CARSON CITY, Nev. – Greater Nevada CU said it granted 16 Nevada high school graduates $1,000 scholarships each.

WASHINGTON – HEW FCU has hired a well-known local magician to perform at its new branch opening in the District Heights’ Silver Hill neighborhood, as part of the grand opening’s “Feel the Magic” theme.

UTICA, N.Y. – GPO FCU said it has contracted with Auto Financial Group for the company’s DrivingSense as both a direct and an indirect lending option.

WILMINGTON, Del. – DEXSTA FCU said it has introduced private student loans for college, graduate school and private K-12 through Cology Inc. and Education Loan Source.

WASHINGTON – Long-term mortgage continued to decline this week towards their lowest in five decades, according to Freddie Mac.

WASHINGTON – New CUNA President Bill Cheney said yesterday he doesn’t expect his role in the corporate crisis, as a one-time director at both U.S. Central FCU and WesCorp FCU, to limit him in lobbying NCUA, even as the federal regulator mulls claims in both cases against executives and directors of the two failed corporates.

BALTIMORE – Municipal Employees CU, which paid its members $3.6 million last year in a semi-annual dividend, paid its members $2.1 million last week as part of planned $4.2 million payout for 2010.

SAN FRANCISCO – Wells Fargo announced yesterday it is laying off 3,800 employees over the next year as part of a restructuring of its consumer finance unit.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The president of Florida A&M University FCU and a program director at the University were charged yesterday in a federal indictment alleging conspiracy to steal $134,000 of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds.

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – GHS FCU will host the Ross Park Zoo Mobile next week at its main branch.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A woman who unsuccessfully tried to rob a Charlotte Metro CU branch in January, and her brother who drove the getaway car, were sentenced to federal prison terms yesterday.

OGDEN, Utah – America First CU is giving away free general admission tickets to the minor league Ogden Raptors' games this weekend at Lindquist Field against the Idaho Falls Chukars.

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Washtenaw FCU, formerly Ypsilanti FCU, has signed with the city to place an ATM in the renovated Ypsilanti Freighthouse.

OGDEN, Utah – Fast-growing Goldenwest CU unveiled a new branch, its 18th, in the town of Kaysville, yesterday.

WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. – 360 FCU has introduced a new check cashing service for non-members at 1.5% of the check amount.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Corporate America CU, which has sued officers and directors of U.S. Central FCU for damages, has issued subpoenas to Ernst & Young, RiskSpan, Callahan & Associates, Clayton Financial Services and PIMCO, as it seeks a courtroom accounting of the one-time $52 billion corporate’s desperate attempts to shift capital accounts to cover burgeoning losses in its final days before an NCUA takeover.

DALLAS – Town North Bank, once one of the biggest credit card processors for credit unions, said yesterday’s announced sale of its TNB Card Services serving 370 credit unions will help the credit union-owned bank rebuild its dwindling capital base, diminished by losses the past two years.

WASHINGTON – Edward Yingling, who as head of the American Bankers Association fought every major credit union initiative, announced he is retiring at year end after 25 years with the lead banking lobby.

WASHINGTON – As final votes appear on the small business lending bill that could raise the member business loan cap for credit unions CUNA has hired a new outside lobbying firm to help in the effort, Hecht Spencer & Associates.

CINCINNATI – Fifth Third Bancorp said this morning its Fifth Third Processing Solutions LLC unit has acquired the assets of credit union processor TNB Card Services from credit union-owned Town North Bank of Dallas.