Southeast

BRADENTON, Fla. — Alabama federal judge Scott Coogler Tuesday denied former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford’s motion for a new trial.

West Virginia’s pension system reported last week its unfunded liabilities jumped by about $2 billion, or 41%, in fiscal 2009. The Consolidated Public Retirement Board said obligations to retirees in the state’s seven pension funds increased to $7 billion for the fiscal year ending June 30.

Virginia’s new governor, Robert F. McDonnell, told lawmakers on Monday the state must retain its business-friendly environment, in part by barring tax hikes in the fiscal 2011 and 2012 budget. The state faces a $4 billion budget shortfall.

While in New Orleans last week, Vice President Joe Biden said the federal government will allow local governments in Louisiana and Mississippi to seek forgiveness of special community disaster loans they received after the hurricanes of 2005.

Miami commissioners late last week approved the sale of $92 million of bonds to build parking facilities for the Florida Marlins’ new baseball stadium, which is under construction.

Jefferson County commissioner ­William Bell became mayor of Birmingham Tuesday with 54% of the vote, defeating lawyer Patrick Cooper.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Tennessee’s Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County tonight is expected to take a final vote on whether to move forward with its largest public works project ever — even though the cost could lead to a rating downgrade.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue on Friday unveiled budget cuts for the current fiscal year and proposed an $18.2 billion budget for fiscal 2011 that includes $900 million of debt issuance.

WASHINGTON — More than $200 million of toll revenue bonds issued by the Connector 2000 Association Inc. for a 16-mile toll road in Greenville County, S.C., defaulted on Jan. 1, in what sources said is the first public-private partnership default in the state.

DALLAS — Woman’s Hospital Foundation of Baton Rouge, La., will revive a halted replacement project with the proceeds from next week’s negotiated sale of $244 million of hospital revenue bonds and $100 million of Gulf Opportunity Zone bonds.