ROCKFORD, Ill. – A man who attempted to rob ABD FCU in February this week was sentenced to eight years in prison.

FULDA, Minn. – Fulda CU said it has deployed online compliance training from Edcomm Banker’s Academy.

WICHITA, Kan. – Students at Southeast High School can open a savings or checking account, use their debit card or apply for a zero-interest laptop loan at school, thanks to the city’s first in-school credit union branch opened by Credit Union of America.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Fort Financial CU has signed with Auto Financial Group to provide it with AFG’s DrivingSense as both a direct and an indirect lending option.

LATHRUP VILLAGE, Mich. – Michigan First CU is helping metro Detroiters get into affordable new cars during its "Loan Zone" car sale next week, featuring many vehicles under $10,000 and no payments until February 2010.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The man at the wheel of a scheme that siphoned $27 million in boat loans from credit unions and banks told authorities he never met a loan officer in person, but secured all of his loans over the phone or Internet.

McLEAN, Va. – Home loan rates ticked up this week, although the average for the benchmark 30-year rate hovered just above 5%, according to Freddie Mac.

PITTSBURGH – The Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh reported a $40.4 million third quarter loss yesterday due to write-downs on its mortgage-backed securities.

CHICAGO – The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago yesterday said it expects to record a loss of $150 million for the third quarter, due to write-downs on its private-label mortgage-backed securities.

MONETT, Mo. – Jack Henry & Associates yesterday said it has agreed to acquire Seattle-based PEMCO Technologies, a subsidiary of PEMCO Corp. that specializes in providing transaction processing services for credit unions.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Arizona State CU kicked off a new promotion supporting the grand opening of its new branch here which will entail giving away seven shopping sprees totaling $11,000.

FLINT, Mich. – Dort FCU, which typically pays a big special dividend or makes some other grand gesture for the holidays, is giving away two homes it acquired through foreclosure.

OGDEN, Utah – One of as many as 10 suburban teenage girls who kited thousands of dollars of checks between several credit unions this week was sentenced to 45 days in county jail.

DENVER – WhereMembersDrive.com is allowing Colorado credit unions to post recently repossessed cars to their members, who can purchase these cars at outstanding prices.

DALLAS – Zix Corp., maker of popular e-mail encryption software, yesterday reported a third quarter loss of $657,000, down from a loss of $1.5 million for the same period last year.

HOUSTON – Cardtronics, operator of the nation’s biggest fleet of ATMs and a key partner of credit unions, yesterday reported third quarter net income of $6.4 million, up from a loss of $4.4 million for the same period last year, as its cost of revenues was down significantly from last year.

PITTSBURGH – Riverset CU has teamed up with "blue tomato design" for a project initiative to make a difference and plant trees to beautify the local area.

LANSING, Mich. – NuUnion CU will partner with Lansing’s children’s museum, Impression 5 Science Center, to host the third annual Money Super Saturday – a day of fun and educational money-themed activities for kids.

WALL STREET – NCUA yesterday said it is offering $1.5 billion of three-year notes guaranteed by its Temporary Corporate CU Liquidity Guarantee Program to finance the activities of WesCorp FCU, the California corporate giant it has been operating under conservatorship since March 20.

READING, Pa. – Members of Berks Community FCU approved the merger of the ailing credit union into smaller Bellco FCU, creating a $110 million credit union serving 14,000 members.