SUITLAND, Md. – Andrews FCU has hit the airwaves to increase its penetration of the Washington, D.C., market a half-hour south.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Charlie Christ last week signed into law a bill that will allow credit unions and banks to sell debt cancellation products. Florida is the only state in the country not allowing the sale of these loan insurance products.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.–The first half of 2008 is nearly complete, and while credit unions haven’t seen the losses suffered by others in the financial marketplace, they have been feeling the strain on their bottom lines. To help credit unions get out from behind the economic clouds for the remainder of the year, Credit Union Journal asked analysts and solutions providers for their strategies and ideas for improving the bottom line as part of our ongoing focus on growth. Click on the related links to read what they had to say.

DEDHAM, Mass. – The former office manager of Norfolk County Employees FCU last week was accused of stealing more than $40,000 from the credit union through a variety of schemes.

HIGHTSTOWN, N.J. – America’s fighting men will receive video Father’s Day cards from their kids and families this year, courtesy of New Jersey’s credit unions.

KELSO, Ore. – An Astoria man confessed to robbing a Fibre FCU branch here, then spraying the employees with pepper spray before driving to a nearby community and robbing a bank there.

GLENDALE, Calif. – California CU on Friday announced it has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration to offer its members federally guaranteed business loans under the SBA’s 7 (a) program and to participate in the Express loan program.

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Columbia CU is scheduled to open its second environmentally friendly branch here today using a new prototype design that features sustainable building standards.

LATHRUP VILLAGE, Mich. – Michigan First CU has introduced no-fee, high-speed coin counters for its members.

CUDAHY, Wis. – Prime Financial CU said it has begun making a monthly “Gas Allowance” deposit into employees’ accounts to help offset the rising cost of fuel. The funds are going to full-time employees who are not in an executive or senior management position.

WASHINGTON – CUNA, which has been fighting NCUA efforts to expand disclosures of executive compensation, last week said it opposes an effort to increase disclosure on the Internal Revenue Service's annual Form 990 that would increase public access to executive compensation at state chartered credit unions.

CHICAGO – Fitch Rating on Friday said it has placed its rating for Members United Corporate FCU on its Rating Watch Negative based on growing concerns over losses on its large holdings of mortgage backed securities.

LOS ANGELES – SCE FCU and First City CU on Friday announced they will combine to create an $800 million credit union, the latest in the accelerating consolidation of credit unions in this hard-hit market.

Patelco Credit Union in San Francisco agreed last week to assist a credit union on the brink of bankruptcy because of troubled home equity loans.

MERRIFIELD, Va. - Why did the largest credit union on the face of the earth seek an even larger field of membership? Because, said Navy FCU in explaining its FOM expansion to the Department of Defense, it is the only credit union–indeed, the only financial institution–in a position to serve those members no matter where the military takes them, it said.

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. - Controversy over an invalidated supervisory committee election continues to swirl around Del Norte Credit Union, as a perhaps former, perhaps current member of the committee is leveling new charges of conflict of interest.

CU-Backed Candidate To Face Ex-ABA Lobbyist

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The rapidly rising price of gas has credit unions seeking ways to reduce travel between facilities by staff and to help employees cope with the costs–a cost that could affect employee retention and recruitment.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. - Customer dissatisfaction with their retail banks has declined, according to a new study.

WASHINGTON - After a five-month wait, NCUA nominee Michael Fryzel will finally get a hearing before the Senate Banking Committee this week, but observers continue to doubt whether the Republican appointee will ever be voted by the full Democratically controlled Senate.