WASHINGTON - A bid to get credit union non-profit lender status for the federally guaranteed student loan program has been rejected by lawmakers, even as they struggle to stem the exodus of lenders from the Federal Family Education Loan Program.

North Jersey FCU, Totowa, N.J., named Wilson Diaz information technology specialist, Sam Balady information technology administrator Gokcen Kargi clerical assistant, Jenifer Petrocca accounting manager, Ingrid Garcia accountant, Kim Perez electronic service representative, Carlene Ebanks assistant branch manager and Carol Varga human resources trainer.

NEW ORLEANS - CUNA-backed Republican State Rep. Steve Scalise easily won election in last week’s special race for the state’s First District House seat, which was vacated last year by Bobby Jindal after he was elected governor.

LYNN, Mass. - An Iraq war veteran last week was charged with robbing the same branch of St. Jean’s CU four times in two months.

TOLEDO, Ohio - Toledo Area Community CU said it has completed its combination with Erie Shores CU, creating the state’s fourth-largest credit union, now known as Directions CU.

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Barksdale FCU said Amo Easterly has retired as CEO and will be succeeded by Rod Taylor, the credit union’s chief operating officer for the past 16 years.

OREM, Utah - Family First FCU launched its own payday loan program that promises lower fees and rates than products offered by area competitors.

SAGINAW, Mich. - The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe has applied to NCUA to charter a new federal credit union.

ATLANTA - CO-OP Shared Branching has approved a plan proposed earlier by subsidiary Credit Union Service Center Network Inc. (CUSCNI) that encourages shared branching networks to allow CUs to opt-out of third-party, non-credit union owned shared branching kiosks.

Tom Auer, VP-architecture, NewGround, St. Louis.

ST. LOUIS - The Remote Teller System (RTS) has been around for years, and with it has been the debate over whether RTS pushes members away or lures them in. It’s a debate that is far from being settled, as some credit unions are successfully using them while others are ripping them out them out.

ST. LOUIS - There are certain demographics that simply don’t like Remote Teller Systems–but sometimes figuring out just which demos those are is the hard part.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. - Other findings released as part of CUDL’s 2008 Business Intelligence Report:

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. - Credit unions’ share of auto loans dropped slightly during 2007, according to the 2008 Auto Lending Business Intelligence Report released by Credit Union Direct Lending.

HOUSTON - Larry Hudson, president and CEO of PrimeWay FCU here, recalls when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita battered the southeast U.S. two years ago, and how the credit union and all of its facilities and staff fortunately got by unscathed.

HOUSTON - With hurricane season approaching, one credit union here believes it will be prepared thanks to lessons learned during previous hurricanes, including Rita and Katrina.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Alabama league hosted its 75th Annual Membership Meeting & Education Symposium here with more than 250 people in attendance. The meeting was themed “Stronger Together,” and it included a wall of pictures culled from the league archives.

OMAHA, Neb. - The company that owns the failed Great Adventures Water Resort filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week, leaving its lender, hard-pressed Centris CU, potentially holding the bag for millions of dollars in losses.

ORLANDO, Fla. - You have to control what you can control, and for credit unions that’s one, critical thing.

SUITLAND, Md. - Andrews FCU reported it has doubled its volume of sales in prepaid Visa gift card sales since the launch of its program in late November 2007. From November 2007 to February 2008, gross sales totaled 1,238 card with $99,906 in loaded funds.