Banking trade groups are aiming to use a Government Accountability Office report to bolster their case before Congress that the Community Reinvestment Act should be applied to credit unions.

The board of directors at First Niagara Financial Group Inc. in Lockport, N.Y., said late Friday it had replaced Paul J. Kolkmeyer as its president and chief executive officer, because of "differences in management style."

Lakeland Bancorp Inc. in Oak Ridge, N.J., said Friday that it is restructuring its balance sheet and writing off a canceled public stock offering. Both moves will require charges to fourth-quarter earnings.

Five years after it left Texas, Marquette Financial Cos. in Minneapolis has moved to reenter the state, with a deal for a Corpus Christi bank charter.

After helping to build a bank that sold last year for one of the highest price-to-book multiples in Texas history, Kenny and Kristi Koncaba are not worried about making ends meet.

MIDWEST

Meta Financial Group Inc. of Storm Lake, Iowa, announced that $3.9 million of loans to a road paving company probably will not be repaid.

Eagle Mountain, Utah, was incorporated 10 years ago and already has had nine mayors. Many resigned because they found the job too complicated, and the most recent mayor quit just before being indicted for allegedly stealing city funds.

Congress typically does not include Farm Credit Administration issues in agriculture policy, but bankers and Farm Credit lenders - pushing vastly different agendas - are asking lawmakers to do so when they begin debating a farm bill next year.

PrivateBancorp Inc. in Chicago announced Wednesday that it would take an after-tax charge of $800,000 this quarter to cover losses related to theft by an employee.

International Bancshares Corp. in Laredo, Tex., has a deal to buy the $129 million-asset Southwest First Community Inc. in Beeville.

Commerce Bancshares Inc. in Kansas City, Mo., said it has agreed to buy the $124 million-asset South Tulsa Financial Corp. for $26.2 million in stock.

Danversbank in Danvers, Mass., is acquiring BankMalden, a one-branch savings bank in nearby Malden.

Wilshire State Bank in Los Angeles is set to enter New Jersey this spring. The unit of Wilshire Bancorp Inc. said Monday that it had agreed to buy a branch in Fort Lee from Royal Bank America, a unit of Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania Inc. in Narberth, Pa. It would be the $1.9 billion-asset Wilshire's first branch in that state, but its third in the New York area and its 20th nationwide.

Craig Hudson is stepping down after 20 years as the executive director of the California Independent Bankers, but he will still be making the rounds in Sacramento and Washington.

Central Pacific Financial Corp. in Honolulu has been ordered by regulators to beef up its Bank Secrecy Act compliance procedures.

Franklin Bank Corp. in Houston is counting on its latest deal to accelerate its transition from a wholesale thrift to a more traditional community bank.

Federal regulators are about to get an earful from minority bankers.

First Charter Corp. in Charlotte announced Monday that it has sold its employee benefits management subsidiary to an undisclosed buyer.

Friday produced balance-sheet reshufflings by three regional banking companies.