Southwest

A western Oklahoma hospital that has struggled to hire doctors falls another notch below investment grade on the Fitch Ratings scale.

A Texas charter school is the first to carry a triple-A rating to the bond market, thanks to new backing from the state Permanent School Fund.

Tulsa County Independent School District gained a ratings notch to AA-minus from Standard & Poor's based on its strong reserves.

Some of Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback's former aides are under investigation by the FBI for influence peddling related to the state's $3 billion Medicaid program, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.

An Austin transportation coalition proposes a $1.4 billion urban rail line that could appear on the November ballot after years of study.

Cost overruns at the overdue South Terminal at Denver International Airport pose "significant budget risk," according to Denver Auditor Dennis Gallagher.

Texas voters will consider approving $6.7 billion of bond issues in 83 local elections May 10, with most of the money going to schools.

Colorado spending will increase by about $2 billion under a $23 billion budget signed by Gov. John Hickenlooper on April 30.

Kansas State University is launching a $65 million redesign of the north end zone of its Bill Snyder football stadium, the third phase of an expansion plan announced in 2010.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded Kansas' issuer rating to Aa2 from Aa1 on April 30, citing the state's weak economy and piecemeal approach to balancing the state budget.