Shelly Sigo

Jackson Securities LLC is being spun off by Atlanta Life Financial Group. Subject to regulatory approval, Jackson will merge with New York-based M.R. Beal & Co.

Fort Lauderdale is thinking about selling about $300 million of pension obligation bonds. While some people think they are too risky, bond market experts say taxable rates are at historic lows and that POBs could actually bring discipline to the city's finances.

Virginia announced Monday that it expects to end fiscal 2012 with a $129.2 million surplus, the third consecutive year the state showed such growth.

Voters in nine of 12 districts in Georgia Tuesday rejected raising the sales tax by 1% to pay for billions in transportation improvements. In the 11-county Atlanta region, among the most congested in the state, 62.6% of voters said no.

Two high-profile local governmental entities in Florida last week agreed to accept settlements as part of the $65.5 million multi-state agreement over JPMorgan's alleged bid-rigging actions with regard to derivatives.

Jefferson County, Ala., has hired George Tablack as its new CFO.

A trustee and an insurer for Jefferson County's defaulted general obligation warrants Tuesday objected to a motion asking the federal judge overseeing the bankruptcy case to set a deadline for the county to file a plan of adjustment for its debts.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley Monday added another $78.3 million in road and bridge projects to $138.5 million already approved as part of the state's largest-ever transportation funding program. The projects are part of a $650 million program to be financed with grant anticipation revenue vehicle bonds.

Voters across Georgia head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to raise the sales tax by 1% over the next decade to pay for transportation projects. The tax will raise more than $18 billion over 10 years.

The Southeast's largest public water and sewer system needs $1.1 billion in repairs, according to a report to the Miami-Dade, Fla., County Commission this week.

Inova Health System hopes to play on its strength as the largest nonprofit heath-care provider in northern Virginia next week when it sells $500 million of double-A rated bonds.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded the bond rating on Davis Health System, W.Va., to Ba2 from Ba1.

Two ports in Florida and one each in Georgia and South Carolina will see expansion projects expedited thanks to the Obama administration's "We Can't Wait Initiative."

The Bank of New York Mellon says a suit seeking class-action status in Jefferson County's bankruptcy case is "a procedurally improper attempt to pursue frivolous claims."

The SEC will be asked to allow federal civil charges to be filed against Miami for failing to disclose serious budget problems in its bond offerings.

Five consortiums have said they are interested in bidding on Georgia's nearly $1 billion Northwest Corridor project, the Atlanta-region congestion reliever that once was the state's first public-private partnership.

The Federal Highway Administration put the brakes on North Carolina's second toll road this week and rescinded its approval of the Monroe Connector/Bypass project for which three tranches of bonds have been sold.

The Louisville, Ky. Arena Authority now plans semi-annual conference calls to discuss the status of bonds it sold in 2008 to build the 22,000-seat KFC Yum! Center.

Moody's Investors Service Friday placed its A3 rating on bonds issued for Geogia's Fort Valley State University on review for possible downgrade.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott Tuesday asked the state's Congressional delegation to investigate the scandal involving the manipulation of the London interbank offered rate.