ROCHESTER, Minn. – New credit union-convert Think Mutual Bank yesterday announced that its long-time president and CEO, Paul Horgen, is retiring and will be succeeded by the $1.3 billion institution’s chief operating officer, Paul Mackin.

FORT MILL, S.C. – Founders FCU said it has provided a $10,000 grant to the Phoenix Challenge capital fund raising campaign, which supports work training in the packaging industry.

GULFPORT, Miss. – Gulf Coast Community FCU yesterday said it has chosen Open Solutions Inc.’s The Complete Credit Union Solution core processing system.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Winston-Salem Foundation this week said it will provide a grant of $100,000 to Latino Community CU in Durham to support the opening of the credit union’s Winston-Salem branch.

McLEAN, Va. – Long-term mortgage rates rose slightly this week, after last month falling to their lowest levels in almost four years, according to Freddie Mac.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – NCUA yesterday said it approved two more acquisitions by credit unions giants, continuing a trend that has been accelerating in recent months.

MILWAUKEE – NCUA yesterday announced it has approved deposit insurance for the year’s first new credit union, Destiny CU.

SAN FRANCISCO – NCUA yesterday said it approved the return of credit union giant Patelco CU to coverage under the National CU Share Insurance Fund, after a five year absence.

PASCO, Wash. – Gesa CU and the Tri-City Dust Devils announced yesterday that the credit union has purchased the naming rights to the Northwest League baseball club's home ballpark here.

FITCHBURG, Mass. – IC FCU will launch its 80th birthday celebration today, Valentine’s Day, which will include eight monthly giveaways and an ad campaign on Boston Red Sox baseball telecasts.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – VyStar CU yesterday said it has signed a contract with the Academy of Business and Finance at Bartram Trail High School to continue operating a student-run branch there and to provide banking and finance courses at VyStar’s corporate offices and local branches.

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Affinity FCU yesterday announced a green auto loan to reward members for buying environmentally friendly vehicles.

TULLAHOMA, Tenn. – Ascend FCU yesterday said it has signed with S1 Corp.’s Full-Service Banking Solutions to install the company’s FSB CrediSphere Universal Lending Platform.

SAN DIEGO – Jim McPheters, president and CEO of California Coast CU since 1987, yesterday announced he is retiring as head of the $910 million credit union on April 1.

LAUREL, Md. – Tower FCU has launched a year-long Super Savers Sweepstakes, offering more than $80,000 in cash prizes in monthly, quarterly and year-end grand prize drawings.

KEY WEST, Fla. – The former president of Keys FCU, John Dolan-Heitlinger, on Tuesday sued the credit union, claiming it still owes him more than $700,000 in severance after it fired him in November.

WASHINGTON – Community development advocates yesterday joined bankers in calling on Congress to expand the Community Reinvestment Act to credit unions and other entities not currently covered.

WASHINGTON – An effort to attach regulatory relief for banks and credit unions to the Wal-Mart Bank bill was abandoned yesterday after the credit union lobby expressed its opposition to the measure–but not before the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee pledged to find another bill to move regulatory relief.

GERMANTOWN, Md. – Police are searching for a well-mannered man who has robbed four branches of Navy FCU over the past five months–twice at the credit union’s branch here in suburban Washington, D.C.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – A former branch manager for Advantage One CU yesterday was sentenced to more than two years in prison for stealing $362,000 from member accounts by using members’ names and identities to obtain loans and credit cards.