Yvette Shields

Moberly, Missouri has adopted new debt management policies as it seeks to repair its junk bond credit bruised over a failure to make good on bonds sold for a troubled artificial sweetener construction project.

Batavia, Ill., officials plan to ask the Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office to examine the city's 2007 decision to purchase power from the controversial bond-financed, coal-fired Prairie State Energy Campus.

Moody's Investors Service has raised by one notch its sales tax ratings on three Iowa school districts to reflect an extension of their sales tax base not previously factored into its ratings by Moody's.

A federal judge granted class action status to an investor lawsuit accusing the former Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. of securities fraud for its role in underwriting $39 million of defaulted bonds issued for a failed artificial sweetener plan in Moberly, Missouri.

Illinois-based Presence Health has finalized a deal to sell one of its Chicago hospitals that has strained the system's books with losses.

After years of struggling to fill its halls, a student housing facility privately developed for Chicago's DePaul University is marking its second year of near full occupancy with the boost in revenues allowing it to chip away at some overdue debt service.

Moody's Investors Service has affirmed Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History's A2 rating as the museum seeks to improve its balance sheet through an ongoing restructuring and plans to expand its capital campaign.

Chicago-based Mesirow Financial has hired veteran bond underwriter Stephen "Jay" Murphy to bolster its municipal desk.

A projected $1.8 billion gap in Wisconsin's next two-year budget has Gov. Scott Walker on the defensive as he seeks re-election. Polls show whim in a tight contest with Democratic challenger Mary Burke.

Standard & Poor's dropped Morrison, Ill.'s limited-tax GO debt certificates three notches to the lowest investment grade level of BBB-minus and its issuer credit rating to BBB due to its ongoing fiscal challenges.

Fitch Ratings lowered Southeast Missouri Hospital Association’s ratings two levels to BBB-minus over its operating losses.

The trustee for $6 million of unrated bonds issued for Iowa Wesleyan College will ask a judge to allow it to enter a forbearance agreement with the school ahead of an expected technical default on debt service coverage ratios.

Moody's Investors Service has revised Minnesota-based Fairview Health Services' outlook on its A3 rating to positive from stable in recognition of steady operating improvements.

Standard & Poor's on Friday revised its outlook on University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics' AA rating to negative from stable over the potential strains of its big capital plans.

Chicago is readying a $300 million sale for Tuesday to finance ongoing projects in a 10-year program supported by big rate hikes.

Standard & Poor's has put the ratings of two double-A level not-for-profit health systems in Illinois, Advocate and NorthShore, on Credit Watch with positive credit implications following their announcement to join forces.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission heads into the market Wednesday with a $275 million subordinate general airport revenue refunding with no near-term new-money borrowing in sight.

The underfunding of public pensions by Chicago and Illinois puts much bigger burdens on their balance sheets than what national counterparts face, Moody's Investors Service says.

IIlinois' pension funds failed in three of the previous 10 years to earn sufficient returns to make the arbitrage play on work in the state's favor on its $10 billion general obligation pension bond issue from 2003.

Wisconsin's revenue collections fell about 2% or $281 million short of previous estimates, state officials reported late last month.