ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA this afternoon approved the combination of Southwest Corporate (Bridge) FCU with Georgia Corporate FCU, one of half-dozen pending corporate mergers.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — NCUA said this afternoon a $2 billion, or 25 basis points, charge to pay this year's corporate credit union assessments will drive as many as 1,648 credit unions into the red for the third quarter and an estimated 811 into negative territory for the year.

FORT WORTH, Texas – American Airlines FCU presented Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals with a $50,000 donation as a result of the 15th Annual American Airlines Federal Credit Union Golf Tournament.

BARSTOW, Calif. – Alaska USA FCU is building a branch inside a Vons supermarket to be closer to its members.

MINNETONKA, Minn. – U.S. FCU has agreed to sell its 30,000-square-foot office building on Wayzata Blvd. for $2.7 million.

AUGUSTA, Maine – Maine’s CU will continue their media campaign this fall with radio spots promoting their SURF ATM and shared branching network.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Members of Yakima Valley CU approved the credit union’s combining with Catholic CU to create a $470 million institution serving almost 50,000 members.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA on Friday reported it approved the combination of $1.3 billion Apple FCU in Fairfax, Va., with Synergy One FCU, an ailing $185 million credit union in nearby Manassas, Va.

HONOLULU – Hickam FCU was approved by NCUA to expand outside its core military field of membership and the local community to serve all 950,000 residents of the island of Oahu.

CHICAGO – Alliant CU is moving into commercial lending and plans to make commercial loans for up to $10 million.

WASHINGTON – Fannie Mae has agreed to settle multi-million dollar claims brought by several of the biggest victims of the massive CU National mortgage fraud, more than two years after the scandal brought down the largest independent mortgage bank for credit unions.

NEW ORLEANS – ASI FCU is partnering with Good Work Network and Kiva.org to launch Kiva New Orleans, a first-of-its-kind program that enables locals in the community to support rebuilding the New Orleans economy by making microloans to local small businesses.

ENDICOTT, N.Y. – NCUA has told at least one credit union to cease using a popular method of encouraging scofflaw lenders to pay up by publishing their names in notices or newsletters calling for their expulsion from the credit union in a special meeting of members.

COLUMBIA, Md. – The Maryland and DC CU Association has hired John Bratsakis, senior vice president at $1.5 billion Baxter CU in Illinois, as its president and CEO.

SAN DIEGO – A prison parolee known as the “Smurf Bandit” on Thursday confessed that he robbed three banks, including two Navy FCU branches, and tried rob another Navy branch last spring.

SALEM, Ore. – Maps CU plans to donate $50,000 to Salem-Keizer School District athletic programs this fall.

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Facebook users helped Vermont State Employees CU direct $10,000 to six charities through an employee directed giving program called We Care 2.

DAYTON, Ohio – Dayton Firefighters FCU has signed an agent card issuer deal with U.S. Bancorp’s Elan Financial Services under which it will sell its cards portfolio to Elan and Elan will manage the program.

BETHPAGE, N.Y. – Bethpage FCU introduced Bethpage Investment Strategies, a financial services division that offers members an increased product line and more services.

BURNSVILLE, Minn. – U.S. FCU has installed Financial Management Solutions Inc.’s Teller Management System to manage its teller scheduling.