State Bank & Trust in Fargo, N.D., is changing its name to avoid confusion with the dozens of banks in its markets that have similar names.

Gerald Host, Trustmark's CEO, expressed confidence in his company's purchase of BancTrust despite some analysts' concerns about the seller's weak deposit positions in key Alabama markets.

First Financial Northwest in Renton, Wash., and Stilwell Partners are both claiming victory following last week's annual meeting. A representative for the activist shareholder has threatened a legal challenge if its nominee isn't added to the board.

The Center for Plain Language, a watchdog group, says the bank's merchant card payment-processing agreement was the worst thing written by any company, charity or government agency in the past year.

The House Financial Services Committee is set to vote on a bill that would benefit just one institutions: Emigrant Bank, whose CEO Howard Milstein has made contributions to many of the bill's co-sponsors. And people wonder why Americans are cynical about politicians.

Two directors have resigned, and the Floyd, Va., company's CEO is on administrative leave. Those departures come less than a week after a coalition of angry investors led by Douglas Schaller replaced half of the six-member board.

The Federal Reserve Board has given a Premier Bank in Denver 90 days to become adequately capitalized or sell itself.

Among the wave of community banks that have gone to market this month, 1st Enterprise Bank (FENB) was the rare bank below $1 billion of assets to sell shares at a premium to its equity.

Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust has dismissed its chief executive as the Coral Gables, Fla. company continues to deal with the fallout from its ties to a lawyer convicted of running a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme.

Roughly two months after putting itself up for sale after its plan for raising fresh capital fell through, BancTrust Financial Group in Mobile, Ala., has found a buyer.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has replaced an order between North American Savings Bank and the Office of Thrift Supervision with one of its own.

Some lawmakers are seething at the huge pay package handed out to a former CEO of Liberty Mutual Insurance. Their response has been to introduce new proposals on pay for mutual insurers, which could eventually apply to other financial institutions.

Lafayette, La., and Washington are over 1,000 miles apart, but Rusty Cloutier, the founder and chief executive of MidSouth Bancorp, keeps the nation's capital top of mind.

First Bancshares of Kansas City, Kan., agreed to sell a controlling stake to an investment group led by David Spehar, the former chief executive of another Kansas City community bank.

Broadway Financial of Los Angeles said it had received a warning letter about its failure to meet listing requirements. It has not yet filed its first-quarter results with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Renton, Wash., company has yet to announce the results of Thursday's vote, but an activist investor believes his group has won and warns that First Financial could challenge the outcome. Stilwell is attempting to oust Victor Karpiak, the company's chairman and CEO.

A founding director of Santa Clara Valley Bank has been elected as chairman. Scott K. Rushing replaces Ralph Rueda De Leon, who has served as chairman for the last three years. Additionally Elias F. Valdes was elected as vice chairman.

Bank dealmaking is no place for vanity, MidSouth CEO Rusty Cloutier says. Sellers need to get real about their prospects, and buyers and sellers need to look beyond face value and short-term valuations, he says in a Q&A.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has lifted an agreement against Stillwater National Bank and Trust in Payne, Okla.

First Republic Bank in San Francisco is planning to raise $150 million through a preferred stock offering.