GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Lake Michigan CU, the state’s third-largest credit union, has agreed to acquire ailing Citizens CU and four Kalamazoo branches.

SEATTLE – A 26-year-old fugitive from a credit union car scheme was extradited from Mexico where he was living the highlife after the FBI lured him out in the open using his Facebook page.

NEWARK, N.J. – The former servicing manager of U.S. Mortgage Corp/CU National Mortgage on Thursday pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud credit unions and Fannie Mae in the $140 million mortgage scandal.

WASHINGTON – A low-stakes debate for credit unions over the bank reform bill turned high stakes yesterday as senators voted to add several amendments to the bill aimed at opening the market for card interchange – so-called swipe fees – to more competition.

PHOENIX – The former president of Marian Miami FCU last week was sentenced to 51 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution for stealing $860,000 from the one-time $10 million credit union.

SAN DIEGO – A man who allegedly held up a Mission FCU branch Tuesday was arrested at a nearby pizzeria a short time later.

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Hudson Valley FCU plans to open a branch in Wallkill, in an office formerly occupied by Eastern New York FCU.

TAMPA, Fla. – floridacentral CU has selected Connect Financial Software Solutions’ consumer suite of Internet banking, bill payment, and other services.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Arrowhead Central CU said it has signed with Auto Expert, a car-buying service owned by Altura CU, to provide free locating and purchasing services for members.

TREVOSE, Penn. – Fast-growing TruMark Financial CU is rolling out a nine-week radio and TV branding campaign, along with outdoor media.

WALLINGFORD, Conn. – Constitution Corporate FCU reported it still had negative net worth at the end of the first quarter, even as its earnings are trending positive.

WASHINGTON – Credit unions yesterday joined community banks to express their opposition to proposed amendments to the bank reform bill that would lower interchange fees charged on credit and debit card transactions.

NEW YORK – A new customer satisfaction survey to be published today finds that credit unions provide the most satisfying online banking experience.

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Addison Avenue FCU has introduced a free visual ATM locator channel on metaio’s 2.0 augmented reality platform.

VIENNA, Va. – Navy FCU has begun using IBM’s SPSS Modeler, which allows the $45 billion credit union to monitor changes in consumer attitudes gleaned from social networking and other sites and then use the information, merged with its internal data, to shape acquisition and retention campaigns.

PRINCETON, N.C. – Merchant processor Heartland Payment Systems plans to hire almost 1,200 workers over the next 18 months in a major expansion of its sales team.

SACO, Maine – PeoplesChoice CU raised $11,500 for the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger and Maine Special Olympics at its 7th annual Polar Bear Scramble on golf simulators at Fore Season Indoor Golf in Portland.

AMES, Iowa – Greater Iowa CU has pledged a $100,000 multi-year gift to the Iowa State University College of Business to fund an annual business lecture through the university lectures program.

PASADENA, Calif. – Wescom Central CU yesterday said it has renewed its contract with Edcomm Banker’s Academy for additional maintenance, hosting and support of its comprehensive online training programs.

BETTENDORF, Iowa – Ascentra CU has completed its merger with Members Choice Community CU in Clinton to create one of the largest credit unions in the state, with $245 million in assets.