Altura Credit Union, Riverside, Calif., this month closed its branch office at E. Florida Ave. in Hemet, Calif., and merging it with its second Hemet branch office at 320 S. Sanderson Ave., according to an announcement from Altura President and CEO Mark Hawkins. As of Jan. 12, Altura will have 13 branch locations throughout Riverside County: four in the city of Riverside, two in Moreno Valley, two in Corona, and one each in Hemet, Indio, Murrieta, Rancho Mirage and Temecula.

Atlanta Postal Credit Union, Atlanta, announced that it has opened the doors to a new branch-the South DeKalb Mall branch in Decatur, Ga. The new branch, formerly a credit union service center branch, will not only function as a full-service Atlanta Postal Credit Union branch for APCU members, it will continue to provide service to members of other credit unions who participate in the nationwide CU service center network.

CAP COM Federal Credit Union, Brunswick, N.Y., opened its 10th capital region branch at on Nov. 1. Like nearly all of CAP COM's branches, the Brunswick branch features a kids play area, a member computer station and photocopier, free coin machine, and complimentary coffee and tea station.

Empower Credit Union, West Allis, Wis., held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new main office, deciding it was time to move from its current location due to limited accessibility by its members. The new site on W. Greenfield Ave. will provide easy access from all directions within the Milwaukee area. The 10,250-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility will employ many sustainable green building systems and materials, and is expected to be completed by the summer of 2011.

Freedom Federal Credit Union, Bel Air, Md., celebrated its new Forest Lakes branch with a ribbon-cutting and grand opening recently. This fifth Freedom branch in Harford County is located in Forest Hill and features two drive-thru teller lanes and one drive-thru ATM lane. The new facility occupies 2,565 square feet and operates as a full-service branch.

Hudson River Community Credit Union, Glen Falls, N.Y., held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception for its new branch in Troy, N.Y. in November. The grand opening showcased the energy-efficiency of the facility, including its solar collectors to produce on-site electricity, special roof shingles to act as a “heat island effect,” LED lighting, water saving fixtures and the extensive use of salvaged materials and recycled products to build and furnish the branch. The facility also features two drive-thru lanes, a 24/7 drive-thru ATM with depository and convenient parking.

Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., announced that it has opened its newest branch location in the town of Highland, N.Y. With approximately 5,000 square feet of space, the branch offers members six teller windows, two drive-up teller windows, six offices for financial services representatives, one drive-up ATM and one walk-up ATM. Brennan D. Williams, a credit union employee since 2001, has accepted the position of branch manager for the new branch.

Kauai Community Federal Credit Union, Lihue, Hawaii, opened its Kukui Grove West office, representing an environmental milestone for Kauai. KCFCU's 21,000-square-foot home office was the first LEED-certified credit union building in all of Hawaii and only the second certified building on Kauai. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is the U.S. Green Building Council's program for certifying sustainable development projects.

Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union, Clinton Township, Mich., announced the opening of a new office in Shelby Township. The office is the ninth location for the credit union and is sandwiched between two of its largest membership areas-Shelby and Macomb Townships. The Hayes Road office features two drive-thru lanes, an internet kiosk for member usage, a coffee bar and a 24-hour access ATM.

Premier Members Federal Credit Union, Boulder, Colo., opened a new branch on Federal Blvd. on Nov. 8. The new branch filled the void left by the Nov. 6 closure of its Del Norte St. location. The credit union's leadership chose to move to provide easier access for members and to maintain a presence in the area. The new branch is less than three miles from the Del Norte location, which was acquired through the merger with Colorado United Credit Union earlier this year.

Tower Federal Credit Union, Laurel, Md., opened a new branch in mid-December in the National Business Park, located in Annapolis Junction, Md. The new full-service branch features state-of-the-art remote teller stations for safe and easy financial transactions. Remote teller stations function as a walk-up version of the drive-thru window. Inside the branch, members talk to live tellers through a screen and handset, and transactions occur through a pneumatic tube. The branch also offers a 24-hour walk-up ATM and a self-service coin counter, free for Tower members.

WesTex Community Credit Union, Kermit, Texas, broke ground on their new branch in Alpine, Texas. The 2,800-square-foot facility is a full-service branch with a two-lane audio/visual drive-thru service as well as an ATM and night depository. This branch will serve the four Big Bend counties of Texas-an area equivalent in size to Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.