PremierWest Bancorp's campaign to persuade shareholders to approve a merger with AmericanWest Bank has not yet reached its goal. The deal is on hold for one more month as the companies wait for proxy votes to come in.

Even as the financial crisis gives way to a recovery, everyone from Sen. Elizabeth Warren to comedian Stephen Colbert are demanding Washington get tough on banks and bankers. The question is what sort of action-if any-will follow.

Solera National Bancorp in Lakewood, Colo., is revisiting a deal that regulators blocked three years ago, with a few modifications.

Huntington Bancshares is adding to its presence in West Virginia.

SCBT Financial in Columbia has agreed to buy First Financial Holdings in Charleston in a deal between South Carolina banks.

Elliott Management, a firm controlled by hedge fund manager Paul Singer, bought roughly 3.8 million shares of National Bank Holdings' stock during the fourth quarter, according to an SEC filing.

Gold Coast Bank in Islandia, N.Y., is beginning its second round of financing after announcing that its fourth-quarter profit more than doubled.

F.N.B. in Pennsylvania announced Tuesday it would acquire PVF Capital, a rehabbed thrift, as a platform for C&I growth in Cleveland.

The Federal Reserve Board has lifted an enforcement action against Central Pacific Financial in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Banks in the Southeast are continuing to shrink their loan portfolios as they grapple with past miscues.

Southern BancShares has agreed to acquire Heritage BancShares in Lucama, N.C., for cash and stock, the companies announced Friday. The deal is expected to be completed in the second quarter.

Attendees at this year's American Bankers Association conference for community banks want to exude confidence but worries over proposed capital requirements still have them spooked.

F.N.B. Corp. (FNB) in Hermitage, Pa., will enter Cleveland after agreeing to buy PVF Capital (PVFC) for roughly $106 million, or $3.98 a share, in stock.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has closed the $58.4 million-asset Covenant Bank on Chicago's West Side.

Lorraine Miller, MidSouth Bancorp's director of mergers and acquisitions, has added the role of treasurer, but the company says her new duties are not a signal it would stop hunting for deals.

Salisbury Bancorp (SAL) in Lakeville, Conn., said Friday that its chief financial officer is stepping down.

A Maryland legislator has introduced a bill that would open the way for the creation of a state-run bank.

PremierWest shareholders are scheduled to vote Tuesday on its proposed sale to the holding company of AmericanWest Bank. At 43% of tangible book value, some of them might be reluctant.

The arrangement is designed to give the bank some high-level mortgage expertise, but some industry observers have raised questions about the size of the $100,000 monthly fee.

Late-night comedian Stephen Colbert's show on Feb. 14 was almost entirely devoted to financial services issues, including an attack on Wells Fargo's decision to fire a call center employee and a cameo by Sheila Bair.