Economy

Children’s Memorial Hospital’s plans to build a heliport on the roof of its partially bond-financed hospital under construction in downtown Chicago is being challenged by a community group.

The North Texas Tollway Authority board has agreed to pay legal fees for board member David Denison, who is involved in an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The nation's largest nonprofit health care provider has extended its reach into the Chicago-area market with the acquisition of a suburban hospital chain.

The San Diego Association of Governments approved the $345 million purchase of a bankrupt toll road from a private operator at its Dec. 16 board meeting.

The rating on $481.6 million of general obligation bonds issued by Palomar Pomerado Health was dropped one notch to A-plus on Dec. 23.

Michigan-based Trinity Health, one of the nation's largest Catholic health care systems, will invest up to $150 million over the next five years as part of its acquisition of Mercy Health System if the deal is approved by an Illinois review board.

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority to A3 from A2.

The Internal Revenue Service is auditing $800 million of hospital revenue bonds that were issued by the South Miami, Fla., Health Facilities Authority in May 2007 to finance projects for affiliates of Baptist Health South Florida and to refund previously issued bonds.

Transportation officials and lobbyists will be watching Capitol Hill early next year, hoping lawmakers pass long-term reauthorization legislation funding aviation and surface programs that would bring much-needed stability to the sectors.

Moody’s Investors Service last week downgraded to A3 from A2 the Metrohealth System in Ohio and revised the outlook to negative from stable.

Standard & Poor’s has revised its outlook on Hannibal Regional Hospital’s BBB-plus rating to negative from stable as the Missouri facility struggles with declining admissions.

A Cook County Circuit Court judge last week dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority’s steep increase in tolls that will take effect Jan. 1 to fund a $12 billion capital program.

The Southern California Logistics Airport Authority has defaulted on more bonds after discovering it can't use reserves to make principal payments for some of its debt.

The Washington Department of Transportation is set to begin tolling on the State Route 520 floating bridge on Dec. 29.

Citing a worsening revenue outlook, the board of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted against restoring $20 million in bus and subway service cuts for fiscal 2012.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation closes on a $145.5 million deal believed to be the first of its kind to use stand-alone, grant anticipation revenue vehicle bonds as interim financing.

Former Maine Turnpike Authority executive director Paul Violette has settled a civil lawsuit over allegations that he used agency funds for personal benefit, agreeing along with two surety bonding providers to pay back damages totaling $430,000.

The Internal Revenue Service is auditing $177.2 million of Series 2005I long-term adjustable-rate hospital revenue bonds issued by the Highlands County, Fla., Health Facilities Authority for the Adventist Health System/Sunbelt Group.

A task force last week proposed a local income tax rate increase in the Indianapolis region to finance a $1.3 billion rail and bus system over the next 10 years.

Moody's Investors Service has lowered its rating to Baa3 from Baa2 on Anderson Hospital due to its weakened financial performance. The action affects $33.9 million of rated debt sold through the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority.