Integrity Bank was the first Georgia bank to fail this year, and industry watchers say it will not be the last.

Shares of Signature Bank soared Tuesday after the New York commercial bank announced that it had expanded its stock offering by roughly 34%, to 4.7 million shares.

Three days before the government stepped in to take over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a small Tennessee thrift said it was forced to sell itself because its investment in the government-sponsored enterprises had soured and depleted its capital.

Chemical Financial Corp. of Midland, Mich., said Monday that it will take an after-tax charge of $7.2 million, or 30 cents per share, against its third quarter earnings in relation to what it said was a fraudulent commercial loan.

Taylor Capital Group Inc. in Rosemont, Ill., said that it has raised $120 million in a private placement and subordinated debt issuance, and that it would use the proceeds to fuel growth and strengthen its balance sheet.

With three weeks left in the third quarter, already more bank and thrift mergers have been called off this year than in the last two years combined.

Shares of Bridge Capital Holdings fell sharply Friday after the San Jose, Calif., company restated its second-quarter earnings to show a $1.3 million loss.

Columbia Bancorp in The Dalles, Ore., is shuttering its mortgage division and slashing about 18% of its work force in response to the housing slowdown in the Pacific Northwest, though analysts say it remains exposed to credit deterioration in other sectors.

Capitol Bancorp Ltd. in Lansing, Mich., plans to open a bank in Pittsburgh, which would be only the fourth start-up for that region in 40 years, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Valley National Bancorp of Wayne, N.J., said late Wednesday that the fair market value of its Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac preferred stock declined by $40 million from June 30 to Sept. 2.

The community banks that use legacy systems for core technology applications are in for some challenging times.

Bank of Internet USA has never hidden its contrarian streak.

The Office of Thrift Supervision has notified BankUnited Financial Corp. that its regulatory capital status was changed from "well capitalized" to "adequately capitalized."

First Merchants Corp. of Muncie, Ind., said Wednesday that it is acquiring the $890 million-asset Lincoln Bancorp of Plainfield to fill out its Indianapolis operations.

Jeanne Delaney Hubbard has resigned as chairwoman, president, and chief executive officer of Abigail Adams National Bancorp Inc. in Washington.

Mercantile Commercial Capital LLC of Florida, which specializes in Small Business Administration 504 loans, often touts the fact that it is not a bank. But eager for cheap deposits to fund its growth, the privately held lender is applying to become one.

MIDWEST

Two weeks after being forced to relinquish his chairmanship, Robert J. Weatherbie has resigned as the chief executive officer of Team Financial Inc. in Paola, Kan.

Signature Bank in New York said Tuesday that it intends to sell 3.5 million shares of its common stock to the public that, at its current share price, could raise more than $100 million.

First National Bank of Greencastle in Pennsylvania has agreed to monitor its lending more closely under a memorandum of understanding with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.