INDIANAPOLIS – State Rep. Jeff Espich, R-Uniondale, has been named 2012 Legislator of the Year by the Indiana Bankers Association. Espich was recognized for his 40 years of service in the Indiana House of Representatives, where is currently is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and the State Budget Committee. In 1972, Espich […]

LAPORTE – Belinda Smith Caruso has joined LaPorte Savings Bank as a mortgage loan originator in the bank’s Michigan City office. Caruso has been in banking for 23 years and served as a residential lender for 20 years, most recently in Lake County. She grew up in Michigan City and earned a degree in organizational

HAMMOND – The Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce will hold its eighth annual Business Expo and Luncheon starting at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the Dynasty Banquet Center in Hammond. The keynote speaker is Charles L. Evans, nine president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank Chicago. Following lunch, the expo begins at

MUNSTER – Northwest Indiana Bancorp, the parent company for Peoples Bank, has announced a dividend of 19 cents a share on its stock. The dividend will be paid Oct. 5 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Sept. 28. The company’s stock is traded on the over-the-counter bulletin board under the symbol

LAPORTE – LaPorte Bancorp Inc. has announced a quarterly cash dividend of 4 cents a share. The dividend will be paid on Sept. 5 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Aug. 27. The payment represents a dividend yield of 1.6 percent based on the per share price of $9.74 at the

CINCINNATI – The network of 135 ATM machines operated by First Financial Bank in Northwest Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky will be upgraded in the coming months. New machines are being installed and the work is to be completed by the end of the year. The ATMs are manufactured by NCR Corp. First Financial Bank is

MERRILLVILLE  – Scott May has been named chief financial officer at Centier Bank. May has 23 years of banking and financial experience. He recently worked in banking in Indianapolis and Orlando, Fla. He is a graduate of Indiana University and currently lives in Valparaiso. Centier Bank has 45 locations in Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Marshall, and

MUNSTER – CFS Bancorp has announced second quarter earnings of $1.4 million, up from $1.2 million one year ago. CFS is the parent company for Citizens Financial Bank. President and CEO Daryl Pomranke said Citizens has seen stronger demand for loans, but the bank’s nonperforming assets continuing to higher than preferred. Citizens has $1.1 billion