OAKLAND, Calif. – Self-Help FCU, the federally chartered credit union created by North Carolina’s Self-Helf CU earlier this year, has applied to state regulators to acquire troubled El Futuro CU, which would be its third deal here in recent months.

WASHINGTON – Regulators on Friday shut down banks in Florida, Arizona and Kansas, bringing to 133 the number of U.S. banks that have failed so far in 2009.

WASHINGTON – Credit union lobbyists expressed satisfaction last week that the financial services reform package passed by the House will have a limited impact on credit unions and they will now focus their attention on the Senate, which is expected to take up the legislation early next year.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The NCUA Board denied an appeal by the lone-employee of New London Security FCU to receive a $265,000 lump-sum payout for her service at the failed Connecticut credit union.

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Eastman CU, the state’s largest credit union, said last week it will pay members a $4 million extraordinary dividend early in 2010, for the second year in a row.

CHAMBERSBURG, Penn. – Local police sent a warning letter to Members 1st FCU after receiving four false robbery alarms in less than a year--that was before four more false alarms last month.

WASHINGTON – Members of the House easily turned back a bid to add the so-called cramdown provision to the financial services reform bill this morning, after an avid lobby by credit unions and banks opposed to the measure.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The FBI is looking for a pair of robbers who may have hit as many as six northern Arizona credit unions and banks, including the Arizona Central CU branch Oct. 14.

MANCHESTER, N.H. – The New Hampshire CU League is holding a Home Energy Audit Contest to assist consumers with decreasing both their carbon footprint and fuel costs.

BATON ROUGE, La. – KeyPoint FCU plans to expand next year in Ascension Parish with a new branch in Prairieville.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – ESL FCU will enter Genesee County with a branch in Batavia to open in late 2010, officials announced Thursday.

WASHINGTON – Rates on most mortgages moved higher this week after five weeks of decline, following long-term bond yields that rose after an upbeat employment report.

BOULDER, Colo. – Former IBM employees credit union Premier Members FCU has received regulatory approval to merge $71 million Colorado United CU into it.

PALO ALTO, Calif. – A team of thieves stole the ATM from the lobby of Stanford FCU between late Sunday night and early Monday morning, the second cash machine stolen from the credit union in the past month.

AMARILLO, Texas – A member service rep at Texas Plains FCU who walked into the Amarillo Police Department and gave herself up confessed this week to stealing $221,000 from the credit union.

SEATTLE – The U.S. Small Business Administration announced yesterday the appointment of Calvin Goings, a senior advisor with the Washington CU League, as its regional administrator for the northwest, overseeing Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA announced approval yesterday for only the second new credit union charter for 2009, for the East Side Development Alliance FCU, in Queens, N.Y.

PASADENA, Calif. – Wescom Central CU, still struggling with the southern California recession, announced plans yesterday to shutter another eight branches.

WASHINGTON – House members approved language in the financial services reform bill last night that could effectively exempt all credit unions from examinations by the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

MONROE, Ga. – An employee of Covington CU was arrested yesterday and charged with helping three suspects rob the credit union last Friday morning.