CHICAGO — Cleveland-based MetroHealth System is expected to enter the market today with $75 million of taxable Build America Bonds and possibly another series of tax-exempt fixed-rate debt to finance capital projects.