Yvette was a senior reporter, covering the Midwest. She earned a bachelors in journalism from Columbia College Chicago, began her reporting career at the storied City News Bureau of Chicago, and joined the Bond Buyer in 1997 leading Midwest coverage from her hometown Chicago.
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CHICAGO — The Illinois Finance Authority board this week advanced deals to help fund projects for the University of Chicago Medical Center and DePaul University and announced the successful pooling of federal recovery zone facility bond allocations from at least 15 cities and counties for Navistar International Corp.
October 14 -
IllinoisCHICAGO — Retiring Chicago Mayor Richard Daley unveiled a $6.15 billion 2011 budget Wednesday that relies heavily on a series of one-time revenues from reserves, surplus tax-increment financing funds, and debt restructuring to close a record $654 million shortfall without the need for tax, fee, or fine increases.
October 13 -
CHICAGO — The St. Louis Metro will complete a refunding Wednesday of its $150 million floating-rate revenue bond issue from 2005, using a structure that provides a short-term salve for its fiscal challenges while the transit agency awaits a bump in sales tax dollars from a voter-approved increase.
October 12 - Iowa
CHICAGO — Iowa expects to collect nearly $300 million more in revenue during the current fiscal year than previously anticipated and projects a 3.3% increase in revenues in fiscal 2011, its revenue estimating committee announced Monday.
October 12 -
Fitch Ratings dropped a Lee’s Summit Industrial Development Authority issue for John Knox Village to BBB-minus — the last rung of investment-grade — due to ongoing fiscal strains.
October 12 -
Central DuPage Health and Delnor Health System have reached a memorandum of understanding that is expected to lead to a merger that will yield one system serving Chicago’s western suburbs.
October 12 -
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn last week announced the formation of an advisory council to help with the planning and building of the Elgin-O’Hare West Bypass to expand access to O’Hare International Airport.
October 12 -
CHICAGO — Chicago enters the market this week with $251 million of second-lien Midway International Airport bonds to refund outstanding commercial paper and wrap up financing for a new consolidated rental car facility.
October 8 - Illinois
CHICAGO — Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s have revised their outlooks on the Chicago Board of Education’s bonds to negative. They cited escalating financial challenges as the district prepares to sell $418 million of new money on Wednesday and a $243 million refunding to restructure debt next week.
October 8 - Illinois
Fitch Ratings dropped the Chicago Board of Education's general obligation rating one level to A-plus Thursday due to mounting fiscal challenges from state aid delays and the looming expiration of federal aid and pension relief that helped close a fiscal 2011 deficit.
October 7 -
Minneapolis-based Dougherty & Co. announced this week the hiring of veteran local public finance banker Jim Wenker to bolster its fixed-income banking business and mortgage divisions.
October 7 -
CHICAGO — Chicago-based BMO Capital Markets has hired senior public finance health care banker David Johnson and three of his colleagues from Ziegler Capital Markets for its merged higher education and health care practices, and named a fouth colleague to lead its strategy and analytics efforts.
October 6 - Illinois
CHICAGO — In a stark illustration of Illinois’ deteriorating balance sheet, the state ended the first quarter of fiscal 2011 with $5.5 billion in overdue bills and faces a possible structural deficit of at least $15 billion in the next fiscal year if no action is taken, Comptroller Dan Hynes warned in his quarterly report.
October 5 -
Milwaukee County last week sold $31.5 million of new-money revenue bonds for projects at General Mitchell International Airport and $56.3 of refunding airport revenue bonds.
October 5 - Illinois
The two losing bidders in Illinois’ competition to privatize the state Lottery have filed protests with the Department of Revenue asking that the state scrap its selection and reopen bidding.
October 5 - Illinois
The FutureGen Alliance last week signed a $553 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to work with Ameren Energy Resources to develop a pipeline and underground storage facility in Illinois to house emissions from an existing coal plant.
October 5 - Wisconsin
CHICAGO — Milwaukee will competitively sell $225 million of revenue anticipation notes Tuesday on behalf of Milwaukee Public Schools to help it manage its cash flow.
October 4 -
CHICAGO — Public Financial Management Inc. has hired former Chicago budget director and financial advisory professional Bennett Johnson 3d to bolster its presence in the city.
October 4 - Illinois
CHICAGO — The ratings of joint power agencies with an ownership interest in the Illinois-based Prairie State coal-fired plant are expected to withstand the burden of incurring an additional $1 billion for cost overruns, but further problems could have a negative impact, Fitch Ratings writes in a report due out today on the project.
October 1 -
CHICAGO — Branson Airport LLC in Missouri has proposed borrowing up to $17 million of unrated tax-exempt revenue bonds to cover final construction costs and bolster reserve funds tapped to help cover interest payments on $113 million of debt issued in 2007 to finance the privately built and operated airport.
September 30
