SECU Awards Summer Camp Scholarships to 457 Youth Members Statewide
RALEIGH, N.C., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) has concluded its fourth annual Summer Camp Awards campaign, granting $500 scholarships to 457 young members throughout North Carolina. Recipients were selected through random drawings, with one FAT CAT® and one Zard® winner per branch from all eligible entries. The scholarships will be used for the registration costs and associated fees at the summer camp chosen by each youth winner. Applicants submitted an illustration or essay about their dream camp experience to be entered into the contest.
Since its launch in 2022 the program has provided scholarships totaling $508,000 to 1,016 FAT CAT and Zard members. Summer Camp Awards were established to encourage young members to expand their knowledge through fun and engaging summer camps and provide financial support to help youth families pursue these impactful opportunities.
'Parks was very excited when he found out he was a Summer Camp Award winner,' said Michael Hamilton, father of Raleigh-Wakefield Branch winner Parks Hamilton. 'For his entry, he drew a picture of pandas, bamboo, flowers, a hummingbird, a seagull, and volcanos – things he's seen in Kung Fu Panda. He will be attending a Tae Kwon Do camp this summer and is really looking forward to it.'
'We are so pleased to contribute to our young members' summer camp experiences and continue our support for SECU families across the state through this beneficial program for a fourth consecutive year,' said SECU President and CEO Leigh Brady. 'The educational opportunities afforded to youth through summer camps are so incredibly valuable, and I want to offer our sincere congratulations to this year's winners!'
About SECU
A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, and federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for 88 years. SECU is the second largest credit union in the United States with $55 billion in assets. It serves more than 2.8 million members through 275 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, Member Services Support via phone, www.ncsecu.org, and the SECU Mobile App.
Contact: Sandra Jones, Communications, [email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/abc1b4f2-5bc3-43ff-a529-6a9cc87f6b17
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
State Employees' Credit Union of Maryland Partners with MANTL to Give New and Existing Business and Retail Members a Seamless Account Opening Experience
Maryland's largest credit union will modernize its account opening process across all banking channels, including its 23-branch network PLANO, Texas, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MANTL, an Alkami solution team and leading provider of account origination technology, today announced a partnership with State Employees' Credit Union of Maryland (SECU), a $5.7B credit union with 23 financial centers across Maryland, to enhance its in-branch and online account opening processes for businesses and retail members. This partnership will allow SECU to seamlessly open new member accounts on any banking channel, at any time, and demonstrates SECU's commitment to giving its business members, retail members, and employees the best possible banking experiences. SECU is also a customer of Alkami Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALKT) ("Alkami"), a leading provider of cloud-based digital banking solutions for financial institutions in the U.S. SECU leverages Alkami's Digital Banking Platform to provide a seamless, innovative, and user-friendly digital banking experience. SECU will benefit from the combined power of MANTL and Alkami—two solutions that are part of the digital sales and service platform—to drive growth, provide a best-in-class user experience, and streamline operations throughout the entire account holder lifecycle. This position brings multiple use cases for SECU to deliver a cohesive, end-to-end experience that delivers greater customer value and increased revenue. SECU will leverage Consumer Deposit Origination by MANTL to transform the online account opening experience and streamline the in-branch experience for members and employees. With MANTL, SECU will remove friction from its current account opening process, empowering members to open a new deposit account, typically in less than 5 minutes, and with a superior account opening experience (and typically within 10 minutes for in-branch experiences). By serving a wider audience of consumers across digital channels and providing a simple and intuitive account opening experience, SECU will drive deposit and new member growth. Business Deposit Origination by MANTL will allow SECU to better attract, serve, and deepen relationships with businesses across its target markets. Businesses of all sizes will be able to seamlessly and securely open a new business account on any device or any channel, including online, on a mobile application (app), in-branch, or in the field. Adaptive workflows and automated, real-time decisioning on the MANTL platform will reduce friction in the application process and keep operations streamlined, so SECU can better focus on serving the needs of its business members. "At SECU, we pride ourselves on our commitment to cutting-edge digital solutions for our members and employees. Credit unions are built on a foundation of putting people first, and we look forward to reimagining our account processes with the help of innovative partners like MANTL," said Jason Reimer, executive vice president, chief infrastructure and experience officer at SECU. "SECU members across Maryland will be able to utilize sensible, real-time digital solutions that seamlessly improve member experiences in our financial centers and online." By integrating MANTL with its core processing system, SECU will now be able to automate over 85% of application decisions, including Know Your Customer (KYC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), product service ordering, funding, and core booking, to create efficiencies and keep manual processes to a minimum. "MANTL is thrilled to partner with the largest credit union in Maryland to modernize its retail and business account opening process across all of its banking channels," said Nathaniel Harley, co-founder and president at MANTL. "By empowering both members and employees with faster, more intuitive experiences, SECU is demonstrating a bold commitment to innovation and banking accessibility that aligns with MANTL's mission to transform banking and strengthen communities." For more information on SECU and to view current deposit offerings, visit here. For more information on MANTL or to schedule a demo, visit here. About MANTLMANTL is an Alkami solution team that offers unified account origination technology, empowering banks and credit unions to open loan and deposit accounts seamlessly on any banking channel in real time. MANTL Deposit Origination is among the fastest and most performant solutions on the market; consumers can open a new deposit account in under five minutes, businesses can open a new deposit account in under 10 minutes, and MANTL customers raise billions in core deposits. MANTL Loan Origination simplifies each step in the loan process, automating up to 100% of loan application decisions to ensure an intuitive, feature-rich experience from personal loans to business financing. Founded in 2016, MANTL was acquired in March 2025 by Alkami Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALKT), a leading cloud-based digital banking solutions provider for financial institutions in the U.S. For more information, visit or follow MANTL on LinkedIn. About SECUSECU ("see-Q"), Maryland's largest state-chartered credit union, serves over 250,000 members via 23 Financial Centers across the state, including 21 Financial Centers, 1 Digital Center, and a Virtual Financial Center. As a member-owned, not-for-profit organization, SECU puts its members first. Membership is open to all of Maryland, with over 1,900 ways to join. You may be eligible through a family member, work, the college you attended, state employment, an organization you are affiliated with, or simply through a one-time donation to SECU's partner, the SECU MD Foundation. Headquartered in Linthicum, Md., SECU offers convenient access to over 50,000 free ATMs through the CO-OP network, as well as access to expert financial planners. With more than $5 billion in assets, SECU ranks among the top 60 credit unions nationwide based on total assets in the U.S. Insured by NCUA. For more information, visit or follow SECU on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok. Media Relations Contacts Vestedalkami@ Marla View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Alkami Technology, Inc. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Hollywood Showdown Begins: Disney And Universal Sue $300M AI Startup Midjourney For 'Bottomless Pit Of Plagiarism' In Blockbuster Case
Disney (NYSE:DIS) and Universal, the powerhouse studios behind Star Wars, Frozen, and Kung Fu Panda, have filed a major copyright lawsuit involving an AI startup, described by Entrepreneur as a potential first for Hollywood. The case targets Midjourney, a text-to-image generator that allegedly enabled users to produce visuals featuring copyrighted characters owned by the studios. Filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the 110-page complaint accuses Midjourney of building a commercial enterprise off protected intellectual property. According to the lawsuit, the studios had issued cease-and-desist letters to Midjourney's counsel, demanding the unauthorized content be stopped. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Peter Thiel turned $1,700 into $5 billion—now accredited investors are eyeing this software company with similar breakout potential. Learn how you can 'Midjourney, which has attracted millions of subscribers and made $300 million last year alone, is focused on its own bottom line and ignored Plaintiffs' demands,' the filing reads. When those warnings were ignored, Disney and Universal moved forward with legal action. The lawsuit says that Midjourney's paid plans reportedly range from $10 to $120 per month, contributing to its explosive financial growth since launching. Founded in 2021, Midjourney has grown rapidly by offering AI-generated images within seconds, fueled entirely by user prompts. With just 11 full-time employees, the company describes itself as a small, self-funded operation. The lawsuit alleges its rapid expansion has come at the expense of long-established copyrights, turning beloved characters into AI fodder without authorization. Trending: Invest where it hurts — and help millions heal:. The lawsuit highlights a roster of well-known characters allegedly reproduced by Midjourney's platform. Disney's complaint cites the unauthorized use of Darth Vader from Star Wars, Elsa from Frozen, Lightning McQueen from Cars, and Homer Simpson from The Simpsons. Universal's claims include the depiction of Minions from Despicable Me, Po from Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, as well as Hiccup and Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. According to the filing, only the studios maintain legal rights to commercialize these characters and develop content or merchandise around them. One line in the complaint describes Midjourney as a "bottomless pit of plagiarism," accusing the startup of undermining the basic framework of U.S. copyright law. The studios are seeking a jury trial to establish boundaries around what generative AI platforms can legally the filing, Disney and Universal frame the lawsuit as more than a defense of individual characters, describing Midjourney's business model as a direct threat to the creative economy and the broader U.S. film industry. Calling the infringement "systematic, ongoing, and willful," the plaintiffs argue the damage is both substantial and irreparable, not just to their own properties but to the incentive system that fuels the $260 billion American motion picture economy. The lawsuit arrives during a critical moment for AI litigation. Just one week prior, Reddit (NYSE:RDDT) filed its own suit against Anthropic, alleging unauthorized use of its forum content for AI training purposes, The Wall Street Journal reports. Getty Images (NYSE:GETY) is also pursuing a multimillion dollar case against Stability AI for allegedly scraping over 12 million copyrighted visuals from its platform. Read Next: Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Hollywood Showdown Begins: Disney And Universal Sue $300M AI Startup Midjourney For 'Bottomless Pit Of Plagiarism' In Blockbuster Case originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Changes to fishing at Glenwood Lake being considered
PRINCETON – Changing what methods fishing enthusiasts can use at Glenwood Lake and how many fish they can keep are being discussed by the Mercer County Commission. The public was invited to fish at Glenwood Lake and keep what they catch when the county made plans to drain and dredge the lake. This move was to reduce the numbers of fish that had to be relocated when the project got underway, but that project with restoration work to the lake's dam have been delayed. County Commissioner Greg Puckett said during the commission's Tuesday meeting that this dredging project will proceed later, but for now the lake's fish need to be conserved so the public can still go fishing there. 'We basically lifted all fees,' Puckett said. 'I'm pretty sure we're going to stay fee-less for right now, but we had talked about when we were going to keep the park when we were going to do the dam restoration and basically told everybody to come out and fish to your heart's content. And then now that we are going to be keeping the dam for a little while longer.' Joshua Parks, assistant superintendent at Glenwood Recreational Park told the commissioners that he didn't put putting a moratorium on fishing would be appropriate. He suggested two ways to limit the numbers of fish being taken from the lake. 'I think that we need to either, one make the park catch and release, which I'm not sure that's the right answer,' Parks said. 'I think we at the very least need to impose daily creel limits on fishing.' A creel is a basket used for holding fish. The county may need to ban some fishing methods, he said. Glenwood Lake is not bound by state laws since it's on a county-owned park, but in West Virginia, using a cast net to catch game fish is illegal. 'Well, I've asked several people over the past 12 months to please not cast net the game fish,' Parks said. 'It's not technically illegal at Glenwood as it is in the rest of the state.' Putting limits on how many fish can be kept would be one way to conserve the lake's fish. Another would be making the lake catch-and-release only. 'We can make the park strictly catch-and-release, bit I don't think that will go over very well with the community,' Parks said. 'People do want to come out there and eat fish, especially in the winter time.' Sheriff A.P. Christian, who attended the meeting Tuesday, asked if the county could pass a fishing ordinance aligning with West Virginia State Code. Puckett replied that the county would look at that idea. Christian said that people were cast netting small fish to use as bait during catfish tournaments. 'That's exactly what they're doing,' Parks said. Puckett asked Christian if they could get examples of other counties' ordinances. Prosecuting Attorney Brian K. Cochran could then check any fishing ordinance based on the ones used in other counties and if it aligns with the State Code. In a statement Puckett posted later on his Facebook page, he said the county was not trying to take fishing at Glenwood Lake away from the public and keeps encouraging it. There were no plans to start charging fees for fishing there. 'We do ask that the community abide by state laws while fishing,' he said. These state laws include not taking of game fish by seine, dip netting and cast nesting, Puckett said. All game fish must be taken with rod and reel. 'We are hopeful that the upcoming creel limits strike a very fair balance between fishing for recreation and fishing for food,' he said. 'If you have any questions feel free to contact us at 304-887-0506.' Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@
