Southeast

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service has closed an audit of $52.5 million of bonds issued by the Ave Maria Stewardship Community District in southwest Florida with no change to the tax-exempt status of the debt, the district disclosed this week.

Investors and the state of South Carolina are haggling over who will get a bigger share of revenue from a bankrupt bond-funded toll road.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Port of Palm Beach, located in one of Florida’s wealthiest areas, saw one of its revenue bond ratings drop below investment grade last week.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Fitch Ratings on Wednesday downgraded the Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida to below investment grade because of spending irregularities cited in a recent notice of violation by the National Indian Gaming Commission.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Moody’s Investors Service yesterday downgraded Miami’s general obligation ratings just ahead of a financing to build parking garages for the Marlins’ new baseball stadium, which is under construction.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Kentucky officials hope a popular federal loan guarantee program will be the catalyst to resume construction of a $465 million, 62-story skyscraper on the banks of the Ohio River in downtown Louisville that has been stalled by the credit crisis.

DALLAS — Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy criticized the Legislature and Gov. Bobby Jindal on Monday for developing what he called a precariously balanced fiscal 2011 budget that doesn’t come to grips with the state’s tenuous fiscal situation.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has selected municipal finance veteran Joya De Foor as his nominee to become the new chief financial officer of Georgia’s largest city.

BRADENTON, Fla. — An Alabama judge has set Sept. 7 for trial to begin in the Bank of New York Mellon's quest to obtain a receiver to take over control of Jefferson County's sewer system, which is saddled with close to $3.2 billion of troubled variable- and auction-rate debt.

WASHINGTON — The Connector 2000 Association Inc., the troubled South Carolina toll road that went into default on Jan. 1, filed for bankruptcy on Thursday.