ONTARIO, Calif. - CO-OP Financial Services has just rolled out a reward program for debit cards designed to allow credit unions to generate deposits and increase member services that also seeks to take a cooperative approach to make it affordable for credit unions of all sizes.

ROCKFORD, Ill. - When its employee-based membership began to shrink due to a corporate takeover, Generations Credit Union converted to a community charter. And that meant adding ATMs throughout that community to add new blood.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - After revamping its own procurement process by the means of a specially designed credit card, one CU is now offering the added convenience-and cost-cutting-to its select employee groups.

Throughout 2007, the Credit Union Journal, in conjunction with ENCORE Card Services, are 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. For info: visit www.encore-ecs.coop.

DALLAS - City Credit Union Chairman Huey May is reaching into his own pocket to give away $2,400 this year to help low-income students develop a habit for saving money, and he says he'll do so every year until the day he dies.

WEST MIFFLIN, Penn. - The first runner-up in the Frankies goes to Century Heritage FCU, which, by coincidence, does a terrific job of communicating the century of heritage that credit unions have.

* The $48-million Isabella Community Credit Union in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., which operates a student-run credit union at Mt. Pleasant High School in conjunction with the Mt. Pleasant Area Technical School and the MPHS Accounting Class to operate the SRCU. Faculty and staff can also use the full-service credit union. CEO Jay Anders said the credit union hired "student tellers in the summer, and trained them about credit union service, philosophy and uniqueness to be ready for the fall opening." It also gave away 800 "squishy footballs" to throw out at local high school homecoming games, according to Heather H. Harris.

How do you tell your story? Seems simple enough. Here's what we are. Here's why we do what we do. Here's how we're different.

RESTON, Va. – An item in the February 8 edition of The Credit Union Journal Daily incorrectly stated the amount of proceeds earned by Sallie Mae Chairman Albert Lord on the sale of his 400,000 Sallie Mae Shares. The correct amount was $18.5 million.

OKLAHOMA CITY – A part owner of Century Financial Group pleaded guilty last week to siphoning almost $900,000 from the auto finance company and laundering it through his credit union account. Richard Whitburn, 61, used his authority as an employee and part-owner of the company to electronically transfer $889,000 from a company account to his personal savings and checking accounts at Allegiance CU, formerly known as Federal Employees FCU. The money was transferred in small increments in 66 different occasions. Whitburn transferred the funds without the knowledge or consent of the company.

BELLEVUE, Wash. – Coinstar, maker of change counting machines, said Friday that net income for its fourth quarter declined 9% to $5 million, or 18 cents, as cost increases outpaced revenue growth. Revenues rose a strong 10% for the fourth quarter, to $138 million. For the full year, Coinstar reported a 16% increase in revenues to $534.4 million, but a 16% drop in profits, to $18.6 million, or 66 cents a share, compared to fiscal 2005.

PHOENIX – Authorities are hunting a man believed responsible for eight area bank robberies, including two at the same branch of Sunwest CU. The latest robbery was Thursday morning at M&I Bank when the robber ordered the teller to give him cash, then fled on foot. No weapon was shown.

PEORIA, Ill. – CEFCU announced Friday it has pledged $1 million towards the Children’s Hospital of Illinois’s expansion and modernization project. The $2.5 billion credit union will donate th funds in equal installments over the next 10 years and have its name on the hospital’s new pediatric ward in return. It will be known as the CEFCU Children’s Emergency Department when it opens in three years.

PURCHASE, N.Y. – Shares in MasterCard, which have been among the hottest on Wall Street since last May’s initial public offering, slumped 10% Friday to close at $103.60, after the company warned that operating margin growth may slow this year. The credit card giant, which has seen its shares almost triple in value since the IPO, reported net income of $40.1 million, or 30 cents for the fourth quarter, compared to a loss of $452.9 million, or 39 cents a share, for the same quarter last year, when litigation costs accrued from the company’s massive settlement of an antitrust case with Wal-Mart Stores and other retailers. Fourth quarter revenues surged 17% to $839.2 million, as the number of transactions conducted over the world’s second largest payments network also rose 17% compared to the same quarter last year. But company officials warned Friday that the 3% rise in operating margins in 2006 will be tough to match in 2007, spurring a sell-off in the company’s shares. For the full year, MasterCard reported a 13% rise in revenues, to $3.3 billion, and but a decline in net income of 81%, to $50.2 million, or 37 cents a share, compared to 2005, because of $395 million in costs to donate 13.5 million shares to a new non-profit foundation as part of its IPO.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Greylock FCU announced last week it was approved as a partner with Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency to offer a variety of the state agency’s discount mortgage products. The products include 30-year, fixed-rate loans with no- or low down payments at below market rates. In addition, Greylock will offer its own loans with MassHousing’s MI Plus, a mortgage insurance policy that helps pay the borrower’s mortgage for up to six months if they lose their job. For members who already own a home, Greylock will offer MassHousing’s home improvement loan; septic repair loan; and Get the Lead Out loan for lead paint abatement. MassHousing has also approved the $1 billion credit union a a homebuyer counselor.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Empire FCU and Power FCU said they expect the merger of the two credit unions will be complete April 2–to create Empower FCU. The newly created credit union will claim more than $600 million in assets and about 78,000 members. The merged organization will have branch locations in Onondaga, Oswego, Oneida, Broome and Erie counties. Power FCU was chartered in 1939 by employees of Niagara Mohawk. Empire FCU was chartered in 1950 by employees of the Syracuse office of the New York Telephone Company.

CRANE, Ind.– Crane FCU is about to move out of its corporate sponsor’s office into its own new headquarters. The 16,000 square-foot building is expected to be completed by the end of the month. It will house the $175 million credit union’s administrative offices but there will be no branch in the building. The credit union has operated out of the Crane building for its entire 51 years.

PORT HURON, Mich. – E&A CU will open its new 34,000-square-foot headquarters next week, on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The $170 million credit union will close its previous main office at the close of business on Saturday, Feb. 17. The credit union was chartered to serve area educators and their family members.

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Navy FCU announced Friday it plans to hire more than 700 new employees over the next 18 months to man its new call center, which is slated for completion in October. The new hires are part of an aggressive expansion plan for the world’s biggest credit union that includes 31 additional branches and 1,000 new jobs in 2007. The $27 billion credit union already employs about 400 people at the first phase of its call center, completed in November 2003. Another 300 employees work at the credit union’s temporary call center, awaiting transfer to the new project.

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Black Hills FCU, the state’s largest credit union has a new home. The $425 million credit union moved its corporate headquarters into the former call center for Spiegel catalogues. The facility will also house a full service branch. Spiegel, the Chicago catalogue retailer, closed its Rapid City center at the end of 2003.