Far West

Standard & Poor’s Monday lowered its rating on the San Diego Unified School District’s general obligation bonds to AA-minus from AA and gave the district a negative outlook.

A San Diego taxpayers’ watchdog group released a report Tuesday that says the Southern California Metropolitan Water District has accumulated more than $600 million in unfunded liability for retirees since 1999, according to published reports.

Santa Monica planned to sell $41 million of lease-revenue bonds this week to fund renovations of a parking garage to serve the city’s downtown shopping area and to refund existing bonds.

Adventist Health closed a deal Monday to take over the formerly bankrupt Sierra Kings Heath Care District’s Central California clinics and hospital.

Vallejo officially exited from Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday after finally satisfying the conditions of its plan that was approved in early August by a bankruptcy judge.

WASHINGTON - Secondary market trading volume surged to more than $851 billion in the third quarter of 2011, the highest so far this year, but still fell 8.5% short of the almost $931 billion reached during the same period last year, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board said Wednesday.

LOS ANGELES - The Reno Redevelopment Agency in Nevada recently went into technical default on a bond issue, and its larger fight for solvency has triggered a funding squabble with Washoe County.

New municipal issuance should rebound next year, given low interest rates, pent-up demand for projects, and improved finances among states and localities, market observers with the Bond Dealers of America said Tuesday.

SAN FRANCISCO - Washington anti-tax and initiative crusader Tim Eyman has filed a lawsuit to try to void the state's $519 million bond deal for a floating bridge project.

Moody's Investors Service has extended the review period for a possible downgrade of $871 million of outstanding bonds sold by the Idaho Housing and Finance Association while the issuer works on a plan to shore up its balance sheet.