SEATTLE – A local couple won $6,000 in a contest sponsored by Verity CU to help find a cure for their six-year-old daughter’s rare disease.

TACOMA, Wash. – A teller for KBR CU was sentenced to 33 months in prison for stealing $440,000 from the credit union serving employees of Simpson Construction.

NORWALK, Conn. – Credit unions are telling the Financial Accounting Standards Board a proposed rule setting aside potential losses for impaired assets is too complex and will do little to explain a credit union’s financial condition to regulators and members.

MADISON, Wis. – The CU Executives Society on Friday filed a trademark infringement suit against Digital University, saying the California company has yet to return its trademarked Internet addresses, or URLs, even though an online training and education contract between the two was terminated March 15.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- A federal judge this afternoon rejected a request by Minnesota’s TCF National Bank for a preliminary injunction barring the Federal Reserve from finalizing its rules on debit fees. But the judge also denied the Fed’s request to throw the suit out, meaning the legal action will continue in this federal court far from Washington, where the Fed is continuing its work in a final rule. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol agreed to take the Fed's motion to dismiss under advisement. The suit by TCF has been joined by banks and credit unions challenging the controversial rule, as well as merchants who support the proposed cuts in debit fees, amounting to more than $20 billion last year.SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- A federal judge this afternoon rejected a request by Minnesota’s TCF National Bank for a preliminary injunction barring the Federal Reserve from finalizing its rules on debit fees.

MADISON, Wis. – Loan demand for credit unions declined again in February for the sixth month in a row and has fallen more than 2.2% over the past year, CUNA reported this morning. The unprecedented drop in lending comes as consumers continue to work to pay down record household debt, dampening loan demand for credit unions and banks alike, according to Bill Hampel, chief economist for CUNA. “Loans are down 1% for the (first two months of the) year. That’s a really, really weak performance,” said Hampel. Small growth in mortgage lending for February was countered by declines in lending for home equity, new and used autos, credit cards and personal credit. Noting that loan growth is typically slow the first few months of the year, Hampel predicted slack or negative growth for the next few months, before demand picks up around May. He predicted loan growth, which was negative 1.4% for last year–the worst performance in three decades-- to rise gradually and reach 4% to 5% for the year and household debt falls and the economy begins to grow.

LEONARDTOWN, Md. – A man convicted last year for the 2004 armed robbery of $262,000 at Cedar Point FCU on Friday was sentenced to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.

NORWOOD, Mass. – A former middle school vice principal and manager of Norwood School Employees FCU on Friday pleaded guilty to stealing $308,000 from the credit union, which never had more than $800,000 in assets.

ABILENE, Texas – Abilene Teachers FCU on Friday donated $118,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Abilene as part of a grand opening of the credit union’s new branch.

LA SALLE, Ill. – A former branch manager at Nickleoid Employees CU on Friday pleaded guilty to embezzling tens of thousands of dollars by adding numbers to her own home equity loan to obtain an additional credit of $163,585.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Pentagon FCU said it is closing its San Antonio branch later this month, part of a move to focus more on online and mobile services.

GLENDALE, Calif. – California CU has acquired its office building here for $33.8 million.

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. – NCUA and Minnesota regulators approved the merger of ailing Como Northtown Community CU into TopLine FCU, marking the continuing shake-out among the state’s credit unions.

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. – Robins FCU said it has acquired all the middle Georgia assets and accounts of Kentucky’s Park Community CU in an unusual credit union transaction.

NEW YORK – With the caveat that all roads lead to CUNA Mutual – at least when credit union malfeasance is involved – Actors FCU last week filed suit against the insurer’s CUMIS Insurance Society unit seeking payment for $4 million the New York City credit union lost in a $50 million fraud by its cash carrier.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington state’s House of Representative on Friday approved a bill that will allow credit unions to offer savings lotteries similar to the successful contest that awarded millions of dollars in prizes from Michigan’s credit unions.

WASHINGTON – A group of Republican senators raised the pressure to repeal last year’s Wall Street reform bill with a new bill Friday that would scratch the new law that would cap debit fees, create a new consumer agency, and create new regulations for the mortgage market, financial derivatives and governance of big financial institutions.

WASHINGTON – Powerful Senate leader Dick Durbin appeared to have stopped the efforts to vote to delay the interchange fee rules, leaving credit unions and banking lobbyists hunting for another way to pass their bill.

LAS VEGAS — A credit union for gaming employees knows a thing or two about a losing streak. For $135-million WestStar Credit Union, 2008 and 2009 were about as bad a run as any have seen in this town.

LAS VEGAS — Rick Schmidt, CEO of WestStar CU, shared several of the strategies his CU has pursued over the last several months to turn things around.