Cherokee Banking Co. of Canton, Ga., has reached an agreement with the Federal Reserve stipulating that it cannot declare dividends without prior approval from the central bank.

Harris Financial Corp. of Chicago, which acquired the failed Amcore Bank of Rockford, Ill., last month, said it is opening a private banking office in Rockford to be headed by an Amcore executive.

Midwest Banc Holdings Inc. painted a bleak picture of its future in its quarterly report filed Thursday. The $3.4 billion-asset company in Melrose Park, Ill., said in the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it does not expect to satisfy capital requirements spelled out in a prompt corrective action directive issued by regulators to its Midwest Bank & Trust Co. unit on March 31.

Continental Bank Holdings Inc. of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., announced Thursday that it has agreed to buy First Resource Bank of nearby Exton, Pa., for about $8 million.

Integra Bank Corp. of Evansville, Ind., reached an agreement with the Federal Reserve requiring it to secure approval before taking on debt or paying dividends.

Capitol Bancorp Ltd., which is trying to harvest capital by selling its unit banks, reported that it was undercapitalized by at least one measure at the end of the first quarter.

The amendment by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., has been steadily attracting support but was attacked this week by a range of groups, including community bankers and credit unions, who argued it threatens their ability to issue debit cards.

ShoreBank just might make it after all. A recapitalization plan for the embattled lender is coming together, with some of the country's largest banks — such as Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Bank of America Corp. — along with insurance companies and foundations working to try to prevent its failure, sources said.

"They are completely in the thrall of the American Bankers Association and the credit card companies," the Illinois Democrat told reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference.

Far from serving as the fall guy for the financial crisis, the central bank will emerge with its existing powers intact and enhanced authority over systemically risky companies if the current Senate bill becomes law.

MIDWEST

A robust mergers-and-acquisitions market several years ago consolidated hundreds of the smallest banks, those with less than $200 million of assets. Then came the economic downturn, which made them the industry's most vulnerable to failure.

Though it is still addressing significant credit issues, Saehan Bancorp in Los Angeles appears to be on the upswing.

WASHINGTON — While Senate leaders said they would like to complete a vote on regulatory reform legislation this week, that goal is looking increasingly unrealistic.

Despite its cachet in Chicago and deep-pocketed supporters, ShoreBank is running out of time to find the capital it so desperately needs.

WASHINGTON — Once seen as a threat to the Federal Reserve Board's political independence, a compromise version of Sen. Bernard Sanders' amendment in the regulatory reform bill is likely to have milder implications for the central bank than previously thought.

For months now, private-equity executives and bankers have been in opposing camps in the battle for struggling banks. But Jacksonville Bancorp Inc. in Florida showed this week that it's sometimes better to recruit a rival than fight it.

Small and midsize institutions are showing increased interest in advanced automated teller machines, according to Diebold Inc. and NCR Corp.

The Obama administration released a proposal on Friday to provide additional capital to community banks to make small business loans.

Four small banks totaling $730 million in assets were closed late Friday on a relatively light evening for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.