Shelly Sigo

BRADENTON, Fla. — The South Florida Water Management District paid $194 million in cash Tuesday for the purchase of 26,800 acres of land from U.S. Sugar Corp. for Everglades restoration, and may use debt to buy additional acreage over the next decade.

BRADENTON, Fla. — A Florida audit of a $48 million appeals court building financed with $33.5 million of bonds Tuesday listed 17 findings that “appear to be inconsistent” with Florida statutes, state operating policies, or generally acceptable internal control practices.

The Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority board will work with bondholders to establish a creditors' committee in hopes of restructuring $115 million of debt for a toll bridge in northwest Florida that is headed for default next year.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Tennessee will bring its fourth deal in six weeks to market on Wednesday with the competitive sale of $213.3 million of tax-exempt general obligation bonds.

Tennessee revenues continued to show modest improvement in August, the first month of the fiscal year, with the collection of $749.3 million, which is 3% above the total in August 2009.

Despite questions being raised about the cost of high-speed trains as November elections near, Florida is moving forward with the first phase of its $2.6 billion rail project from Tampa to Orlando.

With just a month before the general election, federal indictments were unsealed Monday charging four Alabama state senators, an employee of the Legislature, and six other individuals in a bribery conspiracy involving electronic gambling legislation.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Atlanta City Council on Monday gave unanimous final approval for the sale of up to $800 million of revenue bonds to finance the completion of a new terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

BRADENTON, Fla. — In its only issuance this year, gilt-edged Georgia expects to sell $975 million of general obligation bonds Tuesday in a single competitive sale.

BRADENTON, Fla. — A north Florida grand jury decided Wednesday not to pursue an investigation into the construction and furnishing of a $48 million appeals court building that was financed with $33.5 million of bonds.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Fifteen schools across Tennessee will get interest-free loans for capital projects thanks to the qualified school construction bond program afforded by Congress as part of the federal stimulus program, state officials said Tuesday.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Palm Beach County, Fla., officials hope that Congress will extend federal stimulus bond and tax-credit provisions needed to provide a critical financing element for a long-planned convention center hotel.

Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s upgraded Lakeland’s energy revenue bonds to AA-minus from A-plus recently. The higher rating was assigned to the upcoming sale of $200 million of revenue and refunding bonds by both agencies. They said the outlook is stable.

Federal prosecutors filed a brief on Monday urging the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to uphold former Jefferson County Commission president Larry Langford’s conviction.

A federal bankruptcy judge on Monday reaffirmed a recent ruling that the city of Prichard does not qualify under Alabama law to file for Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy. The judge said state law requires a local government to have outstanding debt to file for bankruptcy.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Although Jefferson County, Ala.’s sewer debt has been rated at junk level for quite some time, Moody’s Investors Service said Monday that the appointment of a receiver for the sewer system is a positive credit development for the county and bond insurers.

BRADENTON, Fla. — A Florida grand jury will consider whether to investigate a court building costing $47 million that was financed largely with tax-exempt bonds.

BRADENTON, Fla. — An Alabama judge said Wednesday that bankruptcy is not a feasible alternative for Jefferson County and appointed a receiver with rate-setting powers to take over the county’s sewer system.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Atlanta plans to bring $1.34 billion of new and refunding airport revenue bonds to market between November and January in two long-planned transactions.

BRADENTON, Fla. — An Alabama judge today said that bankruptcy is not a feasible alternative for Jefferson County and appointed a receiver with rate-setting powers to take over the county’s sewer system.