Richard Williamson

Citing worsening financial performance amid continuing drought, Moody's Investors Service lowered Wichita Falls, Texas's water and sewer debt two notches to A3 and retained a negative outlook.

Moody's Investors Service placed Beaumont Independent School District's underlying Baa1 rating on review for a possible downgrade, affecting $158.5 million of outstanding debt.

The North Texas Tollway Authority expects to reduce its maximum annual debt service by $80 million with an $871 million refunding, chief financial officer Horatio Porter said.

A bill authorizing $1 billion of pension bonds for state retirees is on its way to Gov. Sam Brownback after winning approval in the Kansas Legislature.

The North Texas Tollway Authority is undergoing an Internal Revenue Service Examination of its 2009 variable-rate bonds as it prepares to refund $871 million of second-tier bonds, according to an addendum to the preliminary official statement.

Lower tax refunds helped lift Arkansas' March revenues $43.3 million or nearly 8% above forecast for the month, according to state Department of Finance and Administration director Richard Weiss.

A $110 million Glendale, Ariz., plant designed to turn debris into energy has fallen to the junk-bond category after the private operator required another $8 million of debt to make the plant operational.

Even under lowered expectations, Kansas’ revenues fell $11.2 million below projections in March, according to state Department of Revenue secretary Nick Jordan.

A day after the dedication of its new $1 billion hospital, Standard & Poor's downgraded Dallas' Parkland Health and Hospital System one notch to AA.

Despite an $11.5 billion backlog of maintenance at national parks across the country, the National Park Service continues to take on new properties in New Mexico and other states.

Craig General Hospital in northeastern Oklahoma continues to operate after filing for bankruptcy protection.

Texas A&M University will take advantage of its top credit rating in a competitive sale of $289 million of Permanent University Fund bonds.

Williams, Ariz., the self-proclaimed “Gateway to the Grand Canyon,” is working on a plan to sidetrack tourists to an amusement park and railroad museum that could be financed with $400 million of revenue bonds.

The Texas Senate has approved a $4.6 billion reduction in school property taxes under a bill by Sen. Jane Nelson. The Texas House is considering an even larger $4.8 billion tax break.

Standard & Poor’s downgraded the Willacy County Local Government Corp. to a junk-bond rating of CCC-plus from an investment grade BBB after a $78 million bond-funded detention center lost its operator in the wake of an inmate revolt.

For the third time in three years, Phoenix voters will be asked to approve changes in the city’s pension formula in hopes of making the retirement system more sustainable.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert called for negotiations on a plan to expand Medicaid that would be approved in a special session of the state Legislature.

Amid a search for a new superintendent, Fort Worth Independent School District will take $271 million of bonds to market for new projects and refunding.

Former RBC Capital Markets managing director Mel Schonhorst achieved a measure of success after seven years trying to clear his name in a Texas investigation that cost him his job though he was never accused of anything.

New Mexico Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez said the Senate was "sucker-punched" by the House in the last hour of the 2015 session, leaving nearly $270 million of projects unfunded.