COLLEGE STATION, Texas - With states lining up to get out of the student loan market, one credit union here is bucking the trend by partnering with the state to make sure the student loan tap doesn’t run dry.

FITCHBURG, Mass. - Workers’ CU said it was awarded a $76,665 workforce training grant from the state. The funds will help train 151 employees at the $600 million credit union. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

DEER PARK, Texas - A former branch manager for Associated CU last week was charged with stealing $246,000 from the credit union by granting loans in the names of relatives and friends without their consent.

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – USA FCU announced today it is merging with T&C FCU, to form what will be the state’s fourth largest credit union, with more $1.2 billion in assets.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – USA FCU announced today it is merging with T&C FCU, to form what will be the state’s fourth largest credit union, with more $1.2 billion in assets.

JACKSON, Miss. – A former Jackson police officer yesterday was arrested and charged with last Friday’s armed robbery of $8,000 at Mississippi Public Employees CU.

RICHMOND, Ind. – A former teller for Health Care Professionals FCU confessed to stealing $185,000 from member accounts and is expected to be sentenced to prison next week.

ALBANY, N.Y. – The New York CU, Sunmark FCU and Suffolk FCU each donated $3,000 to the Children's Hospital at Albany Medical Center.

ROME, N.Y. – AmeriCU CU said it contributed $8,500 to the Warriors in Transition Unit at Fort Drum, which will be used to help wounded soldiers.

AUSTIN, Minn. – Accentra CU yesterday announced it has hired Paul Knorr, a local banker, as its new president and CEO.

McLEAN, Va. – Home mortgage rates held steady this week, as lenders waited to see whether the Federal Reserve would cut short-term rates again, as had been expected.

PHOENIX – City officials joined executives and members of Arizona State CU to celebrate the Tuesday opening of the credit union’s new 135,000 square-foot corporate offices.

WASHINGTON – The Senate finally introduced its own version of the CU Regulatory Improvements Act – better known as CURIA – which has been languishing in the House for more than five years.

WASHINGTON – Faced with continuing losses on its huge mortgage backed securities holdings, U.S. Central FCU is working with officials of the Federal Reserve to gain access to the Central Bank’s Discount Window for short-term liquidity loans.

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – A former loan officer at TEG FCU yesterday was charged with conspiring with a local auto dealer to provide indirect auto loans to unqualified subprime borrowers, many of whom were not eligible to join the credit union.

WASHINGTON – NCUA and banking regulators today will propose new rules barring certain unfair credit card practices and setting new requirements on overdraft protection programs, including allowing members to opt out of such programs, also known as bounce protection.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A former branch manager at Star USA FCU will spend three months in federal prison and pay $81,672 in restitution for money she stole from the credit union.

BANGOR, Maine – Don Soucy has retired as chairman of the board at Bangor FCU after 52 years – the only chairman the credit union has ever had.

LOWELL, Mass. – Northern Massachusetts Telephone Workers Community CU was among five area companies sharing $276,000 in workforce training grants, the Governor’s office announced this week.