SAN JOSE, Calif. – Technology CU reported a surge in member business lending, closing $15 million worth of commercial real estate loans in December.

LOS ANGELES – A former democratic state Assemblyman has agreed to plead guilty to federal bank fraud charges, admitting he bilked First City CU, LA Financial CU, and Farmers and Merchants Bank out of almost $200,000 by falsely claiming to be an identity theft victim.

TUKWILA, Wash. – BECU was awarded a $240,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle yesterday, which the credit union will use to subsidize homeowner downpayments for an affordable housing project in Seattle.

SALT LAKE CITY – University FCU has hired Millennial Vision Inc. to streamline its archival and retrieval processes, while empowering members to research their digitally stored docs day or night.

TOLLAND, Conn. – Geezeo is partnering with OSG Statement Services to provide credit unions with monthly paper and electronic statements that display data provided by the company’s personal financial management solution.

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon Employees FCU is implementing Alkami’s new Online Relationship Builder platform, which the company said allows the credit union to personalize a member’s online banking experience.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico Educators FCU, the state’s second biggest credit union with $1.3 billion in assets, said this afternoon it has agreed to acquire troubled New Mexico Energy FCU, a $49-million credit union also based in Albuquerque.

WASHINGTON – CUNA reported this morning that it made $200,000 in congressional campaign contributions last month, just as members of both parties were preparing to reintroduce the bill to raise the cap on member business lending again.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The NCUA Board this morning added Treasury Inflation Protected Securities, Treasury securities indexed to the rate of inflation that are known as TIPS, as permissible investments for federally chartered credit unions.

NEW YORK – ACI Worldwide yesterday said it was notified by the Federal Trade Commission that the waiting period for its acquisition of Online Resources Corp. under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Act was terminated, clearing the way for the all-cash, $126.6 million deal.

CINCINNATI – Vantiv, which process cards transactions for more than 800 credit unions, yesterday reported its fourth quarter net income soared 45% to $57.5 million, based on a 20% increase in transaction volume for the period.

BATAVIA, N.Y. – Tonawanda Valley FCU on Wednesday said Susan Blanchard, its CEO since 1987, is retiring March 15 from the $70-million credit union.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – An employee at Kingsville Community FCU was arrested Friday in Ohio on suspicion of embezzling funds from a credit union.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – L&N FCU has signed with INVEST Financial Corp. to provide its members with brokerage and investment services.

VICTORVILLE, Calif. – Alaska USA FCU has relocated its branch in Big Bear Lake, Calif., to inside a Vons supermarket, across from the old branch.

BETHESDA, Md. – Navy FCU teamed with Washington Redskins’ stars London Fletcher and Alfred Morris and Visa to showcase a free educational video game and classroom curriculum called “Financial Football” at the Navy Exchange here yesterday.

PITTSBURGH – Mayor Luke Ravenstahl fired Police Chief Nate Harper yesterday after an FBI raid on records of the Greater Pittsburgh Police FCU last week turned up financial improprieties in the police department’s accounts.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA announced an initiative with state regulators and the National Association of State CU Supervisors yesterday aimed at easing the way for state charters to qualify as low-income credit unions, which exempts credit unions from the cap on member business loans and allows them to raise supplementary capital.

JACKSON, Mich. – A former branch manager at EECU, A Community Credit union, was sentenced this afternoon to a year in jail for withdrawing $194,000 in unauthorized funds from the accounts of six elderly members, but could serve as little as 90 days after she paid full restitution right before sentencing.

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas CU Department announced today that Dan Buckley, a senior executive at Alabama’s Corporate America CU and before that a long-time NCUA corporate examiner, has been hired as Deputy Commissioner.