Gold Banc Corp. of Leawood, Kan., announced that a lawsuit accusing it of charging too much for agricultural loans has been made a class action by a court order.

MIDWEST

Monarch Bank of Chesapeake, Va., has raised $6.5 million in a stock offering and said it would use the proceeds to open a new branch and raise its legal lending limit.

First Charter Corp. of Charlotte announced Tuesday that it will soon open its first full-service branch in Raleigh.

Lawmakers and banking trade groups say community banks might abandon the Small Business Administration's flagship 7(a) lending program in droves if the agency follows through on plans to eliminate a popular program that provides lenders with a streamlined approval process and enhanced guarantees on small loans.

NSB Holding Corp. in Staten Island, N.Y., announced that Liberty Bank will begin operating as Northfield Savings Bank.

A group opposing the National Credit Union Administration's recent crackdown on conversions to mutual savings banks is lobbying Congress for more supervision of the regulator.

After a dozen years as a subsidiary of a holding company about 200 miles away, Midwest Bank of Western Illinois, formerly National Bank of Monmouth, is now regaining its independence.

Bankers usually honor each other at their conferences for service to the industry or their communities.

Downtown Rocky Mount, N.C., has seen better days.

Top executives at a bank acquired by North Valley Bancorp last year have decided to start their own bank.

Amcore Financial Inc. of Rockford, Ill., has entered into a written agreement with the office of the Comptroller of the Currency to develop a consumer compliance program.

Wilshire Bancorp Inc. of Los Angeles announced Thursday that it had opened its first branch outside of the Los Angeles area.

America's Community Bankers has added 26 banks to its Nasdaq bank index.

A decision by the industry's federal regulator to quash conversion votes at two Texas credit unions could have a chilling effect on credit unions interested in becoming banks, lawyers and consultants say.

Three weeks after it cut short and rescheduled its annual meeting, Independence Federal Savings Bank in Washington, D.C., said it has been postponed indefinitely.

MIDWESTCitizens Banking Corp. of Flint, Mich., has made Stephen Figliuolo its corporate risk officer and Jeffrey A. Powell its controller and principal accounting officer.Mr. Figliuolo, an executive vice president, was the manager of loan and productions operations for the operations and technology management team.

Under threat of a Nasdaq stock delisting, a Colorado banking company has dismissed three of its executives from the board's compensation and nominating committees.

Citizens South Banking Corp. in Gastonia, N.C., is buying the $150 million-asset Trinity Bank in Monroe, N.C., for $35.5 million.