WAVELAND, Miss. – Two tellers at Keesler FCU taken hostage by a teen gunman during Friday’s armed robbery were set free after the getaway car crashed, enabling police to capture the robber.

SPENCER, Iowa – The manager and sole employee of Eaton Employees CU was sentenced last week to five years and three months in prison for stealing $800,000 from the $3 million credit union she ran.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – A least two thieves spray-painted security cameras then made off with GHS CU ATM here in the middle of the night last Wednesday.

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. – As part of an account-opening promotion, First Citizens’ FCU donated $20,000 to four local veterans groups.

PLAQUEMINE, La. – Dow Chemical FCU became the latest credit union to distance itself from its chief corporate sponsor with approval to convert to a community charter serving more than one millions residents surrounding Baton Rouge.

ODESSA, Texas – Members seeking to recall directors involved in the failed conversion of First Basin CU to bank were surprised to find they wouldn’t be told which three directors were up for reelection at last week’s annual meeting until immediately before the ballot.

BREA, Calif. – Credit Union of Southern California and nearby Visterra CU announced last week they will combine to create another credit union giant with over $1 billion in assets and 86,000 members.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – A well-known church pastor filed suit against Arrowhead CU for wrongful arrest after he was accused of check fraud then handcuffed at the credit union’s in-store branch in a crowded supermarket here.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Hundreds of credit unions who have PSCU Financial Services process their Visa transactions will be getting checks totaling $20.5 million next month as a result of the Visa initial public offering last month.

MIRAMAR, Fla. – Growing losses on exotic mortgage-backed securities have forced Eastern Financial Florida CU to submit new financials to NCUA showing even larger record losses for 2007 of $68.9 million.

We’re planning to take the plunge on mobile banking. But is this purely a transactional process, or are there any sales/revenue opportunities?

WICHITA, Kan. — Could the passage of a law that will greatly restrict fields of membership for credit unions be used by the bankers as a "model bill" to press the FOM fight in other states?

TEMPE, Ariz. - The proposed merger of Northwest Airlines and Delta and the multiple bankruptcy filings by four smaller airlines have shaken things up–but not shaken the faith–among credit unions serving the tumultuous airline industry.

ORANGE, Calif. - Shoot off an e-mail. Pick up the phone. Have a face-to-face. And–at some credit unions–roll cameras.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - A World Council of Credit Unions effort to develop a new credit union here was stymied for a week as violent demonstrations shut down the capital city just as the team arrived to get started.

FT. COLLINS, Colo - Sonny Lubick, well-known in this market as the former football coach at Colorado State University, has been hired by Public Service Credit Union as VP- Community Outreach and Public Relations. Lubick has been hired in part to help Denver-based Public Service CU overcome perception challenges in its new market after it absorbed failed Norlarco CU following its conservatorship.

DENVER, Colo. - The Homes For Our Troops initiative, which builds homes for wounded war veterans with their special needs in mind, celebrated along with credit union supporters the groundbreaking for a home for SSG Travis Strong and his family.

WASHINGTON - A group has been formed to help mark the 100th anniversary of credit unions in the U.S., which is technically in 2008 but is being celebrated in 2009 since that was the year Massachusetts passed the first enabling legislation. Although a statement announcing the formation of the “Credit Union Action at 100” team called it a “collaborative team,” it does not include NAFCU. Instead, it is made up of CUNA, the American Association of Credit Union Leagues, America’s Credit Union Museum and CUNA Mutual Group. “CUAT100 is charged with focusing on a variety of measures to ensure that the 100th anniversary of the American credit union movement is properly, and respectfully, marked and recognized,” the group said in a statement. (c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

CINCINNATI - Walk into Cincinnati Interagency FCU and head to CEO Karen Anderson’s office and you’ll see a pile of paperwork on her desk. But don’t let that fool you about her intent to run the credit union as environmentally friendly as possible.

Another Mega-Merger Announced In So. Calif.