Proceeds from the sale provide the bank with "flexibility to evaluate and pursue various strategic initiatives to redeploy capital in support of our core banking business," Evans CEO David Nasca said.

A.E.A. Federal Credit Union in Yuma said it would acquire West Valley National Bank in a bid to expand into Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Many banks tapped the brakes on mergers and acquisitions this year amid economic and regulatory challenges. But executives at banks with a history of dealmaking say conditions could be right for them to return to buying mode next year.

Months prior to its failure, Citizens Bank in Sac City had entered into a consent order with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Iowa Division of Banking due to problems in its portfolio of commercial trucking loans.

The island state's biggest banks — which reported lower profits in the third quarter — say it is too soon to fully assess the economic fallout from the deadly August wildfires. The rebuilding effort could boost near-term deposit growth and long-term loan demand, they said.

A $35 million capital bump from a once-hostile investor group may have helped the Philadelphia bank avoid collapse. Still, it reported $30 million of quarterly operating losses and heavy securities risk in a recently filed call report.

Amid intense regulatory scrutiny, market volatility and economic uncertainty, 10 bank M&A deals have been scrubbed so far this year after 13 were scuttled last year. Deal activity has risen slightly lately, but the new normal is hard to gauge.

Washington Trust shares plunged after the Westerly, Rhode Island, company disclosed it booked an office deal in the third quarter, boosting the size of its portfolio while other lenders are pulling back.

The Indiana bank said it agreed to acquire CapStar Financial in an all-stock deal that would hasten its growth in Tennessee.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra says that a recently proposed data-access rule would provide a competitive edge to small banks over their larger competitors.

American Bank of Oklahoma agreed to a consent order in August to settle allegations from the Department of Justice over redlining. However, the institution strenuously objected to references to the Tulsa Race Massacre in the agreement and asked that the language be stricken.

Billy Beale joined the small Virginia bank in May, several months after its fintech partnership strategy landed it in hot water with regulators. "There's still a lot of just blocking and tackling that we've got to do to get the bank to work the way it's supposed to," he says.

The San Antonio-based lender is introducing new products targeted at borrowers who make less than 80% of their county's median income. The loans, which will qualify for Community Reinvestment Act credit, could help expand access to the state's increasingly expensive housing market.

Central Valley Community Bancorp's agreement to buy Community West Bancshares, slated to close in the second quarter, would create a $3.6 billion-asset bank in the Greater Sacramento region.

Blue Ridge Bank in Virginia changed course after its rapid growth in the fintech partnership business landed it in hot water. But the path back to a traditional community banking model is also proving to be bumpy.

Other banks likely will follow the lead of the Richmond, Virginia, company and tap the equity in their branch networks as alternative sources of capital grow more costly, experts say.

Lenders at an American Bankers Association conference this week railed against proposed regulatory requirements they argue could drive up costs, curb credit availability and ultimately hurt borrowers in already fragile economic times.

During a speech at a community banking research conference, the Federal Reserve Board governor emphasized the importance of an "evidence-based approach" to regulatory policy.