DALLAS - Keeping staff morale high in a down economy is a tough task. But an employee-driven program at Advancial FCU is seeking to address that challenge, while also helping staff members get into good physical and mental shape.

MEQUON, Wis. – Mortgagebot has entered into an alliance with PCLender.com, Honolulu.

SALT LAKE CITY – The two major universities in the Beehive State long have had a storied rivalry across numerous sports, but now the school that wins the most competitions will take home a traveling trophy bearing the name of Deseret First Credit Union.

MERIDIAN, Miss. – Police here are on the lookout for a man whom surveillance video shows spent more than a half-hour staking out a credit union ATM here, before finally trying to pry it open with a crowbar.

COSTA MESA, Calif. – Overall consumer credit scores continue to decline, according to data released by the latest Experian-Oliver Wyman Market Intelligence Report.

SAN DIMAS, Calif. – Financial Service Centers Cooperative, Inc. (FSCC) said it is expanding its shared branch presence further into the Midwestern U.S.

GLASTONBURY, Conn. – Open Solutions, Inc., has released Veri-Fast, a solution designed to quickly and securely identify accountholders at the teller station.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – What will the nation’s credit union community look like 100 years from now? Will there even be one? Or will it be even more robust?

LIVONIA, Mich. – The “Invest in America” program is expanding to include Allied Van Lines and its agent, Carey Moving and Storage.

BURBANK, Calif. – Lockheed FCU last week was accepting contributions for a fund to honor and help the families of two firefighters killed while battling the blazes in Los Angeles.

WASHINGTON – The services of corporate credit unions should be limited to a defined set, including payments and settlements, liquidity, and short-term investments, according to final recommendations released last week by a task force created in the wake of several failures among corporates earlier this year.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – TJX Cos. said yesterday it has agreed to pay $525,000 to two credit unions and two banks to settle their claims in the huge credit card breach case.

HARTFORD, Conn. – The former bookkeeper for Meriden Franco-American FCU pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to stealing almost $745,000 from the tiny credit union that failed last year.

MODESTO, Calif. – A woman who led police on a high-speed chase up to 100 MPH escaping from an $85,000 robbery at Valley First CU in 2004 was sentenced this week to seven years behind bars.

WICHITA – Kansas Corporate CU has signed with MY CU Services LLC, a CUSO of Mid-Atlantic Corporate FCU, to offer its electronic bill payment services to its credit union members.

YORK, Penn. – First Capital FCU celebrated the grand opening of its new ‘green’ branch on Saturday.

WHITEFISH, Mont. – Charlie Abell retired as president and CEO of Whitefish CU, after 44 years at the credit union.

JANESVILLE, Wis. – Students at Craig and Parker high schools started the school year Monday with a new amenity, each had their own credit union, courtesy of Blackhawk Community CU.

WASHINGTON – Capital-area credit unions will roll out a new set of radio and transit ads Sept. 14 in the next phase of their cooperative marketing campaign.

HAMPDEN TOWNSHIP, Penn. – Members 1st FCU bought the troubled Coliseum Entertainment Megaplex at yesterday’s bankruptcy auction after no one bid on the property.