ARLINGTON, Va. - The most recent edition of Money magazine calls credit unions "The Best Little Deal In Banking."

How on earth could one teller get away with stealing currency for so long that the embezzled funds totaled $7 million(CUJ, Nov.12)?

DENVER - Credit union products are often deeply buried in the pages of popular search engines, never to be seen by online consumers.

MONETT, Mo. - Jack Henry & Associates Inc. announced that California-based Western FCU has selected the Episys platform to provide enterprise-wide automation. This credit union, which has more than $1.2 billion in assets and approximately 119,000 members, will install Episys in-house. (c) 2007 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

DECEMBER

House Poised To Pass Mortgage Reform Bill

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida CU League EVP Aletta Shutes was honored as one of the "Women of Distinction" by the Girl Scout Council of the Apalachee Bend Inc. during the 2007 Women of Distinction Awards Gala.

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. - As CUNA Mutual Group prepares to move into the third year of its three-year transformation plan, CEO Jeff Post outlined five new businesses the company is getting into with the goal of diversifying the firm while helping credit unions grow.

The Wichita Eagle reported on an alternative to payday loans being rolled out by Boeing Wichita CU. BWCU's "salary advance program" offers loans up to 20% of a member's monthly net income, up to $500. The annual interest rate is 36%, which amounts to $15.29 on a $500 loan. The article quoted Keenan Bender, VP- consumer and indirect lending, as saying that payday loan companies typically charge APRs of approximately 400%. The article went on to cite a similar program at Credit Union of America, which offers a "second chance loan."

In the July 15 issue, CU Journal explored the advantages larger CUs have over their smaller brethren. In this series, focus is on thriving, medium-sized CUs.

SAN DIEGO - Delegates at the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues' Annual Convention here approved a fourth year of a multi-million-dollar public advocacy program by overwhelming margins.

HARRISBURG, Penn. - Pennsylvania State Employees CU has several Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) on its staff, and that certification and membership in the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, is priceless, according to Tracey Bray, director of PSECU's loss prevention and security unit.

MILTON, Fla. - A former tax collector for Santa Rosa County FCU was convicted of stealing more than $100,000 through a scheme by which she kited checks between two credit unions. Dana Adkison confessed to the scheme in which she would write herself a check and cash it at Santa Rosa County FCU, then deposit it in an account at a branch of Gulf Winds FCU. She faces up to six years in prison when she is sentenced. (c) 2007 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

Throughout 2007, the Credit Union Journal is profiling the credit unions of each U.S. state and D.C. Rather than appear in alphabetical order, the states are being featured in the order they became states.

MIDLAND, Texas -

SAN ANTONIO - Increasing numbers of banks are abandoning their antipathy to credit unions and joining them, instead on business lending.

BRIDGETON, Mo. - E-mail and phone calls are too chaotic, and instant messaging is fleeting. Project management software is overkill, file transfer sites are too crude-and face-to-face meetings cost big money and time.

DURHAM, N.C. - RTP FCU here has become the first credit union in the country to convert to a real-time interface with Open Solutions' The Complete Credit Union System Standard Market Edition.

Georgia FCU, Duluth, Ga., elected Monsignor Stephen Churchwell and Tom Cochran to its board.

LAKE MARY, Fla. - Central Florida Educators FCU recently made good on its five-year commitment to donate $500,000 to Orange County Public Schools for books.