EAST LANSING, Mich. – A junior at local Sexton High School won a $900 prom package as winner of Michigan State University FCU’s Cash for the Bash contest, which sought ideas on how to save on prom expenses.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – In an effort to design a campaign aimed at younger consumers, Community West CU asked the youngsters themselves – inviting local high school students to develop a 30-second commercial for it.

DALLAS – A federal court last week dismissed a civil suit claiming CUNA Mutual Insurance is liable for claims under an accidental death and dismemberment policy, ruling the credit union member insured under the policy died of natural causes and not an accident.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NAFCU on Monday called on NCUA for more transparency about its fledgling consumer protection office, which the agency has kept under tight wraps.

BISMARCK, N.D. – Midwest Corporate FCU has become the first corporate credit union to voluntarily liquidate in the face of daunting new capital and other regulatory requirements by NCUA.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Kinecta FCU and NuVision FCU said this afternoon they have filed an official merger application with NCUA to create the latest credit union giant with almost $5 billion in assets and serving 300,000 members at 51 branches in southern California.

WALL STREET – NCUA hit the Street today with its 13th and final offering of NCUA Guaranteed Notes, used to finance the corporate credit union bailout.

IRONDALE, Ala.-Corporate America CU announced last week introduced its own mutual fund for credit unions, the Corporate America CU Short Duration Fund.

Glatt Consulting last week said its "Credit Union Industry HealthScore" for Q1 2011 increased to 2.466, a 8.99% change from Q4 2010 and a 1.98% change from Q1 2010.

MADISON, Wis.-CUNA Mutual is now accepting entries for its 12th annual Excellence in Lending Awards, which recognizes outstanding lending results and practices by credit unions.

WASHINGTON — CUNA last week sent a letter to NCUA saying the agency's final rule on incentive-based compensation arrangements should distinguish between credit unions that have not rewarded undue risk taking and those financial institutions that have.

Texas CU Works To Recover From Debit Card Breach

ONTARIO, Calif.-Two states hit hardest by the recession are showing signs of recovery in 2011, albeit at different rates.

LAS VEGAS-The economy in southern Nevada is slowly improving after a dismal stretch, and Brad Beal expects $695-million Nevada Federal Credit Union to break even in 2011.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-Preparation will play a large role in credit unions' success the remainder of the year, according to Jim Park. The president of CU24.

ONTARIO, Calif.-Auto loan competition that continues to increase demands that credit unions be more thoughtful and strategic with their auto loan business over the remainder of 2011.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.-While predicting the economy's course may be difficult, what isn't so difficult is forecasting that the Durbin Amendment could have a big effect on credit union business the rest of the year.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C.-David D'Annunzio hates to rely on an overused phrase, but "cautiously optimistic" seems to be the only way to describe the forecast for the second half of 2011.

DOWNEY, Calif.-On a recent trip to the gas station, Mary Torsney put more than $100 into the tank of her Chevy Suburban-and still only filled it to three-quarters full. So the CFO at Financial Partners CU here certainly understands the affect that high gas prices are going to have as credit unions stare down the second half of 2011.

SAN DIMAS, Calif.-Based on economic signs and the willingness of credit unions to spend a little more, Sarah Canepa Bang predicts CUs will have a stronger second half than the first six months.