JUNEAU, Alaska – True North FCU yesterday said it has signed with First Command Financial Services to provide financial planning products and services to credit union members in Fairbanks, Juneau and Anchorage.

PINEVILLE, La. – Heart of Louisiana FCU has a new idea to energize young members: it is inviting members between the ages of 3 and 12 years of age to help redesign their lobbies.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The parents of Marine Corporal Jason Dunham, who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Bush last year, will be on hand at the Pentagon FCU Foundation’s Military Heroes Award on behalf of their son at the credit union’s fourth annual Night of Heroes Gala.

NEEDHAM, Mass. – Direct FCU said it awarded 93 $1,000 college scholarships to young women high school athletes as part of its annual Young Women Leaders of Tomorrow program.

SAN FRANCISCO – Patelco CU, which agreed last week to acquire the remains of failed Cal State 9 CU, said yesterday it reached a preliminary deal to assist Sterlent CU, another California credit union left on the brink from mortgage lending.

MADISON, Wis. – U.S. and Canadian credit unions will collaborate on an International Credit Union Day celebration this year under the banner, “It Belongs to Me.”

SEATTLE – Police are searching for a man who they call the “Candy Man Bandit” because he was seen eating a lollipop and chewing gum during his robberies of as many as four local credit unions and banks over a week.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Educational CU and Credit Unions United have agreed to pay up to $65,000 to provide a new scoreboard at the Pony Express diamond in the latest credit union sponsorship deal.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Empower FCU will add three new branches, including its second in Fulton, with the acquisition of NestEgg FCU.

FAIRFAX, Va. – Apple FCU yesterday announced it has granted $30,000 to Fairfax Academy for Communications and the Arts to finance the school’s Creative Leaders Project.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Eli Lilly FCU yesterday announced it will offer its members private student loans through a newly formed CUSO, Credit Union Student Choice.

WASHINGTON – In what is expected to be a preliminary step prior to introduction of a new bill, several U.S. senators called on Visa and MasterCard to make full disclosure of the fees charged during credit and debit card transactions.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Fidelity National Information Systems last week announced it has signed with US Bancorp’s Elan Financial Services to connect its InterCept surcharge-free ATM network to Elan’s MoneyPass network.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Check printer Deluxe Corp. yesterday announced it has signed with Bancorp Payment Solutions Group to offer a turnkey prepaid card service for credit unions and banks.

ADELPHI, Md. – NASA FCU announced it has granted a total of $25,000 in college scholarships to 10 members as part of its annual Mitchell-Beall Memorial Scholarship program.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – OSU FCU said it is donating 37 personal computer stations to Community Outreach of Corvallis, HomeLife of Albany and two local school districts.

PHILADELPHIA – American Heritage FCU said it opened its newest branch in the Social Security Administration Building of Philadelphia in response to growing demand by members.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Sarasota Coastal CU yesterday said it is implementing Financial Management Solutions’ Teller Management System to help it reduce branch expenses.

FAIRFAX, Va. – Apple FCU added more than $100,000 in new deposits through a savings contest waged between students and staff at two in-school branches here.

SAN ANTONIO – A woman who worked at Alamo FCU and her husband last week were charged with writing more than $1 million in counterfeit checks on the credit union to help finance the husband’s business.