TUKWILA, Wash. – BECU said yesterday it plans to introduce a mobile wallet to its members in the first quarter of 2009.

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech FCU is helping students beat the rising costs of gas by teaming with the University to offer students interest-free loans up to $500 to buy a bike this fall.

BOSTON – A man who dropped the loot he had just stolen from Portuguese CU and ran after being confronted by police, may be the same goateed bandit responsible for as many as seven other bank robberies in recent weeks.

WASHINGTON – CUNA said it paid just over a $1 million to its President Dan Mica last year, believed to be the first executive in credit union’s to top the $1 million threshold.

WASHINGTON – Senate leaders are preparing to vote confirmation of NCUA Board nominee Michael Fryzel as soon as the end of the week, after Fryzel and nine other Bush nominations are endorsed by the Senate Banking Committee, as expected on Wednesday.

CAMDEN, N.J. – Police on Thursday tracked down and arrested a man they say robbed South Jersey CU before escaping in a taxi.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Police are searching for two men who allegedly robbed Fort McClellan CU on Friday disguised as women.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s attorney general last week rejected a proposed voter referendum to overturn a new 28% interest rate cap in payday loans because the proposed ballot initiative never mentions the new rate.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Prospera CU last week said it opened its latest GoodMoney payday loan outlet inside the city’s new Goodwill Store.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Truliant FCU last week said it is building its second branch here.

KETTERING, Ohio – Day Air CU said it has begun taking electronic deposits, allowing members to deposit money into their accounts via the Internet.

BALTIMORE – A federal judge here dismissed a wrongful arrest suit by a man held in jail four months for an armed robbery of Spectrum FCU, in nearby Frederick, that he did not commit.

WASHINGTON – The Senate Banking Committee is expected on Wednesday to vote its endorsement of a slate of Bush nominations, including that of NCUA Board candidate Michael Fryzel, which would set up the nomination for a vote by the full Senate.

WASHINGTON – NCUA last week joined the banking regulators in urging regulators for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to scrap a proposal setting independent appraisal rules for the secondary mortgage purchasers.

WASHINGTON – The bankers on Friday were claiming credit for trimming even more of the credit union regulatory relief bill that was separated from the credit unions’ two main legislative priorities before it was combined with the banks own reg relief package.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The record-setting floods tested the resourcefulness, mettle, and patience of credit union CEOs in this state, who are still guiding their CUs through the disaster. Leaders of five of those credit unions allowed Credit Union Journal to follow them through the early days leading up to the floods, and then the days the floods struck. Here are their stories, told in real time.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - As rivers recede in this state and others, credit unions are finding something else left behind by the floods: questions over their insurance coverages.

VIENNA, Va. - Tens of thousands of Navy FCU members were unable to access their accounts for most of a day last Tuesday after violent thunderstorms knocked out power to the area surrounding the credit union giant’s headquarters in northern Virginia.

BOULDER, Colo. - A scheduling tool that spits out seemingly nonsensical schedules has actually allowed the contact center at Elevations CU here to do more in less time–with 15% fewer full-time agents.

WASHINGTON - House leaders are expected to try again to hold a vote this week on the slimmed-down version of the credit union regulatory relief bill in hopes of getting it passed in the dwindling days of this Congress.