Pennsylvania

The Lehigh County Authority, offering $220 million, is high bidder for a 50-year lease to run the Allentown, Pa., water system, topping several private firms.

Pennsylvania will sell $950 million in general obligation bonds on Wednesday morning.

Allentown, Pa., has extended the deadline to respond to its request for bids to privatize its water and sewer utility system under a 50-year lease to noon Friday.

Harrisburg, Pa., issued a request for proposals to privatize trash pickup, but Mayor Linda Thompson's derogatory remark turned the announcement into another theater of the absurd.

Altoona has received a $519,000 grant to support new technologies that will help the financially distressed city implement its financial recovery plan.

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Krancer will leave to rejoin the Philadelphia office of Blank Rome LLP.

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Secretary-Treasurer J. William Lincoln resigned from the panel in the aftermath of a grand jury report over pay to play.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill that would replace hundreds of state-owned liquor stores and privatize the industry.

Philadelphia plans to sell a $218 million general obligation bond in June or July, Philadelphia Treasurer Nancy Winkler told The Bond Buyer.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is challenging the nonprofit status of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania's largest employer.

Gov. Tom Corbett plans to rework Pennsylvania's contract with Britain's Camelot for privatizing the state lottery, which Attorney General Kathleen Kane struck down last month as unconstitutional.

While Central Falls, RI, and Pittsburgh see light at the end of their tunnels, other tales of municipal distress from Harrisburg to California are much messier.

Philadelphia in engaging in a comprehensive revaluation of property that may or may not affect the city's revenues.

Distressed Harrisburg's mayor's race became more crowded with the official candidacies of Dan Miller and Nevin Mindlin, both of whom look to unseat incumbent Linda Thompson in the fall.

Pennsylvania filed criminal charges against a former state senator and several former Turnpike officials with using pay-to-play schemes that include bond underwriter PNC Captial Markets.

Fewer governors have been focusing on pension reform in their state of the state addresses this year, but most who propose reform follow through, according to Loop Capital Markets.

To no surprise in the bond markets, teetering Harrisburg, Pa., will miss $5.2 million worth of payments on general obligation bonds and notes due March 15.

Pennsylvania Education Secretary Ron Tomalis expects to act by Tuesday on a request to delay a financial recovery proposal for Harrisburg's school district.

Moody's put the Ba2 rating of Good Samaritan Hospital under review, a week after Standard & Poor's downgraded the Lebanon, Pa., system three notches to B-plus.

Democrat and former city community development director Joseph Caramone joined the open-seat race for mayor in distressed Scranton, Pa.