MIDWEST

For a small start-up, Great Florida Bank thinks big.

Independence Federal Savings Bank in Washington has postponed a shareholder vote to fill three board seats after the Office of Thrift Supervision raised concerns about "misleading" information being distributed by shareholder and community groups.

"Joe Lunchbucket" will soon have a bank in Columbus, Ohio.

Though they will probably never know it, low-income and unbanked consumers around the country may soon be helping a rapidly expanding community bank in McAllen, Tex., fund its growth.

FNB Corp. of Asheboro, N.C., has agreed to buy a $151 million-asset bank in Graham, N.C., for $24.6 million in cash and stock.

Washington Savings Bank's stock price plummeted Monday on news of credit-quality troubles at the $558 million-asset Bowie, Md., thrift. After the stock market closed Friday, Washington Savings announced it would take a $2.8 million charge for its fiscal third quarter, which ended April 30, to reflect an increase in its loan-loss provision.

WASHINGTON - On Good Hope Road in southeast Washington, a financial services education center run by the nonprofit Operation Hope Inc. opened just down the street from the Good Hope Marketplace.

First Bancorp in Troy, N.C., has formed a board-level executive search committee to find a successor to its 75-year-old president and chief executive officer, James H. "Jimmie" Garner.

In 2002, Appalachian Bancshares Inc. in Ellijay, Ga., started reclassifying some of the money in its transaction accounts as savings deposits - and immediately cut reserves by $3.5 million.

Cowlitz Bancorp of Longview, Wash., is to enter Seattle through a newly announced agreement to buy a banking company that caters to various ethnic communities.

Mercantile Bancorp Inc. of Quincy, Ill., reported Friday that its first-quarter earnings fell 3%, to $2 million.

Great Southern Bank of Springfield, Mo., announced Friday that it would acquire three central Missouri branches from Peoples Bank of the Ozarks in Nixa, Mo., for an undisclosed price.

Ameriana Bancorp of New Castle, Ind., announced Friday that it had first-quarter earnings of $760,000, 60% more than a year earlier, but its results were helped by two one-time gains.

Capitol Federal Financial of Topeka, Kan., announced Thursday that its second-quarter earnings were $17.5 million, 82% more than a year earlier.

Just as the Iraqi government has looked to American soldiers to help maintain order in the country, banks there are looking for stability and have put out a call for few good American bankers.

Wayne Savings Bancshares Inc. of Wooster, Ohio, announced a $1 million loss Thursday for its fiscal fourth quarter, which ended March 31.

Peoples Community Bancorp Inc. of Cincinnati is continuing its expansion into Indiana by acquiring the $134 million-asset PFS Bancorp Inc. of Aurora for $33.8 million.

MIDDLE ATLANTICNorth Penn Bancorp Inc. of Scranton, Pa., has hired Philip O. Farr as the chief financial officer and a senior vice president of the company and of its $93 million-asset North Penn Bank.