Midwest

CHICAGO — Former public finance banker and credit analyst Ivan Samstein has joined Cook County, Ill.'s finance team as deputy chief financial officer.

CHICAGO — Illinois enters the market next Tuesday with $500 million of general obligation bonds for capital projects and is planning two additional new-money sales before closing the books on the fiscal year in June.

CHICAGO — Lawmakers in South Dakota, typically one of the first states to complete its budget, last Friday approved a $4 billion, all-funds fiscal 2013 budget that reflects the state's strengthening fiscal position.

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the Columbus School District one notch to A1 ahead of its $1.5 million issue that will refund a Wisconsin state trust fund loan.

A measure that would ask residents of Ohio to authorize $1.3 billion of bonds to finance clean energy efforts advanced in late February when the state attorney general approved the measure.

The owners of the St. Louis Rams last week rejected the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Center’s proposed $124 million plan to upgrade the team’s Edward Jones Dome stadium, which relied on $60 million of public funding.

The Michigan treasurer announced Friday that Detroit Public Schools will take over management of the struggling Highland Park School District.

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded to Baa1 from A3 its rating on the Brighton Area School District and maintained its negative outlook, warning that the Michigan district is facing financial pressures and a significant general fund deficit.

Indiana collected less revenue than expected last month, though revenues remained up for the first eight months of the fiscal year, officials said this week.

The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board last week approved Naperville-based Edward Hospital’s $64 million expansion plan.