Shelly Sigo

The Federal Highway Administration last week approved the location of the $1.9 billion Wekiva Parkway, a 27-mile toll road that would complete a beltway around western metropolitan Orlando.

The Alabama Legislature ended a special session last week by passing a bill that will ask voters to increase borrowing for economic development projects.

Jefferson County, Ala., plans public hearings on sewer rate increases from June through the fall, according to the Birmingham News.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is proposing a $300 million, bond-financed capital plan for fiscal 2013.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Bond insurer Syncora Guarantee Inc. warned prospective buyers of some of Jefferson County, Ala.'s defaulted auction-rate sewer warrants that the insurer may seek to subordinate that debt to its own claims if the warrants are sold to investors by JPMorgan.

Fitch Ratings last week downgraded the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority’s rating to A from A-plus.

Don Glisson has been appointed to the board of governors of Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

After the Alabama Legislature adjourned May 16 without providing Jefferson County fiscal relief, the federal judge overseeing the bankruptcy case will be asked Thursday to give the county additional time to decide whether to reject a lease securing $82.5 million of revenue warrants, the county said in a court filing last week.

After the Alabama state Legislature ended its regular session refusing to provide fiscal relief to Jefferson County, commissioners Tuesday redirected money that might have paid GO warrants to the general fund for operations. The county lacks authority to impose taxes without state approval.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Tampa Bay Water is asking a federal district judge for a new trial after losing its first case to a jury on April 10 after a month-long proceeding.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Morgan Stanley plans to open its first public finance office in Atlanta to expand in the Southeast as growth resumes and infrastructure needs ramp up.

Even with their largest county in bankruptcy, Alabama state legislators refused again to provide fiscal relief to Jefferson County and ended their regular session at midnight Wednesday.

Gov. Bob McDonnell announced Tuesday that Virginia’s revenue collections rose 10.6% in April.

Gov. Nathan Deal announced that Georgia’s net tax collections for April totaled $1.53 billion, an increase of $152 million or 11% from the year previous.

Fitch Ratings last week dropped the Citrus County Hospital Board, Fla.’s bonds, issued on behalf of Citrus Memorial Health Foundation Inc., to BB-minus from BB-plus. The downgrade affects $39.4 million of outstanding debt.

Miami Beach commissioners last week agreed to ask voters to increase the local tourist tax by 1% to renovate the city’s convention center and pay debt service. The tax will be on the Aug. 14 statewide primary ballot.

The case administrator in Jefferson County, Ala.’s municipal bankruptcy case last week recommended the appointment of an unsecured creditors committee.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Georgia has restarted the Northwest Corridor congestion-reliever project in the Atlanta metropolitan region using a traditional approach to its construction and funding, as opposed to a public-private partnership.

BRADENTON, Fla. — In a rapid fall from grace, the popular Fulton Science Academy Inc. in Georgia has seen its BBB investment-grade rating plummet to CC less than seven months after issuing $19 million of bonds.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Atlanta's proposed 13-year extension to comply with the terms of a federal consent decree related to sewer overflows is a credit positive, Moody's Investors Service said in a special report Monday.