Southwest

Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems and its partners hope to blaze a trail toward a carbon-free future through small modular nuclear reactors designed to overcome the problems of large nuclear plants.

Teaming with state and local investigators, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is launching a sweeping investigation of public corruption in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

Topeka, Kan., will await a ruling from the Kansas Court of Appeals on a citizens petition before issuing $5 million of sales tax and revenue bonds to buy a financially trouble race track. The petition drive seeks a vote on whether to buy the track.

A privately operated immigration detention center in La Salle, County, Texas, will receive no revenues while closed for repairs, according to a disclosure notice to bondholders.

Despite tumbling oil prices, Texas sales tax revenue soared 10.7% to $2.66 billion, according to state Comptroller Susan Combs, who will leave office in January.

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback will cut spending by 4% to offset a $279 million revenue shortfall in the current fiscal year. Brownback will also ask the Legislature to authorize internal fund transfers of more than $200 million.

A proposed $2 billion rail transport system to northeastern Utah's Uinta Basin oil producing region is shelved as the estimated cost more than doubled to $5 billion, state officials said.

Texas Department of Transportation executive director Joe Weber said he expects the upcoming session of the Texas Legislature to de-emphasize toll roads after a series of protests and a general feeling of "toll fatigue."

Gov.-elect Greg Abbott said he wants to invest an additional $4 billion in road and transportation projects in Texas without raising taxes or tolls. Abbott will succeed Texas' longest-serving governor, Rick Perry, in January as the 2015 Legislature convenes.

Tarleton State University, part of the Texas A&M University System, plans to build a new Fort Worth campus on 80 acres of land donated by the Walton Group of Companies.