FAIRFAX, Va. – Members and employees of Apple FCU collected 210 pounds of food and 300 coats for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network and The Salvation Army.

GOSHEN, Ind. – Interra CU said it could provide as much as $25,000 to local charities through its own ‘Pay It Forward’ campaign.

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Affinity FCU said it has partnered with Digital Insight, an Intuit company (the makers of QuickBooks and Quicken) to offer Small Business FinanceWorks, an online solution designed to streamline the financial tasks of small businesses.

ABILENE, Texas – Abilene Teachers FCU broke ground yesterday on a two-story building here that will serve as new headquarters and a branch for the $270 million credit union.

PASADENA, Calif. – Wescom Central CU announced Monday it is closing 12 branches early next year as it continues to dig out from large losses.

SAN ANSELMO, Calif. – Deposits rates are expected to continue to decline or stay flat during the first half of 2010, according to a new study issued yesterday by Market Rates Insight, a research firm that tracks rates for deposits, loans and fees.

WASHINGTON – The FDIC yesterday approved a $4 billion budget for 2010–$2.5 billion of it to resolve failing banks–and the number of failures to continue to rise.

MADISON, Wis. – CUNA Mutual Group officials expressed regret yesterday at this week’s setback in the BJ Wholesale Club Breach but said they hope the losing suit in the case helps bring awareness to shortcomings in the system for compensating credit unions and other financial institution victims of card frauds.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Developers broke ground this week on a $33 million student housing and commercial development at the University of Maryland that is being financed by State Employees CU of Maryland and other credit union members of the CUBC, LLC, the member business lending CUSO.

PEORIA, Ill. – CEFCU, the state’s second-largest credit union, said yesterday it will be paying members a $7 million dividend this year, up from last year’s $6 million.

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Supreme Court affirmed a lower court decision and dismissed the multi-million dollar lawsuit by CUMIS Insurance Society on behalf of 90 credit unions whose credit cards were breached in the 2005 hacking of BJ’s Wholesale Club.

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – Fiserv said it completed the sale of its Loan Fulfillment Services business to ISGN Solutions.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – CO-OP Financial Services announced a partnership with NCR Corp. to offer a comprehensive suite of managed ATM services to credit unions.

ABERDEEN, Md. – Aberdeen Proving Ground FCU announced the local winners of its “Scan Your Smile & Win” sweepstakes who all won heavy-duty cross-cut shredders to help protect them against identity theft.

BROCKTON, Mass. – HarborOne CU employees drove a new specially wrapped Smart Car Passion around Mansfield and Attleboro for months to promote the credit unions newest branches in those towns–then gave away the 2009 car to a lucky member.

SAGINAW, Mich. – The Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis has awarded 15 projects a total of $7.2 million in Affordable Housing Program funds, including a $750,000 grant to Wanigas CU of Saginaw, Mich.

LOS ANGELES – A man rode up to the Southland CU across the street from the new Los Angeles Police Department headquarters yesterday morning on a mountain bike and robbed the branch, before making his getaway on the bike.

PANAMA CITY, Fla.The Sunshine State may not be getting any of the ice and snow that has battered about two-thirds of the nation, but that doesn't mean credit unions here aren't in the holiday spirit. Case in point: Innovations CU corralled its staff to put together a lip sync routine to Basshunter's version of "Jingle Bells." Complete with costumes and choreography the nearly three-minute routine can be viewed on CU Journal's website  look just below the online survey on the right side of the home page.

WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department said it approved ten more servicers, include five credit unions, for its Home Affordable Modification Program.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA said that college savings 529 accounts may be insured by the National CU Share Insurance Fund either as public units or on a pass-thru basis as a trust.