North Dakota

An episode of "Oprah" changed how this North Dakota bank thinks about corporate giving. But the way it distributes donations is not the only thing that sets it apart. Call Michael Solberg crazy if you want, but he says the results validate Bell's philosophy of generosity.

A deal between Pembina County Bankshares and Drayton Bancor would combine two small banks that operate on both sides of the North Dakota-Minnesota border.

Weakness in the energy sector and a surge in new construction are pushing up vacancy rates at offices and hotels, leading to a spike in delinquencies on loans tied to them. The safer bet, bankers say, is lending on industrial properties.

Voters in Florida, North Dakota, Montana and Arkansas approved medical marijuana measures on Tuesday, while their counterparts in California, Massachusetts and Nevada approved recreational pot initiatives.

CapStar Financial Holdings in Nashville, Tenn., whose board includes a top Credit Suisse executive, has filed plans to raise up to $46 million in an initial public offering.

Sometimes the very challenges millennials introduce — whether it is seeking more benefits, demanding flexible schedules or asking for frequent feedback on performance — can turn banks into better places to work for employees of all ages.

Bell Bank, No. 3 in the overall ranking, is No. 1 in the category for banks with $3 billion to $10 billion of assets.

Popular with employees: Fundraiser activities include a dunk tank where a $5 donation gives people a chance to send their favorite Choice employee into the water. Over the last two years, Choice has raised $38,654 for United Way of Cass-Clay.

Royal Credit Union in Eau Claire, Wis., has agreed to buy Capital Bank in St. Paul, Minn., from First Sleepy Eye Bancorp in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The state-owned Bank of North Dakota has approved a plan to provide $300 million in loans to farmers hit by low commodity prices or crop production.

Alerus Financial in Grand Forks, N.D., has agreed to buy Alliance Benefit Group North Central States, a retirement plan administrator in Minnesota.

The acquisition would be Alerus' first since it bought Private Bank Minnesota in Minneapolis in June 2014. The Beacon deal would boost Alerus' total assets in Minnesota to about $771 million.

Choice Financial Holdings in Fargo, N.D., has agreed to purchase Northland Financial in Steele, N.D.

WATFORD CITY, N.D. — Several years into the oil boom in Western North Dakota, two credit unions say that for all the growth they've seen, there's no escaping a very real people problem.

Meta Financial Group in Sioux Falls, N.D., expects to have a strong fiscal second quarter despite a small charge tied to brokered deposits.

The $1.1 billion-asset Starion did not disclose the terms of its deal for WPS Community, a federally chartered thrift with $98 million in assets.

Alerus Financial (ALRS) in Grand Forks, N.D., has acquired Private Bancorp. in Minneapolis for $15.9 million in cash and other considerations.

TS Banking Group in Treynor, Iowa, has agreed to buy Tioga Bank Holding Co. in Tioga, N.D.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp is striking an optimistic tone for mortgage finance reform, saying she's hopeful that a Senate Banking Committee plan to overhaul the market could make it to the chamber floor for a vote this year.

The Federal Reserve Board has terminated enforcement actions with Cornerstone Holding Co. in Fargo, N.D., and Commerce Bancshares in Catoosa, Okla.