WASHINGTON–Ten months after the Obama Administration announced a $75-billion program aimed at keeping up to four-million Americans from being foreclosed upon, lenders have processed more than one-million applications and entered into trial mortgage modifications with 759,000 borrowers. But new data show that just 31,000 of those have been made permanent.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.–NCUA, acting as Conservator of Western Corporate Federal Credit Union (WesCorp), filed papers in Superior Court in Los Angeles Dec. 30 to intervene as plaintiff in a lawsuit against several current and former employees and officials of WesCorp.The agency is maintaining that it is the proper plaintiff and should be permitted to replace the current plaintiffs and determine whether and how to proceed with any action against WesCorp’s former Board members and employees.

REDLANDS, Calif.–Arrowhead Credit Union has installed an Ice Bear unit to provide demand-reducing air conditioned cooling for its branch here, and is projecting it will be able to reduce the air conditioning peak demand by more than 20% at the 5,500 square foot facility.

LAS VEGAS–Silver State Schools Credit Union, which could receive a cash infusion from its deposit insurer, American Share Insurance, in the near future, could be profitable by next year.

CAROL STREAM, Ill.–The confidence of small business owners in the economy improved slightly in December, according to a survey by Discover Financial Services.

SAN JOSE, Calif.–Technology CU here, and Financial Center FCU in Indianapolis both announced new CEOs yesterday.

WASHINGTON–The Federal Reserve Board has proposed a program to sell term deposits to banks to help mop up some of the $1 trillion in excess reserves in the U.S. banking system.

MISSOULA, Mont.–Missoula FCU has created a “Hellgate Girls Fund” to help the families of four Hellgate High School freshmen who were struck by an allegedly drunken driver.

ATLANTA–The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta said it will stop accepting paper checks for processing after 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Feb. 26.

RALEIGH, N.C.–The accounts of more than 300 people were exposed as the result of a skimming scam directed against State Employees Credit Union. In such scams, skimming devices record data from the magnetic strips on the back of financial cards.

WASHINGTON–Community banks are lobbying the Obama administration and the Federal Reserve Board to shield them from new compensation guidelines that could limit executive pay. The guidelines are included as part of the larger regulatory reform plan working its way through Congress.

PRINCETON, N.J.–Heartland Payment Systems reported it has reached a settlement in a class action lawsuit over a data breach.

DUBLIN, Ohio–American Share Insurance, which provides primary deposit insurance to more than 150 credit unions in nine states, said it will charge its insured CUs a 2009 special premium assessment of 15 basis points.

ATLANTA–Two Wisconsin-based credit unions have implemented VSoft’s outsourced branch item capture solution offered by its ASP platform, VSoft Managed Services. The $725-million Altra FCU and the $422 million Pioneer CU said the implementation will add additional convenience for members.

TAMPA–As if the black jacket, black hat, black ski mask, black dress shoes and black dress pants weren’t drawing enough attention to the robber who held up a branch of GTE FCU, the addition of white gloves, an open umbrella propped over his shoulder and a very unique black briefcase certainly did the trick.

ONTARIO, Calif.–As reported earlier by Credit Union Journal, CU Direct Lending (CUDL) has inked a deal with GE Capital Fleet in which the fleet management giant will help CUDL’s client credit unions remarket repossessed vehicles. The goal is to earn better returns on repossessed vehicles, CUDL said.

CROSBY, Texas–A man robbed a credit union here by using its drive-through and sending what he said was a bomb to a teller.

WASHINGTON–The Federal Reserve Board yesterday proposed amendments to Regulation D (Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions) that would enable the establishment of a term deposit facility–a move that could impact the corporate credit union system, according to one source.

WASHINGTON–The Treasury Department's pledge of unlimited support for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may foreshadow changes to the Obama administration's Home Affordable Modification Program.

WASHINGTON–With the health care legislation now behind it, credit unions may get an opening for member business lending reform when the House of Representatives and Senate re-convene in mid-January.