Southeast

WASHINGTON — The South Carolina Department of Transportation is challenging the Connector 2000 Association Inc.’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing, delaying efforts to restructure $369 million of the agency’s toll road bonds that went into default at the beginning of the year.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Kentucky Asset/Liability Commission on Wednesday expects to price $468 million of taxable notes to refinance obligations the state owes to the Teachers’ Retirement System for medical benefits.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Alabama Attorney General Troy King late Thursday filed lawsuits against BP PLC and BP America Inc. as well as drilling contractor Transocean Ltd. and related companies for their roles in the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The South Florida Water Management District unanimously approved a plan Thursday to pay nearly $200 million in cash, instead of using bond financing, to purchase U.S. Sugar Corp. land for Everglades restoration projects.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Former Birmingham Mayor and Jefferson County commissioner Larry Langford said Wednesday that his conviction should be reversed, mail fraud counts against him dismissed due to insufficient evidence, and he should be given a new trial.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Boosted by the popularity of Build America Bonds and refunding opportunities, issuers in the 11 states that comprise the Southeast region sold $34.5 billion of municipal bonds in the first half of 2010, up 7.4% over the same period last year.

DALLAS — Louisiana is taking $403.5 million of gasoline and fuel-tax bonds to market next week as tax-exempt debt, rather than Build America Bonds, in response to investor demand.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Tennessee is moving toward implementing comprehensive debt-management practices to be used by the state and its agencies, local governments, and other authorities that issue debt.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida is on a fast track to complete the first high-speed rail project in the U.S. with a new application for $1.12 billion in funding from the Federal Railroad Administration’s service development program.

DALLAS — The Louisiana Community and Technical College System will continue its capital improvements effort at its campuses across the state with proceeds from the negotiated sale of $68.7 million of revenue bonds on Aug. 23.