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SELCO CU Awards 115 Grants To Local Schools UGENE, Ore.-SELCO CU said it has awarded a total of $27,188 in 115 small grants to schools in Lane and Deschutes counties.

The grants went to fund projects such as talented and gifted programs, drug and alcohol treatment, new books, a chess club, a poetry club, Spanish language books, and home literacy. The grants, averaging $250, were mailed out last month.

Historic Structure To Be New FFCU Home

RUTLAND, Vt.-A landmark structure on South Main Street will serve as the new headquarters of Federal Family CU.

The $15-million credit union purchased the 15,000-square-foot building, known as the Lindholm building for its family owners the past 64 years, for $1 million last week.

The credit union's seven-member staff is currently headquartered in a basement on the west side of town.

Minnesota CU Signs On To The CO-OP

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn.-City-County FCU said it has signed a processing deal with the CO-OP Network.

The deal will give members of the $400-million credit union access to the CO-OP's 18,000 surcharge-free ATMs and provide processing for the credit union electronic funds transactions. The credit union is the sixth in Minnesota to join the CO-OP.

TruMark Financial CU Signs With PSCU

TREVOSE, Pa.-TruMark Financial CU said it has converted the processing of its credit and debit card portfolios to PSCU Financial Services.

According to the agreement, which was signed in November, PSCU will process 17,000 credit card accounts and 23,000 debit card accounts for TruMark, which has more than 77,000 members and more than $750 million in assets, making it one of the largest credit unions in Pennsylvania.

Family Charged In CU Heist

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.-A brother and sister and their uncle were among four individuals indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the Nov. 12 armed robbery at Redstone FCU branch in nearby Decatur.

John Garth, 19, and his older sister Shunetta Garth, 23, allegedly robbed the credit union along with a third accomplice, Shawn Garcia, 7, while the Garth's uncle, William Garth, 41, drove the getaway car after the hold-up.

The three younger suspects were arrested in Atlanta following a high-speed chase after they were spent thousands of dollars of the loot on a multi-state shopping spree.

Child Threat In Foiled Robbery

TUCSON, Ariz.-A 37-year-old mother was arrested outside of Tucson FCU after she told tellers her 9-year-old daughter was being held at gunpoint and she was being forced to rob the CU.

Grace Balbastro was arrested and charged with attempted robbery and extortion after police arrived and found her daughter sitting safely in the car alone. Balbastro did not get away with any money.

Serial Robber Captured

PORTLAND, Ore.-A Portland man suspected in as many as 11 area credit union and bank robberies was arrested, hours after allegedly hitting both Consolidated CU in Northeast Sandy, and West Coast Bank downtown.

In both cases, the robber threatened that he had a weapon, but did not show one. Police arrested the suspect, Frank Spangler, 49, at his northeast Portland home.

Mich. League Cookin' For Cash

PLYMOUTH, Mich.-The Michigan CU League, one of the most productive in raising political action funds, is now cookin' for PAC dollars. The league's Grand Rapids Chapter has compiled a "CU in the Kitchen" cookbook they are selling to raise political action funds. The cookbook, which contains 70 recipes provided by credit union employees, is selling for $15 through chapter credit unions. The chapter printed 3,000 copies of the cookbook for sale.

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