Midwest

The St. Paul, Minn. City Council advanced plans to provide a $17 million subsidy for a new St. Paul Saints ballpark.

Moody's Investors Service last week affirmed its B1 rating and negative outlook on Detroit Public Schools, saying the district has seen improved financial results in 2011 and 2012, but still faces serious challenges.

Detroit officials this week announced the city won a $30 million federal grant to help buy and upgrade city buses among other capital upgrades.

Illinois collected about $576 million more in fiscal 2012 than earlier predicted, the Illinois Commission on Forecasting and Accountability reported in its review of fiscal year-end results.

Moody's Investors Service said this week Chrysler's improved performance and production at its Belvidere plant in the Rockford, Ill., metropolitan region is a credit positive for the area.

The Government Finance Officers Association gave its annual Distinguished Budget Presentation award to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

Ohio State University touted the results of last week's $114 million refunding, saying demand outstripped supply by nearly three times, and that the deal was the university's latest successful move to drum up new revenue for its academic programs.

Moody's knocked $6.5 billion of Chicago O'Hare international Airport general airport revenue bonds down one notch due to the airport's high leverage, narrow financial margins, and economic and construction risks tied to its ongoing $8 billion expansion.

Fitch Ratings stripped a retail development located in an affluent Ohio town of its investment grade rating, warning that weak cash-flow and a high loan-to-value ratio could lead to foreclosure.

The recently approved Chicago Infrastructure Trust won't replace long-term debt financing, but will allow the city to avoid the controversial act of privatizing public infrastructure, Mayor Rahm Emanuel told guests at a Washington D.C. think tank on Friday.