WASHINGTON - An effort by several big banks to carve out an exemption from key Check 21 patents appears to be dead after its chief Senate backer withdrew his support.

WASHINGTON - Key Democratic Senators joined members of the House last week in urging the Bush administration to intervene in the student loan markets by making federal funding available, as increasing numbers of lenders are exiting the market.

Numerica Credit Union, Spokane, Wash., awarded Dianna Wood the Bud Crump Award for Service Excellence.

Events

WOODLAND, Calif. - The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco awarded Yolo FCU a $100,000 grant through its Workforce Initiative Subsidy for Homeownership, or WISH, program.

LIVONIA, Mich. - Community Choice CU last week announced that its president, Robert Bava, will succeed CEO Catherine Roberts, who is retiring June 30.

GALVESTON, Texas - Two men who were found guilty of a violent 2005 armed robbery at University FCU, and later shot a witness to the crime, were sentenced to life in prison.

BERKLEY, Mich. - Telcom CU has agreed to donate $7,500 to the city here in exchange for having its logo and name featured on community publications and at recreational events.

ST. LOUIS - Vantage CU has kicked off year-long campaign built around a “green” theme.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - PSCU Financial Services reports a number of its member credit unions have been citing environmental reasons driving their decisions and marketing, including expansion into online bill payment services.

MISSOULA, Mont. - Missoula FCU hosted its first-ever “Sustainability Fair” aimed at getting out information from a variety of sources on environmentally friendly practices. More than 200 people and 25 vendors turned out for the event at a local hotel at which MFCU also presented two seminars on financial topics and coordinated with representatives from the Missoula Green Building initiative to offer green building and remodeling seminars.

WAUWATOSA, Wis. - A Harley Davidson owner logged-in and nicknamed his online account “07 Bagger.” One of the credit union tellers dubbed her checking account “Never Enough.”

ATLANTA - Green marketing campaigns are spurring some cardholders to take environmental or charitable action, according to results from a new study.

HOUSTON — Sometimes going green doesn’t take as much effort as many credit unions might envision.

Hearing Impaired System In Scam

The following are members of Credit Union Journal’s Technology Panel.

LOS ANGELES - Richard Nelson is proud of what his two-person IT department has done for the $49-million Cityside FCU here, especially since small CUs have few resources and tend to “hide technology in the basement,” he said.

SANDY, Utah - Never one to fool around with banks or Microsoft, CMC here is marking a 30-year love affair with credit unions and IBM, according to Sean Holcomb, SVP at CMC.

LA DOTD Using Simpler-Webb

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Technology takes center stage at Community First Credit Union here this year, as the $120-million CU adds its first integrated lending application as well as its first imaging and document systems–among several other projects.