PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Service CU has contributed $20,000 to the Clipper Foundation, a community-wide partnership aiming to bolster public education in Grades K-12 in Portsmouth and the surrounding communities of Rye, Newington, Greenland and New Castle.

TAMPA, Fla. – GTE Financial has begun a campaign to attract new members called “Join 200,000 of your closest friends,” a nod to the credit union’s recent milestone of achieving 200,000 members.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Allegacy FCU on April 23 will host a grand opening for its Center for Smart Financial Choices, a new non-profit to provide financial education to consumers, in conjunction with Financial Literacy Month.

OGDEN, Utah – Wasatch Peaks FCU, a $190-million credit union created through the 2011 combination of two healthy credit unions, is expanding again with the merger of $64-million SummitOne FCU, also in Ogden.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Credit Union Journal’s Grow Show just keeps getting better, with the addition of a session that will address one of the hottest issues of discussion and a potential new revenue stream: health insurance exchanges.

WASHINGTON – Credit unions and banks succeeded in getting Congress to reintroduce a bill that would create a new examinations appeals process out of NCUA and banking regulators.

ST. HELENS, Ore. – NCUA told dissident members of St. Helens Community FCU in the days after last September’s failed bid to recall the majority of the board that it would not intervene in the dispute because it did not appear to affect the safety and soundness of the $160-million credit union.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Legislation that will allow state chartered credit unions in Washington to pay their directors was approved by state legislators and is on its way to the governor for his signature – making the Evergreen State the second this year to allow pay for what historically has been a volunteer position.

EAST LANSING, Mich. – In an unprecedented spree of gift-giving, Michigan State University FCU announced a $1 million endowment this morning for the University’s Wharton Center for Performing Arts, the credit union’s third $1 million charitable donation to an MSU affiliate so far in 2013.

ERIE, Penn. – General Electric Co., whose name once blazoned across more than two dozen credit unions, has directed Erie General Electric FCU and two other credit unions in Ohio and Connecticut, to stop using the GE moniker.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – NCUA has granted $50,000 to three South Carolina credit unions, Health Facilities FCU, Greenwood Municipal FCU and Spartan FCU, to fund a collaborative effort to develop a talent management system.

LOCKPORT, N.Y. – A member of Cornerstone CU who frequently used the branch here was arrested and charged with robbing the credit union last week.

BALTIMORE – St. Agnes FCU has named James Whipp, Jr., a senior vice president of member services at Freedom FCU in nearby Bel Air, Md., as president and CEO of the $46-million credit union.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Diamond Valley FCU has implemented Fiserv’s Statement Advantage and WC3 to transform its account statements and enhance member communication.

CARBONDALE, Ill. – SIU CU has implemented Financial Management Solutions Inc.’s Teller Management System.

GESSUP, Ga. – Interstate CU has partnered with Sallie Mae to offer a private student loan program, the Smart Option Student Loan.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – University of Virginia Community CU has joined four local banks in new program to provide affordable banking products, called “BankOn Greater Charlottesville.”

ST. LOUIS – Credit unions and banks in as many as 17 states are blocking and reauthorizing credit and debit cards as a response to a major data breach revealed at regional supermarket chain Schnucks.

MADISON, Wis. – A team of young credit union professionals working with the Filene Research Institute has created a deposit account that would allow up to five friends to add equally to a joint savings account through automatic payroll distributions.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Elizabeth Hamilton was just a teenager in 1943 when she became the secretary of the board of directors at Tri-City Telco CU. She is just now retiring from the board – 70 years later – which Tri-City Telco says makes her the longest serving credit union volunteer in U.S. history.