BALTIMORE – Municipal Employees CU of Baltimore announced this morning an agreement to acquire troubled $61 million Baltimore-based Advance Bank, the fourth credit union acquisition of a bank in the last 18 months.

WASHINGTON -- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this morning announced four civil enforcement actions to end what the Bureau believes to be improper kickbacks paid by private mortgage insurers to mortgage lenders in exchange for business.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – A teller at Pinnacle CU was abducted after she left work yesterday then held hostage in her home, before being forced to help two men rob the credit union later last night.

GARDNER, Mass. – GFA FCU opened a new branch in nearby Leominster and the first eight members were greeted with barbecue utensil kits.

BETHLEHEM, Penn. – Bethlehem Municipal Employees FCU, a $6-million credit union, has merged into $40-million Bethlehem Teachers FCU.

HONOLULU – Hawaii Central FCU has merged into it TheoDavies FCU, a one-time $14-million credit union that served employees of food services company Theo Davies.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Campus FCU announced its longtime CEO, John Milazzo, is retiring at year-end and will be succeeded by Dawn Harris, chief operating officer at the $500-million credit union.

SAN ANTONIO – River City FCU said it has implemented Malauzai Software’s multi-lingual mobile banking iPad application in less than four weeks.

WICHITA, Kan. – A sheriff’s deputy shot to death a man running from Credit Union of America early Wednesday morning after an apparent robbery at the branch.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A real estate appraiser was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay $131,000 restitution to Deere Harvester CU for filing false appraisals to allow members to refinance their home loans.

AUSTIN, Texas – The first step for a potential consolidation of the credit union associations for Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas went forward Wednesday afternoon as member credit unions of the Texas CU League voted in favor of what is being called the Cornerstone Credit Union League.

CUDAHY, Wis. – Prime Financial CU on Wednesday said it plans to transfer its branch in Two Rivers, Wis., along with members and member accounts, to Community First CU of Appleton.

AUSTIN, Texas – The first step for a potential consolidation of the credit union associations for Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas went forward Wednesday as member credit unions of the Texas CU League voted in favor of what is being called the Cornerstone Credit Union League.

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Navy FCU announced this afternoon it is expanding its huge operations center here and will be hiring around 1,500 employees here later this year.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA and the other financial regulators are drafting standards to evaluate workforce diversity at credit unions and banks in an effort to gauge institutions’ efforts to hire women and minorities.

PORTLAND, Ore. – NCUA issued a legal opinion in conjunction with a suit by a disgruntled member of St. Helens Community FCU supporting the members’ bid to overturn last September’s failed board recall vote.

STRATFORD, Conn. – Sikorsky Financial CU said Vincent Ciambriello, its chief operations officer who has been acting CEO the past year, has been named permanent president and CEO of the $680-million credit union.

MANSFIELD, Texas – Texas Trust CU yesterday said it has rolled out Cachet Financial Solutions’ remote deposit capture system within its mobile banking application – making deposits easier and more convenient for its members.

SAN DIEGO – Navy FCU opened its first new branch of the year – and its first “green,” or LEED-certified branch – at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

MADISON, Wis. – Heritage CU, a former Oscar Mayer employees’ credit union, has agreed to merge into it Price CU, a $30-million Prentice, Wis., credit union with three branches, in Prentice, Hawkins and Phillips.