Shelly Sigo

Federal aid will alleviate financial challenges for southern Louisiana parishes affected by this month’s flooding, but the disaster remains a credit negative for the state and local governments, Moody's Investors Service said/

Tennessee said it received a combined interest rate of 2.16% on the recent sale of $366 million of general obligation bonds – the lowest rate in state history.

Virginia may take money from budgeted salaries and $378 million from reserves, said Gov. Terry McAuliffe, to tackle a portion of the $1.48 billion budget shortfall projected in fiscal years 2016 to 2018.

Jackson, Miss.’s water and sewer revenue bonds were downgraded four notches by S&P Global Ratings partly due to the lack of initiatives to improve revenues.

South Florida can expect Zika-related travel advisories to hurt tourism and related tax revenues, S&P Global Ratings said. The only question is by how much.

Southeast issuers sold $37.63 billion of municipal bonds in the first half of 2016, a decline of 10.9% from the same period last year, even as new money deals increased.

Kentucky received an abundance of local proposals for its $100 million bond-financed work-training initiative.

Kutak Rock LLP has hired veteran bond attorney Thomas P. Lauth to join the firm’s public finance practice in Atlanta.

Cash-strapped Louisiana faces huge expenses as a result of the three days of torrential rains that flooded the southern part of the state, state budget chief Jay Dardenne told a legislative panel Thursday.

Jackson, Miss.'s general obligation, water and sewer, and special obligation bonds were all cut several notches by Moody's Investors Service, which cited multiple years of structural budget imbalance.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals delayed oral arguments in Jefferson County, Ala.'s bankruptcy appeal until November, and now plans to hear the case in Montgomery, instead of Atlanta.

Lawsuits by two Florida counties challenging the $1.75 billion private activity bond award for the All Aboard Florida passenger train project can proceed, after a federal judge ruled in the counties' favor.

Georgia's chief financial officer Teresa MacCartney has received the Gloria Timmer Award from the National Association of Budget Officers during the organization’s annual meeting.

The Louisiana State Bond Commission and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee meet separately Thursday to consider issuing $500 million of notes for cash flow and working capital in the general fund.

The receiver for bond-financed apartments owned by Global Ministries Foundation in Tennessee has disclosed in court filings that the Securities and Exchange Commission is conducting an investigation.

Merrett Stierheim, a former south Florida public administrator, will determine if Opa-locka is solvent for the state-appointed panel overseeing the city’s finances.

Municipal bonds issued for Tennessee-based Global Ministries Foundation housing projects were placed on S&P Global Ratings' CreditWatch and could face rating downgrades because of uncertainty related to a federal investigation.

Petersburg, Va., and Opa-locka, Fla., turned to their respective states for help resolving serious financial problems and both are getting professional help, although no state funding.

A CDC warning advising pregnant women against traveling to a south Florida neighborhood because of Zika is a negative credit factor for both Miami and Miami-Dade County, said Moody's Investors Service.

Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.’s bond outlook is positive and could lead to a rating upgrade because of its financial separation from Vanderbilt Medical Center, S&P Global Ratings said.