RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – Credit union members spent 8.1% more and made 10.1% more transactions during this year’s Black Friday than in 2010, according to a new analysis conducted by CO-OP Financial Services and Saylent Technologies, a provider of payment intelligence solutions.

EMBARRASS, Minn. -- Embarrass Vermillion FCU has selected TRC Interactive to deliver online instruction through its CreditUnionTrainingOnline for its credit union-wide training needs.

ARLINGTON, Va. – Arlington Community FCU has signed with COMPASS 4 CUs to provide it with regulatory compliance services.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Meriwest CU said it signed with VSoft to implement the company’s back counter, teller and ATM remote deposit capture solutions.

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. – Island FCU said it named Bret Sears, its chief financial officers, as president and CEO, succeeding Robert Dethlefsen, who has is retiring after heading the $780 million credit union the past 34 years.

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Spokane Teachers CU said its new branch will feature an electric car charging station.

LEBANON, Ore. – Linn-Co. FCU is renovating three branches in the heart of lumber country with the goal of reflecting the local industry as well as the community’s status as the “grass-seed king of the world.”

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – An ex-convict was arrested and charged with the November 19 armed robbery of $134,324 from Illiana Financial CU after he was seen trying to exchange tens of thousands of dollars of the dye-stained cash at gambling machines at a nearby casino.

SOUTH BOSTON – Mass Bay CU, the credit union for the Mass Bay Transportation Authority, the public transportation system known locally as the “T,” has applied to state regulators to convert to a community charter encompassing almost two million residents surrounding Boston.

PEORIA. Ill. – CEFCU paid its members a $7 million extraordinary dividend yesterday.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- An anti-government radical was sentenced yesterday to five years in federal prison for attacking top executives of Mid-Hudson Valley FCU with a barrage of fake bills, phony property liens and bizarre court papers after the credit union foreclosed on his home.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – A federal court here dismissed a civil suit brought against volunteer directors of New London Security FCU over the 2008 failure of the $13 million credit union after its elderly investment manager leaped to his death hours after NCUA discovered he had stolen the vast majority of the credit union’s funds.

RYE, N.Y. -- USAlliance FCU announced this afternoon its long-time CEO Michael Ambrose is retiring and will be succeeded as head of the $750 million credit union by Kris VanBeek, a senior executive at Digital Employees FCU in Massachusetts.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-The need to boost revenue may be prompting more credit unions to buy back their card portfolios, and Bank of America's announcement last week that it will discontinue issuing cards for credit unions will only speed that process, two card analysts suggested.

Pentagon FCU Piloting CFPB's Simpler Disclosures

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill.-Great Lakes Credit Union is crediting the old-fashioned CU motto of People Helping People for contributing to membership growth of 15%.

LAS VEGAS-Devin Selte has taken first place in the "Next Top Credit Union Exec" competition hosted by the Credit Union Executives Society, and with it won a $20,000 educational prize package.

MADISON, Wis.-The increasing number of fees banks are building into their pricing will affect credit unions' thinking on the same issue, according to one person.

HarborOne Launches 'Piggy Bankers' Program

SAN FRANCISCO-The people behind Occupy San Francisco are attempting to do more than just urge consumers to move their business to a credit union; they are seeking to charter one.