Southeast

Fitch Ratings last week upgraded the Hernando County School Board’s $143.4 million of outstanding certificates of participation to A-minus from BBB-plus. The rating agency also raised the school district’s general obligation credit, and its $800,000 of outstanding GOs, to A from A-minus.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida Department of Transportation Secretary ­Stephanie Kopelousos said this week that her agency has received the necessary letter of credit from Miami for a portion of its funding for the $1 billion Port of Miami Tunnel project.

DALLAS — East Baton Rouge Parish’s proposed $900.8 million bond package will remain on the Nov. 14 ballot despite efforts by several members of the Metropolitan Council to postpone the election until 2010.

Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s raised their ratings on Louisiana’s general obligation bonds by one notch as the state prepares a competitive sale of $324.8 million of GOs for Oct. 27.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Atlanta today expects to price $433.4 million of fixed-rate water and sewer revenue refunding bonds in one of the larger deals of its kind in this holiday-shortened week.

WASHINGTON — Virginia has established a set of deadlines for when its counties and large municipalities must determine how much of their recovery zone bond allocations they can use, as well as a framework for recovering and redistributing unused bond authority.

WASHINGTON — The trustee for millions of dollars of toll revenue bonds issued in 1998 to finance South Carolina’s first publicly owned and privately built toll road, the Southern Connector Project, is warning investors that the bonds will probably default on Jan. 1, 2010, because of insufficient revenue.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Just ahead of Louisiana’s $324.8 million general obligation sale later this month, Fitch Ratings on Thursday upgraded the state’s GO rating to AA-minus from A-plus.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Two appeals now have been filed contesting a Florida judge’s decision to validate $650 million of certificates of participation sought by the South Florida Water Management District to finance the purchase of U.S. Sugar Corp.’s land for Everglades restoration.

BRADENTON, Fla. — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has been making the rounds across the country, telling those vying for $8 billion in federal stimulus funds for high-speed and intercity rail projects that united public and official support — and state funding — are key elements for successful applicants.