SUITLAND, Md. – Andrews FCU said it has hired Chris McDonald, currently CEO of MobilOil FCU in Beaumont, Texas, as its new president and CEO.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – Santa Cruz Community CU said it is teaming up with El Pajaro Community Development Corp. to make $100,000 worth of microloans available for businesses served by the organization.

FITCHBURG, Mass. – Workers’ CU said it was awarded a $76,665 workforce training grant from the state.

HAVERHILL, Mass. – In requiring Northeast Community CU to conduct the vote on its merger into nearby Haverhill Bank a second time, the NCUA Board will leave the final decision to the agency’s Region One office.

WASHINGTON – Leaders of the House have agreed to put the slimmed-down version of the credit union regulatory relief bill to a vote next Tuesday on the so-called suspension calendar, reserved for non-controversial bills.

CHICAGO – The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, which created the FHLBs’ secondary mortgage market program, said yesterday it is ending its own participation in the 10-year-old program, known as Mortgage Partnership Finance.

PLANO, Texas – PNC Financial said it agreed to settle a Check 21 patent infringement suit by paying millions of dollars in license fees to tiny DataTreasury, which has successfully sued dozens of other big banks and transaction processors.

DETROIT – One of six men charged in a 2001 armored car robbery at Dearborn FCU, which left a guard dead, on Tuesday was sentenced to prison with no chance of parole.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal credit union may not provide benefits to the employees of its CUSO, whether the CUSO is wholly owned or majority owned, NCUA said in a new legal opinion.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Ent FCU announced the winning community organizations that will receive a total of $60,500 in Youth Endowment Series grants.

TAMPA, Fla. – GTE FCU said it has signed a five-year renewal agreement for signature and PIN debit and credit card processing with PSCU Financial Services.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico Educators FCU yesterday said it has implemented NEC’s Unified Solution’s IP-based UNIVERGE unified communications application.

AUGUSTA, Maine – A bill that would have allowed state and municipal agencies to deposit funds in credit unions, as well as banks and thrifts, died Friday with the adjournment of the state legislature.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Eleven people this week pled guilty to a scheme that posed individuals as members of the military or their families in order to gain access to Fort Campbell FCU’s first-time auto buying discount.

SAN DIEGO – More California credit unions, large and small, are reporting losses for the first quarter of 2008 – losses some are calling “collateral damage” from the subprime meltdown.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A 65-year-old robber sought in seven heists pleaded guilty to four of them yesterday – including two at the same branch of Tennessee Members First FCU last November.

HOUSTON – CUNA Mutual Group is suing a former credit union CEO who agreed to repay it $159,000 she stole from her credit union.

TALLAHASEE, Fla. – Sharon Whiddon, a long-time fixture among state regulators, said she will be retiring as state credit union supervisor on June 30.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Members Cooperative CU yesterday announced it has hired Tammy Heikkinen, who has been serving as interim CEO since last October, as its permanent president and CEO.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Monroe County Industrial Development Agency yesterday approved a $2 million tax benefit for ESL FCU’s new downtown office project, one of the lynchpins to this decaying Upstate city’s rehabilitation plans.