Shelly Sigo

The Atlanta City Council is taking its message straight to constituents via social networking — an approach growing popular with local governments.

The Florida Supreme Court last week upheld a $28.3 million judgment against the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.. The award goes to the relatives of a Pensacola man who died 16 years ago.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Commissioners in Jefferson County, Ala., will again meet in a special closed-door session this week in Birmingham to discuss a wide range of issues, including the possibility of filing for municipal bankruptcy.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Commissioners in Jefferson County, Ala., hired the California law firm Klee, Tuchin, Bogdanoff & Stern LLP as a consultant on strategies to resolve the county's financial crises.

BRADENTON, Fla. - The trustee for Lambuth University on Wednesday notified the bond market that the Jackson, Tenn.-based school filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy three weeks ago.

BRADENTON, Fla. - A new Florida agency created to fund statewide Property Assessed Clean Energy improvements filed a complaint to validate the issuance of up to $2 billion of municipal bonds.

The Georgia Department of Transportation again selected HNTB Corp. as the prime consultant for the agency’s Innovative Program Delivery Technical Support Services initiative.

Chris Jones is the new chief financial officer for the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority. He take charge of the fiscal division, which oversees finance and accounting operations, manages loan underwriting, servicing and financial analysis, and provides program budget and administrative support.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood signed a full-funding agreement Monday for the first phase of the central Florida commuter train called SunRail.

Jefferson County, Ala., filed a brief notice with the bond market on Tuesday stating that it once again defaulted on its sewer warrants. The county said warrants were purchased by banks that entered into standby warrant purchase agreements.

BRADENTON, Fla. - A $1.1 billion transportation project aimed at alleviating congestion around Atlanta has qualified to apply for a low-interest federal loan as part of the financing plan.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Jefferson County is asking creditors holding its $3.14 billion of defaulted variable- and auction-rate sewer warrants to take a haircut of $1.3 billion, the Birmingham News said Sunday.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal on Tuesday announced the completion of a deal allowing Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing to expand its plant and add up to 470 new jobs in exchange for $910 million of bonding capacity to help finance the project.

BRADENTON, Fla. - Atlanta is preparing to price $372 million of senior general revenue refunding bonds next week as the first of two deals this year for the world's busiest airline hub, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors agreed to ask voters in November to approve the issuance of $169.62 million of general obligation bonds.

The Mississippi State Bond Commission is seeking underwriters for the sale of $650 million of general obligation bonds expected to be sold in late September or early October. The deal will be split evenly between tax-exempt and taxable debt, according to the request for proposals. The bonds will have maturities up to 25 years.

After two-and-a-half years with a negative outlook, Florida was returned to stable by Standard & Poor’s on Tuesday.

Jefferson County on Monday turned over sewer accounts containing about $60 million in revenue to the court-appointed receiver for the sewer system, according to the Birmingham News.

BRADENTON, Fla. - The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet on Monday filed a motion in federal court to intervene in a lawsuit that the agency believes could delay the long-planned Ohio River Bridges Project.

BRADENTON, Fla. - William "Bill" J. Taggart is the new president and chief executive officer of Atlanta Life Financial Group, the firm's board of directors announced Monday.