ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The NCUA Board this morning approved a $14.5 million spending increase for next year, almost all of it to fund proposed 7.5% pay raises for the agency’s 1,200 employees.

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Navy FCU and Pen Air FCU announced this morning they are partnering to provide member business loan financing for a 152-room Holiday Inn resort development on nearby Oskaloosa Island, the two credit union giants’ third hotel project together.

LAS VEGAS – Social media fundamentally changes the relationship between credit unions and their members, according to Jay Baer.

MONMOUTH, Maine – Robert Walker, who became treasurer/manager of Monmouth FCU in 1957 and ran the tiny credit union out of his living room, then his basement before going on to a 30-year career at the now $15-million credit union, died last week at 92.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Global Axcess Corp., which manages a fleet of 5,200 ATMs in 43 states, on Wednesday said it has hired an investment bank to explore the merger or sale of the company.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The League of Southeastern CUs yesterday said its service corp has joined with the service corps for the Michigan CU League and the Mountain West CU Association to acquire Credit Union Vendor Management, a Colorado CUSO that specializes in due diligence for credit unions.

KINSTON, S.C. – Self-Help CU is opening a new branch here, the credit union’s 10th, in a recycled gas station.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Piedmont Advantage CU will enter nearby Wilmington with the acquisition of East Coast CU, a $9-million credit union with a single branch.

DULUTH, Ga. – A lucky member of Georgia United CU won $10,000 in the credit union’s drawing to win Aunt Sophie’s motorcycle, or a $10,000 cash equivalent.

SALT LAKE CITY – The former mayor of Cedar Hills, Utah on Wednesday was sentenced to a year in prison for loan fraud in connection with his borrowing $57,000 purportedly to buy a new Land Rover from now-defunct HeritageWest FCU using phony information.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA yesterday joined banking regulators in encouraging credit unions and banks to help members and customers in regions harmed by Hurricane Sandy with loan forbearance and other efforts.

PLANO, Texas – Credit union CEOs’ expectations for loan demand rose in the third quarter to their highest point in three years, according to Catalyst Corporate FCU’s most recent quarterly CEO Confidence Survey.

WASHINGTON – NAFCU succeeded this afternoon in defeating an emerging bill that threatened the credit union tax exemption, even before the bill got going.

PALO ALTO, Calif. – First Tech FCU said today it has completed the installation of 114 new ATMs that feature NCR’s SelfServ envelope-free deposit and Dip Card Reader technology.

WASHINGTON – The community banking lobby is refusing to budge in its opposition to the credit union member business loan bill and says Congress should wait to see the impact of NCUA’s recent move to exempt an additional 700 credit unions from the MBL cap before considering the long-sought legislation.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA has been filing suits furiously for recovery in the St. Paul Croatian FCU fraud for which the agency now estimates losses will exceed $186 million, making it the biggest credit union fraud ever.

LAS VEGAS — The challenge in recruiting young people in the coveted Generation X and Y were on full display during a live focus group here yesterday.

BARTOW, Fla. -- The Polk County Sheriff's Office is warning the public that devices known as skimmers have been found recently on MidFlorida CU ATMs in Bartow and Haines City, as well as several Publix ATMs.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Air Force FCU has opened a new branch in Schertz, near the Joint Base San Antonio.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Methodist Healthcare FCU is the latest credit union to sign with Geezeo to implement the company’s white label personal financial management and engagement banking solution.