FERNDALE, N.Y. – Syphr LLC has signed with Lending Solutions Inc. to provide Syphr clients with 24/7 lead/loan conversion, which will convert more RateMatch leads into funded loans.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Unitus Community CU has granted $1,000 scholarships to 11 local students.

ALLENTOWN, Penn. – PPL Gold CU said its longtime president and CEO Jerry Hittinger will retire June 30.

ORLANDO, Fla. – FAIRWINDS CU has signed to be the name sponsor on this year’s local tour of Broadway Across America, a series of Broadway musicals playing locally.

PHILADELPHIA – American Heritage FCU’s 16th Annual Gelatin Olympics raised more than $23,000 for the Children’s Seashore House at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia last week.

RESTON, Va. – Rates for 30-year mortgages back this week after soaring to seven-month highs last week, according to Freddie Mac.

WEST ALLIS, Wis. – NCUA said yesterday it is looking for merger mates for two ailing state chartered credit unions, Allco CU and First Security CU in Elm Grove.

APPLE VALLEY, Calif. – Alaska USA FCU became the latest credit union giant to enter the California market with an acquisition of a troubld credit union, High Desert FCU, a one-time $190 million credit union that was taken over by NCUA in October.

WASHINGTON – The main credit union lobbies were expressing relief yesterday at NCUA’s move to stretch the costs of the corporate credit union bailout over seven years.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA officials acknowledged yesterday the $5.9 billion bailout of corporate credit unions will not be the last hit for credit unions this year.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The NCUA Board ths morning reversed its corporate bailout charges and passed a new bailout plan that will give credit unions seven years to repay the $5.9 billion cost.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The NCUA Board ths morning reversed its corporate bailout charges and passed a new bailout plan that will give credit unions seven years to repay the $5.9 billion cost.

WASHINGTON – President Obama proposed a plan yesterday to create a consumer advocacy agency that would field and investigate consumer complaints brought against banks and credit union, something currently overseen by NCUA, the Federal Reserve, FDIC and the other existing regulators.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – CO-OP Financial Services said yesterday it is contributing $30,000 on behalf of its member credit unions to the Electronic Payments Coalition, the bank and credit union lobby group that is fighting efforts to regulate card interchange fees.

BROCKTON, Mass. – Crescent CU will mark celebrate its 90th anniversary today with cake and coffee for the public.

SEATTLE – Express CU said it has signed with Open Solutions to upgrade its Complete CU Solution core processing system to facilitate its new partnership with 16 local service agencies.

BEAVERTON, Ore. – Members of Oregon Territory FCU have approved the merger of the $50 million credit union into $440 million Rivermark Community CU.

ROCKVILLE, Md. – REALTORS FCU, the nation’s first all Internet credit union, announced yesterday it has joined the Credit Union 24 ATM network, giving it a brick-and-mortar presence.

MINNEAPOLIS – Wolters Kluwer Financial Services said yesterday it has formed a new indirect lending unit to better help credit unions in this area.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Authorities believe they have cracked a ring that has been depositing stolen, counterfeit or dormant checks into ATMs with legitimate accounts, then withdrawing or using the funds to make fraudulent purchases.