HARRISBURG, Penn. – In the latest sign of tightening credit, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Association, the largest student lender in the state, announced it will halt making federally guaranteed loans next week.

ARLINGTON, Va. – NAFCU this week vowed to fight any effort by NCUA to require all federal credit unions to disclose executive compensation to their members.

ALLENTOWN, Penn. – A local man jailed for his role in last year’s armed robbery at First Class FCU here was connected by his DNA to another hold up at Paragon FCU in nearby Bethlehem a year earlier in which $150,000 was stolen.

WASHINGTON – A leading congressional credit union ally is expected to introduce a new regulatory relief bill for credit unions as early as today that would have some, but not all of the provisions in CURIA, in an effort aimed at expediting the long-stalled credit union initiative.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Department of Financial Institutions announced yesterday it has issued a cease and desist order against financially ailing Sterlent CU for unsafe practices with respect to its troubled mortgage portfolio.

WASHINGTON – NCUA Chairman JoAnn Johnson is expected to testify next week along with banking regulators before the Senate Banking Committee on the dire condition of the financial services industry.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Navigant CU, the state’s largest credit union, has agreed to acquire Journal Employees’ FCU, a credit union serving employees of the Providence Journal, the state’s daily newspaper.

BALLWIN, Mo. – Citing the increasing need for municipal security, the board of aldermen in this suburb of St. Louis last week voted for a six-month moratorium on new applications for any financial institutions.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – Royal CU has become the first credit union in the area to do away with traditional tellers and replace them with kiosks in its in-store Shopko branch here.

GRANITE CITY, Ill. – Two members of GCS FCU here are headed to spring training in Florida to watch their favorite St. Louis Cardinals prepare for the baseball season on behalf of their credit union.

PASCAGOULA, Miss. – Water from Hurricane Katrina so flooded the offices of Jackson County Federal Employees FCU, the president of the tiny community development credit union was forced to satisfy cash withdrawals from needy members from the back of her SUV behind the damaged building.

WASHINGTON – Fannie Mae said rising delinquencies in its huge mortgage portfolio and massive losses on interest-rate hedges caused it to lose almost $3.6 billion for the fourth quarter.

WASHINGTON – The House Financial Services Committee yesterday scheduled a hearing on credit union regulatory relief for March 6.

FLORENCE, S.C. – A 71-year-old grandmother working as a loan officer at Health Facilities FCU yesterday was charged with identity theft in the embezzlement of $700,000 from the credit union.

NORCROSS, Ga. – S1 Corp., a provider of back-office services to credit unions and banks, reported net income for its fourth quarter of $6.4 million, or 11 cents a share, compared to a loss of $12.9 million, or 18 cents a share, for the fourth quarter in 2006.

TACOMA, Wash. – TAPCO CU yesterday said it has introduced mobile banking to its members.

RICHMOND, Va. – Venerable cash carrier Brink’s Co. gave up its year-long battle to fend off a group of corporate raiders and agreed to split the company into two, spinning off its Home Security unit, one of the largest in North America, into a separately traded company.

METHUEN, Mass. – An ATM at NESC FCU was stolen here Sunday night when thieves turned two security cameras toward the ceiling and tore the machine from the wall.

ALLENTOWN, Penn. – Lehigh Valley FCU announced the hiring of Lori Weber, an executive with nearby Lehigh Valley Educators CU, as its new president and CEO.

CLEVELAND – Superior Savings CU yesterday said it has implemented the bundled mortgage settlement platform offered by FirstClose.