INDIANAPOLIS – Online marketing firm iDiz Inc. is offering a free web site makeover to the ugliest credit union website.

TUMWATER, Wash. – O Bee CU launched a new program to reward members with cash who pay their auto loans on time.

LENEXA, Kan. – U.S. Central FCU reported yesterday it has increased the expected charges on its investment portfolio for 2008 from $1.2 billion reported in January to a whopping $3.8 billion.

WASHINGTON – Senators blew a big hole in the credit card reform bill yesterday when they voted to add an unrelated provision that would allow visitors to national parks to carry concealed weapons.

PITTSTON, Penn. – UFCW FCU celebrated the grand opening of its new branch inside Quinn’s Market with a drawing for a three-minute shopping spree.

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – Community Choice CU will award $5,000 each to 20 high school seniors for their visions to enrich Michigan.

POTTSTOWN, Penn. – Diamond CU said it has signed a five-year agreement to move its 9,000 credit card accounts to PSCU Financial Services.

SHREVPORT, La. – Pelican State CU said it has purchased the CU Service Center in Shreveport from CU Cooperative Branching, LLC.

NEDERLAND, Texas – 5 Point CU donated $10,000 to the graduation ceremonies at local Bridge City High School.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A be-wigged robber believed to have as many as seven area financial institutions, was collared Monday after his wig caught the attention of a reserve sheriff's deputy.

WASHINGTON – The new corporate credit union bailout bill introduced in the House yesterday is widely expected to be combined with one or more other bills seeking to ease the burden of the $6 billion corporate plan on credit unions.

SAN DIEGO – In what is believed to be the first connection of violent street gangs to a sophisticated bank scam in California, 60 suspects were arrested Tuesday in a predawn raid here and charged with scamming Navy FCU out of more than $500,000.

Town North Bank of Dallas, which is owned by credit unions and issues credit cards on their behalf, has agreed to sell that business, including $300 million of receivables, to U.S. Bancorp's Elan Financial Services.

WASHINGTON – A new bill introduced in the House this morning would allow credit unions to stretch out the costs of the corporate bailout for as long as eight years and it would provide as much as $30 billion in new funding to NCUA to help stem a systemic crisis.

WASHINGTON – A new bill introduced in the House this morning would allow credit unions to stretch out the costs of the corporate bailout for as long as eight years and it would provide as much as $30 billion in new funding to NCUA to help stem a systemic crisis.

LANCASTER, Calif. – Two masked men jumped out of a car and assaulted and robbed a Brinks guard who was delivering two bags of cash to the Edward FCU branch yesterday afternoon.

McLEAN, Va. – Freddie Mac said yesterday it will need an additional $6.1 billion in federal aid after it lost $9.9 billion for the first quarter.

DENVER – A police bomb squad robot named TNT, using a water cannon, "rendered a black backpack harmless" shortly before 1 p.m. yesterday after it was left by a man who robbed the White Crown FCU downtown.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – State regulators reported yesterday they have approved the merger of Community Trust CU, the $50 million Modesto credit union, into Self-Help FCU, broadening the Durham, N.C., community development credit union’s footprint in California.

EDMORE, Mich. – Heartland Employees CU, a one-time $4.5 million credit union, has been approved by state regulators to merge into River Valley CU, a 454 million credit union in nearby Ada.