Shelly Sigo

Standard & Poor’s lowered its rating to BB-plus from BBB-minus on bonds issued by the Chatham County Hospital Authority on behalf of Memorial Health University Medical Center Inc.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink has ordered a comprehensive audit of funds spent by the state to build a new $40 million courthouse for the First District Court of Appeals.

The Florida Division of Bond Finance received approval to sell $683 million of refunding bonds from the state’s elected Cabinet last week.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Atlanta announced a lease agreement with airlines Tuesday that should enable the city to move forward with a long-awaited financing for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The Tennessee State School Bond Authority plans to competitively sell $245 million of tax-exempt and taxable higher education revenue bonds Wednesday.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Mississippi Legislature was expected to be in a special session today deciding whether to approve $50 million of bond financing and other incentives for a biofuels company.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority in northwest Florida has been notified that its guaranteed investment-contract provider wants to terminate its contract, according to authority attorney Roy Andrews.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Gilt-edged Huntsville in northern Alabama plans to price $174 million of new-money and refunding general obligation capital improvement warrants on Wednesday.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced Monday that three finalists are being considered to become general manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The Florida Rail Enterprise, a division in the state Department of Transportation, holds public information meetings next week on the first phase of the state’s high-speed rail program, from Tampa-to-Orlando, which is estimated to cost $2.6 billion.

Florida and New York on Tuesday tied for the highest amount, $700 million each, in the second round of federal funding for the Race to the Top competition. Georgia and North Carolina each won $400 million in the education reform program.

Public, private, nonprofit and academic leaders from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi today will launch a new initiative called the “Gulf Coast Economy: Ready 4 Takeoff Coalition.”

Confronted with a continuing drop in revenues, Gov. Bob Riley tapped Alabama’s rainy-day account for $123.8 million to stave off additional general fund spending cuts earlier this month. State agencies were already ordered to make 12% across-the-board cuts on April 30.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Miami-Dade County is completing the sale of $217 million of transit sales-tax revenue bonds today for institutional investors.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Securities and Exchange Commission is recommending that Jefferson County, Ala., receive a $25 million disgorgement and civil penalty that JPMorgan paid into an SEC “fair fund” designed to compensate harmed investors and issuers.

Kentucky reaped more savings than anticipated in Wednesday's $468 million taxable note sale in which underwriters created a new index-eligible term bond structure to entice investors who typically aren't interested in maturities less than 10 years.

The Atlanta City Council Monday approved issuing $145 million of new and refunding taxable bonds for Philips Arena, home to the National Basketball Association's Hawks and the Atlanta Thrashers, a National Hockey League expansion team.

The Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority could deplete its debt-service reserve in the current fiscal year, which could result in a payment default next July, Florida Department of Transportation officials said Wednesday.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue named Tommy Hills on Monday as the state's new treasurer, effective Sept. 1. Hills has been the state's first-ever chief financial officer since 2003. He succeeds retiring Dan Ebersole, who served 13 years.

Jefferson County commissioners last week hired Warren, Averett, Kimbrough & Marino LLC to audit fiscal year 2008, which ended Sept. 30, 2008.