Georgia

Construction continues on new nuclear power plants in Georgia and South Carolina after the Westinghouse bankruptcy, but the Chapter 11 filing raises concerns for investors in the units, including public power utilities who issued billions in municipal debt.

Atlanta’s water and sewer bonds won a one-notch rating boost to Aa2 from Moody's Investors Service ahead of a $232 million refunding deal scheduled to price April 25.

U.S. nuclear contractor Westinghouse reportedly could file for bankruptcy by Friday, Reuters said, casting new doubt on public power providers that issued municipal bonds for nuclear plants in Georgia and South Carolina.

Heightened concern about a potential Westinghouse bankruptcy filing resulted in negative outlooks on municipal bonds issued for new nuclear units the company is building in Georgia and South Carolina.

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider a special master’s recommendation, largely favoring Georgia and water agencies there, in the lawsuit Florida filed against Georgia over the apportionment of water from the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin.

For the first time in fiscal 2017, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said monthly state revenues declined in February with collections down by $70 million or 5.6% compared to February 2016.

Public finance attorneys Kenneth Pollock and Laurie Schwartz are working in Butler Snow’s Atlanta office and Jamie Garner is in the firm’s Macon office.

Credit concerns are mounting over the financial stability of Toshiba Co., parent of the company building partly municipal bond-financed nuclear units in South Carolina and Georgia.

Issuers across the Southeast brought $71.7 billion of municipal bonds to market in 2016, a 3.3% year-over-year increase that was generated largely by refundings.

A nearly $50 billion budget for Georgia in fiscal 2018 has been recommended by Gov. Nathan Deal, who is also requesting $1 billion of borrowing for state projects, education and transportation.

Financial problems at Toshiba Corp. are credit negative for new nuclear power plants under construction at Plant Vogtle in Georgia and VC Summer in South Carolina, Moody's Investors Service said.

Seyfarth Shaw LLP has added attorney John W. Mills III as a partner in the firm’s litigation department in Atlanta.

Provident Resources Group Inc., a national nonprofit, plans to issue up to $400 million of bonds to rescue a distressed commercial proton beam therapy cancer treatment venture in Atlanta.

U.S. Bank N.A., the trustee for Oconee Regional Medical Center, notified bondholders Tuesday that the Georgia hospital defaulted on its Dec. 1 principal bond payment. It is the second default this year.

Georgia-based First Southern Securities has hired Rafael Pagán to help the boutique investment banking firm break into the mergers and acquisitions sector.

Veteran public finance banker Warren “Bo” Daniels Jr. has rejoined Loop Capital Markets to lead the firm’s efforts in Georgia and neighboring southern states from a new Atlanta office.

Issuers, borrowers, and MAs disagree that they violated state and local government series securities (SLGS) rules.

In Tuesday’s election, North Carolina and West Virginia got new governors while the region also saw the passage of bond-related measures, including big-ticket transportation initiatives.

To keep the Atlanta Hawks playing at Philips Arena, the 17-year-old venue will undergo up to $192.5 million in interior renovations financed with $110 million of bonds and cash.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s revenue bonds received a one-notch upgrade to AA-minus by Fitch Ratings, which cited a 20-year lease agreement with Delta Air Lines as a major factor behind its action.