Southeast

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Florida Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments today in the long quest by South Florida water managers to validate $650 million of certificates of ­participation.

BRADENTON, Fla. — While former Jefferson County, Ala., Commission president Larry Langford must report to federal prison tomorrow to begin serving his 15-year sentence on pay-to-play charges, things could get worse for the 63-year-old dethroned Birmingham mayor.

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Georgia Department of Transportation announced Thursday that long-time agency member and former treasurer Earl Mahfuz had retired.

BRADENTON, Fla. — A federal judge in Alabama has denied former Jefferson County Commission president and Birmingham mayor Larry Langford’s request to remain free on bond while appealing his federal conviction on pay-to-play charges.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Orlando, Fla., next week expects to price its second round of direct-subsidy Build America Bonds using tax-increment financing after being the first to successfully use such a structure last fall.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Standard & Poor’s Tuesday said it removed Jefferson County, Ala.’s sewer and general obligation warrants from negative credit watch. The agency affirmed its C rating on the sewer warrants with a negative outlook and its B rating on the GOs with a “developing” outlook.

DALLAS — The largest business lobby in Louisiana will fight Gov. Bobby Jindal’s efforts to loosen constraints on two constitutionally protected state funds.

WASHINGTON — North Carolina today expects to competitively sell $487.7 million of general obligation bonds, its first new-money GOs in three years.

DALLAS —The Louisiana Legislature convened Monday for a three-month session that will focus on how to deal with a projected revenue decline of $1.7 billion in fiscal 2011 that could grow larger.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Tennessee’s Division of Local Finance will merge with the Division of Bond Finance on Thursday, state Comptroller Justin Wilson announced yesterday.