NASHVILLE, Tenn.-When flooding forced the closing of a half-dozen branches last week here, several credit unions pointed to the relief offered by having shared branches available elsewhere at which members could conduct business.

ATLANTA-Credit unions are doing a better job of not keeping their shared branch locations a "best-kept secret."

FRANKLIN, N.Y.-For credit unions everywhere market conditions and a recession have made the CEO's job even tougher-and that's especially true at one small CU here that wishes to remain independent and isn't wanting to merge.

WESTBROOK, Maine-A campaign led by Synergent and Weber Marketing has helped teach Maine CU members and potential members the benefits of shared branching.

CLEVELAND-In an unusual move, NCUA liquidated St. Paul's Croatian FCU last week, just a week after taking over the $250-million credit union.

BOSTON-Tremont CU, the $180-million credit union that suffered an $11.6-million loss last year, agreed to correct severe management weaknesses involving insider abuses, self-sealing, unsafe lending and inadequate reserves as part of a supervisory agreement, NCUA announced.

WASHINGTON-Seven more banks failed April 30, with bank seizures spreading to Puerto Rico, where three institutions were seized by regulators.

ATLANTA-NCUA said it has reassigned long-time southeast region three Director Alonzo Swann to be special assistant to executive Director David Marquis in NCUA headquarters in Alexandria, Va.

WASHINGTON-Two community development credit unions were awarded $600,000 in grants under the Native Americans round of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions program.

CUS RESPOND TO DEADLY FLOOD

The challenge to CUs, as always: throwing some sprinkles on that plain-vanilla message and getting it out there for members and consumers alike.

The economic downturn has created two schools of thought: one that holds back and one that sees opportunities to buy at a lower cost. The market for real estate to build or lease facilities is full of bargains and pitfalls.

CUNA CEO Dan Mica writes to "provide greater context to two statements in the April 19, 2010 article entitled, 'NCUA Unlikely to Press Congress for Capital Relief,' which could leave readers with the incorrect impression that capital reform is dead and that CUNA and NCUA have abandoned their efforts on this issue."

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former manager of collections at Pioneer FCU was banned from the credit union industry by NCUA Friday based on her criminal conviction of stealing almost $565,000 from the Mountain Home, Idaho, credit union.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former branch manager for Media First CU on Friday pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzling nearly $400,000 from the credit union for the Kansas City Star newspaper.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Credit union-owned Alaska Option has licensed the S1 Payments solution for its EFT switch and processing platform.

MARLBORO, Mass. – DCU for Kids, the non-profit foundation of Digital FCU, has made donations totaling $39,000 to local organizations as part of its charitable efforts in supporting programs that provide a health, welfare, educational or social service for children in communities that it serves.

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Bellingham Kids' Festival will take place this summer after all, thanks to a $10,000 sponsorship from GaPac Community FCU.

BROCKTON, Mass. – HarborOne CU said it will make $27,000 in contributions to nine local nonprofit agencies.

LOS ANGELES – Big credit unions in the four “Sand States,” plus one (Utah), are continuing to report big losses, even as a glimmer of economic recovery is starting to emerge nationwide.