ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA yesterday reported it approved three more conversions from federal to state charters in December, making nine for the year.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA on Tuesday said it approved four more mergers for billion-dollar-plus credit unions, as credit unions giants ended the year as they began it – acquiring their smaller brethren.

PHOENIX – Desert Schools FCU, the state’s largest credit union which has been mired in red ink the past three years, is among the latest credit union giants to mark a return to the black for 2011.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Dollar Associates has added executive recruiting to its list of services.

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Eastman CU plans to open a new branch location in the Fresh Market shopping center in Johnson City.

BRUNSWICK, Maine – A longtime employee of Atlantic Regional FCU – the credit union’s outstanding employee as recently as 2009 – on Monday was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for stealing $519,000.

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. – Teachers FCU, Long Island’s biggest credit union, opened its new headquarters and branch to the public last week.

RENTON, Wash. – Alaska USA FCU announced it is opening its first branches in Olympia and Port Orchard, giving the $4.7-billion Anchorage, Alaska-based credit union 19 branches in Washington.

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Consumers CU is relying on real members to tell their testimonials to the public in a new multi-media campaign that focuses on the financial success many members are celebrating due to their credit union.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Members of State Employees’ CU have voted to renew the $4-million-per-year “People Helping People” SECU Foundation high school and community college scholarship programs.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Secure First CU lost at least half its roof and at least one other credit union was temporarily without power here yesterday after severe storms that killed at least two people and injured more than 100 moved across central Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee early Monday morning. One credit union employee also lost their home.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Developer Lee Baker, Jr., known locally as “The Condo King,” last week was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he lied on loan applications to Denali Alaskan FCU that were funding his construction projects.

ALEXANDRIA. Va. – The nation’s biggest credit unions brushed off NCUA’s $2 billion corporate credit union assessment in the third quarter and moved past the huge loan losses of the prior three years to record one of their best years ever in 2011.

COLORADO SPRINGS-- Ent FCU announced this morning it will pay a special dividend of between $25 and $1,000 to all but a handful of its 209,000 members on Wednesday, a total of $10 million.

BURTON, Mich.-Five more credit unions have agreed to settle pending civil suits alleging they violated the Electronic Funds Transfer Act's fee disclosure provisions.

TUKWILLA, Wash.-Many credit unions have seen an increase in new members and loans as a result of Bank Transfer Day. And then there's BECU here.

WICHITA, Kan.-Meritrust CU, formerly Boeing Wichita CU, is preparing for one of its original sponsors to close up shop.

Payment Program For Those Who Owe Back Taxes

SACRAMENTO, Calif.-In the last four months of 2011, $7.4-billion The Golden 1 Credit Union saw its monthly average new members numbers increase 75%.

ST. JOSEPH, Mich.-The former customers of Griffith Savings Bank are now officially members of United FCU, following the first-ever purchase by a federally chartered credit union of a state-chartered mutual savings bank.