WASHINGTON – Credit unions are lobbying against a congressional bill that would open the process of setting interchange fees on credit and debit cards, saying the proposal would amount to government caps on fees.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Fairwinds CU yesterday said it has contracted with Gila Group to collect on its delinquent accounts.

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Sunmark FCU has moved from its downtown offices into a newly constructed headquarters in nearby Latham.

LOWELL, Mass. – M/A Com FCU said it is offering its members banking by text messaging.

BURBANK, Calif. – Lockheed FCU said it has installed nCipher’s CryptoStor Storage Encryption solution to encrypt data and backup recovery material.

VIENNA, Va. – Navy FCU yesterday announced it has selected VINtek to provide it with title management services for its auto lending.

PHILADELPHIA – Seven area credit unions have teamed up to charter their own business loan CUSO, known as Member Business Financial Services LLC.

MADISON, Wis. – A savings program targeted at newly single, divorced or widowed credit union members, an initiative rewarding group purchases, and financing options for funeral planning are among a group of eight new projects released into the marketplace by the Filene Research Institute’s i3 Innovations.

FAIRFAX, Va. – Fairfax County FCU is connecting with the area’s growing Hispanic population with a new “Cueneta Corriente Americana,” an American checking account that allows members to portray the flag of their home country on their checks.

EUGENE, Ore. – Members of SELCO Community CU and the general public are being invited to create a television ad for the $820 million credit union.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Federal credit unions may borrow funds to acquire investments, as long as the investments satisfy preexisting rules and regulations, NCUA said yesterday in a new legal opinion.

LUTHERVILLE, Md. – J. Wesley Bone ended 37 years as chairman of the First Financial of Maryland FCU board last month, at the credit union’s 55th annual meeting.

BRONX, N.Y. — NCUA yesterday said it placed tiny Father Burke FCU into liquidation, after the credit union reported a $27,123 loss for the first quarter and negative equity of $22,352.

RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond Postal CU said it has hired Joseph Haddon, Jr., the senior vice president at nearby Dominion CU, as its new president and CEO.

MINNEAPOLIS – Dean Nelson, the president and CEO of City-County FCU the past 30 years, announced his retirement yesterday, effective at the end of the month.

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. – Red Rocks CU yesterday said it has implemented Integrated Media Management’s TotaleAtlasWeb electronic document management solution.

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Automotive CU, a Ford employees' credit union that has seen its assets shrink 15% over the past year, has adopted a community charter as a result of its merger with MPG Community CU.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – CO-OP Financial Services yesterday said members of its credit unions can make deposits at 2,200 self-service financial kiosks in 7-Eleven convenience stores.

VIENNA, Va. – Navy FCU yesterday announced it has joined Key Bank’s agent bank program, giving its members access to Key’s 1,500 ATMs in 12 states.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Defense credit unions are petitioning the Department of Defense to halt a new credit card offered by JP Morgan Chase that is sponsored by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, which operates all post exchange (PX) and base exchange (BX) retail outlets at military installations around the globe, saying the card violates the Pentagon’s own prohibition on having the exchange operate banking services.