PHOENIX – CUNA’s unusual foray into Arizona’s congressional races ended badly Tuesday with its candidate, former state Sen. Jim Waring, finishing third in the 10-candidate Republican primary, despite $50,000 in partisan communications from CUNA in the days leading up to the election.

DETROIT – An outcast outlaw who shot a guard to death during a 2001 robbery at Dearborn FCU branch was sentenced to life in prison yesterday after a jury deliberating on the death penalty could not come up with the required unanimous verdict.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – NCUA Chairman Debbie Matz told community leaders the agency’s June 25 conservatorship of Arrowhead Central CU was timed, among other things, to prevent the one-time $1.1 billion credit union from selling off its high-quality loans at a steep discount to an out-of-state credit union to raise much-needed capital.

COLUMBUS, Ga. – A former member service rep at TIC FCU was charged yesterday with stealing $53,000 from two member accounts.

HOUSTON – A large man who held up an Associated FCU branch inside a Kroger grocery store two weeks ago hit the same credit union again, according to police.

FRESNO, Calif. – Fresno County FCU is offering a $2,012 cash prize to the best video in a contest celebrating the proposal to bring high-speed rail to Fresno County.

HARTFORD, Conn. – American Eagle FCU has signed with Dynamic Card Solutions to use the company’s instant card issuance for unembossed Visa debit cards at the branch level.

ODESSA, Texas – Complex Community FCU said yesterday it signed with Fiserv to implement the company’s Portico account processing system in an online service bureau environment.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Insight CU said yesterday Richard Simonton, its president and CEO the past two years, has departed and will be succeeded by George Davis, who worked as a senior executive at the $440 million credit union until 2007.

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – 1st Financial FCU, one-time credit union for McDonnell Douglas aircraft, said yesterday it promoted Frank Nelson, its president and chief operating officer, to be CEO of the $220 million credit union.

FORT LEWIS, Wash. – America’s CU has agreed to acquire the former headquarters of Venture Bank, which failed a year ago.

SALT LAKE CITY – A credit union-owned payday loan operation that raised the ire of consumer activists in recent months apparently has stopped making the high-interest loans, amid questions on the annual percentage rate charged borrowers.

SAN FRANCISCO – Diana Dykstra, the newly named president and CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues, said pursuing capital relief will be one of the first priorities in her new job.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA said the reserve ratio for the National CU Share Insurance Fund remained just above the 1.2% mark for July but is projected to fall below the magic number by the end of August, triggering a requirement to bring Congress into deliberations for replenishing reserves.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – The California/Nevada CU Leagues announced the hiring of Diana Dykstra, the president of $760 million San Francisco Fire CU since 2004, as its new president and CEO.

MEDFORD, Ore. – Rogue FCU is planning to open a student-run branch in North Medford High School, which will be the $485 million credit union’s fourth local in-school branch.

FALL RIVER, Mass. – St. Anne’s CU was recognized as the leading lender for MassHousing, the state’s affordable housing agency.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Genisys CU has joined FamilyMint, a local company that focuses on financial education for kids, to provide programs “helping kids appreciate money.”

MENTOR, Ohio – Cardinal Community CU announced yesterday it hired Christine Blake, a senior manager at accounting firm KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, as president and CEO of the $150 million credit union.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – CommunityAmerica CU said yesterday it signed a five-year credit, signature/PIN debit, and ATM processing contract with PSCU Financial Services.