Century Bank in Parma, Ohio, plans to acquire Liberty Bank in Beachwood for $35.9 million in cash and stock and intends to go public to fund the deal.

Since Capital One Financial Corp. began issuing a third-party debit card in May, community bankers have feared losing lucrative debit-related business to the McLean, Va., company while fretting that they would be the ones fielding angry phone calls from customers should problems arise with their Capital One cards.

Summit Financial Group Inc. in Moorefield, W.Va., has moved to settle a trade secret claim made by Corinthian Mortgage Corp. by signing a letter of intent to negotiate the purchase of Corinthian's parent, Commonwealth Savingshares Corp., for $52.5 million in cash and stock.

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Premier Financial Bancorp Inc. in Huntington, W.Va., announced Tuesday that it plans to buy the $106 million-asset Traders Bankshares Inc. in Spencer, W.Va., for about $18.1 million in cash and stock.

Franklin Bank Corp. of Houston more than doubled its allowance for credit losses, adding $20 million to bring the allowance to $36 million.

In a series of presentations at a Boston conference this month, bankers told analysts that, despite the recent rise in troubled loans at their institutions, they expect credit quality to begin to improve by next quarter.

Harleysville National Bank in Pennsylvania has entered into a definitive agreement to sell 16 properties to American Realty Capital LLC in a sale-leaseback transaction.

Yadkin Valley Financial Corp. in Elkin, N.C., said its purchase of the $193 million-asset Cardinal State Bank has been delayed until the first quarter of 2008 as Cardinal decides how to handle its unrecorded liability for post-retirement health-care benefits.

Putnam County Bank in Hurricane, W.Va., is free of a four-year-old regulatory agreement that required it to strengthen its anti-money-laundering procedures.

Ozaukee Bank in Cedarburg, Wis., disclosed Wednesday that it had turned down a higher offer this summer before accepting a buyout bid from Bank of Montreal.

Banking trade groups are arguing "no" in a court case that they hope will overturn a National Credit Union Administration ruling letting Members 1st Federal Credit Union in Mechanicsburg, Pa., extend its membership field to cover the more than 1.1 million residents of a 3,400-square-mile, six-county area.

Despite pressure to sell from one of its largest shareholders, Cape Fear Bank Corp. insists it has studied its options and decided to remain independent.

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