ALBANY, Ga. – Docco Regional FCU said it has agreed to acquire troubled Southern Traditions FCU, creating a $125 credit union, the biggest in southern Georgia.

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.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The City Council voted Tuesday to sell a downtown plot fo ESL FCU where the $3 billion credit union plans to build a six-story headquarters, one of two projects this once-thriving Upstate city hopes will aid a revitalization.

YORKTOWN, Va. – 1st Advantage CU said yesterday it implemented UCN Inc.’s inContact hosted contact center software in al 10 of its branches.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Credit unions need to make sure they’re being paid ‘interest’ when they mean ‘dividends’ when selling products and services, the state Division of CUs warned.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Fairwinds CU has broken onto the front page with its new multi-media ad campaign that touts the benefits of the region’s largest credit union over the area’s banks.

Spokane Teachers CU Joins Exodus From Government Loan Program

WASHINGTON – Key Democratic Senators joined members of the House yesterday 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.

ODESSA, Texas – In a scenario reminiscent of previous battles over credit union conversions, employees of First Basin CU turned out in large numbers to help three volunteer directors reclaim their seats in an election held at last night’s annual meeting.

Robert Bava’s name was misspelled in the announcement that he will succeed Catherine Roberts as CEO of Community Choice CU in Livonia, Mich.

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.

BROOKFIELD, Wis. – Fiserv and Core Network Processing, LLC, a CUSO formed for the purpose of obtaining core processing for corporate credit unions, have signed a contract covering processing for eight corporates that runs through 2011.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Truliant FCU will award 28 mini-grants totaling $28,000 to local community and faith-based groups.

EL PASO, Texas – A man wanted for the robbery of Greater El Paso CU turned himself in to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Paso Del Norte border crossing late Saturday afternoon.

HARRISBURG, Penn. – Members of Clarion University FCU last week voted overwhelmingly to merge the $6 million credit union into Pennsylvania State Employees CU, the third small credit union absorbed by the credit union giant over the past two months.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – PSCU Financial Services yesterday announced it is paying its member credit unions $24.1 million in dividends, boosted by last year’s MasterCard initial public offering.

By Lisa Freeman, Managing Editor

SANTIAGO, Chile—Chile’s largest credit union has found a way to forge a personal, one-on-one relationship with even its most remote members, and it’s decidedly low-tech.

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, on Friday were sentenced to life in prison.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – 20th Century Fox FCU said it has completed the beta test of a Telematic GPS system which helps credit unions track assets, including vehicles they have financed.