Midwest

The Illinois Finance Authority board advanced about $600 million of borrowing planned by the University of Chicago, Children's Memorial Hospital, and others before the end of the year and into 2012.

Detroit comes to market with nearly $500 million of senior-lien water revenue bonds in a deal that could face headwinds from the city's well-known fiscal woes along with the uncertainties being raised over the treatment of water and sewer debt in Jefferson County, Ala.'s bankruptcy.

Moody’s Investors Service affirmed Agnesian Health Care’s A3 rating while revising its outlook to positive from stable in recognition of its favorable operating margins.

Moody’s Investors Service affirmed its Baa1 rating on UC Health and revised the outlook to positive from stable, saying that the newly reorganized system has exhibited recent improvements in operations.

Michigan lawmakers are considering a move to reform a controversial law for fiscally stressed municipalities that was recently enacted, in order to head off an effort to repeal it.

Moody’s Investors Service last week downgraded to A2 from A1 its rating on Elkhart General Hospital, affecting $86.6 million of bonds.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has appointed a task force charged with reviewing the city’s existing ethics ordinance and recommending changes aimed at strengthening it and giving it teeth.

Standard & Poor’s downgraded the underlying rating of the Chicago Housing Authority’s 2006 capital revenue refunding bonds one notch to AA-minus because of lower debt service coverage ratios from federal funds.

The Chicago organization Women in Public Finance will recognize three women — Chicago's chief financial officer, Columbus' assistant auditor, and a public finance banker and financial advisor — at its sixth annual founders awards next month.

North Dakota has a new credit-enhancement program aimed at boosting ratings for small school districts, many of which need to borrow to accommodate growing enrollment due to the state's oil boom.