SALT LAKE CITY-Will Beehive CU convert or won't it?

Bank-to-credit-union conversions rarely come to a neat conclusion with all parties satisfied, but the case of First Basin CU has devolved into a slow-moving lawsuit.

WARRENVILLE, Ill-Members Health Network-established by Members United Corporate FCU-now has participation from credit unions with about 600,000 members combined.

SAN FRANCISCO-During 2008 the top 25 U.S. banks have shown improvement when it comes to resolving cases of identity theft, but ongoing vulnerability in prevention and detection, according to a new study from Javelin Strategy & Research.

TOPEKA, Kans.-Bankers in this state successfully limited field of membership guidelines for state-charted credit unions in Kansas in 2008, but not to the extent they had hoped for.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.-We admit it. We're guilty. And we're not alone.

NEW YORK CITY-A credit union being formed to serve New York City's police officers has yet to receive its charter-more than a half year after its initial launch date.

NEW YORK-Need another sign of the economy's doldrums during 2008? U.S. households have seen a 20% reduction in credit card solicitations during 2008, according to a study from Mail Monitor, the credit card direct mail tracking service that is a unit of Synovate.

ST. LOUIS-Regulators have OK'd a request from 1st City Catholic CU, a $9 million credit union, to convert to a community charter serving the 375,000 residents of St. Louis. 1st City has net worth of almost 30%. Separately, Cross Roads CU in Kansas City was OK'd to serve Jackson County's 675,000 residents.

OLYMPIA, Wash.-The Department of Financial Institutions said state-chartered CUs will pay 5.6% more in fees and assessments next year to fund the department's oversight.

ARLINGTON, Va.-The market and economic crashes of 2008 are forcing some new thinking of a 2007 study that had suggested credit unions may be overcapitalized.

SYRACUSE, N.Y.-Syracuse Cooperative FCU was one of four community development financial institutions named a winner of a Wachovia NEXT Award for Opportunity Finance. The 26-year-old community development CU, which has created important programs for low-income home ownership, asset building and payday lending, was awarded $25,000 under the two-year-old program. In the past two years, the $14 million CDCU has made almost 100 payday-alternative loans, lent more than $2 million in predatory-alternative mortgages and provided housing and credit counseling to 300 low-income individuals.

BURLINGTON, Vt.-The former president of River Valley CU was charged with embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars by taking extra salary, bonuses and other payments over a four-year period before he was fired in 2005. Gary Ellis, 56, entered a not guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Burlington.

WASHINGTON-The Federal Reserve is expected to amend its so-called Regulation Z governing credit card rules in a way that would bar certain lucrative practices by card issuers.

Security Service FCU, San Antonio, Texas, promoted Brian Krause to manager of its Ingram Park Mall service center.

AUSTIN, Texas-A key government advisory panel recommended expanded disclosures for state-chartered credit unions, passing the recommendations on for action by the state legislature. The report approved by the Texas Sunset Commission would require more comprehensive financial reporting to members; the names and terms of directors and any changes to the credit union's bylaws enacted over the previous year.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-NCUA agreed last week to allow Citizens Equity First CU, Illinois' second biggest credit union, to acquire Valley CU, the one-time $305 million credit union taken over by the federal regulator two months ago.

WASHINGTON-With the approach of a new administration, several candidates, including the incumbent NCUA Chairman Michael Fryzel, have already begun jockeying for the top spot at the credit union agency.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.-The plunging market for securities held by corporate credit unions has left NCUA between a rock and a hard place as it seeks to minimize potential losses among the corporate network.

I just finished reading Kelley Park's column in the Nov. 10 issue of the Credit Union Journal headlined, "It Wasn't Easy Being Green, But CU Spirit Of Cooperation Certainly Made it Easier." I found it so refreshing to know that there was someone else out there who felt the way I'm feeling right now. I work for a credit union here in California and I absolutely love it. I'm in charge with the wonderful task of completing all the marketing for the credit union, and I have no prior experience. I'm practically just learning as I go. I don't have many contacts in the Credit Union World, so reading your article gave me hope.