Protection Bank Holding in Protection, Kan., has applied with regulators to buy Haviland Bancshares in Haviland, Kan. The parent of the $96.8 million-asset Bank of Protection submitted its application with the Federal Reserve to buy the holding company for the $49.2 million-asset Haviland State Bank. The price hasn't been disclosed. Protection Bank Holding will also acquire Banco Insurance Agency as part of the deal.

First Financial in Cincinnati has agreed to buy BankFinancial in Burr Ridge, Ill. The $18.6 billion-asset First Financial said in a press release that it will pay $142 million in stock for the $1.4 billion-asset BankFinancial in a deal it nicknamed "Project Cockpit." The deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, priced BankFinancial at 91% of its tangible book value. "We are excited to add consumer banking

The CEO of Carter Bankshares in Martinsville, Va., will undergo surgery to remove a growth in his abdomen. Litz Van Dyke informed employees of the surgery in a personal message included in a regulatory filing. Van Dyke said he began experiencing health changes that prompted consultations with physicians and a series of tests, which led to the diagnosis. While the procedure will require a couple of weeks of initial recovery,

Paxos, which issues PayPal's PYUSD stablecoin, has applied to convert its New York Department of Financial Services trust charter into a national trust charter under the supervision of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Paxos said in a press release that the move, if approved, would place it under federal oversight and "underscores its consistent commitment to maintain the highest regulatory standards of any blockchain infrastructure and tokenization

Rosedale Federal Savings & Loan Association in Nottingham, Md., is shortening its name. The $1.3 billion-asset bank said in a press release that it will become Rosedale Bank. “We haven’t changed it, but we’ve evolved the business model,” Kevin Benson, Rosedale’s president and CEO, said in the release. “I think this is just more reflective of the types of things that we’re doing.”

Financial Federal Bank in Memphis, Tenn., has a new CEO. The $1 billion-asset parent of Financial Federal Bank said in a press release that William Tayloe is its new leader. Tayloe, who was president, succeeded Kent Wunderlich, who remains on the board.

The leader of Texas Partners Bank in San Antonio has died. The $2.4 billion-asset bank did not immediately name a successor for J. Bruce Bugg Jr., who was its chairman and CEO. "Bruce’s vision of building a premier Central Texas banking franchise will continue with the same strength, clarity and purpose that define his leadership," Brent Given, the bank's president, said in a statement. "His memory will continue to inspire

Finward Bancorp in Munster, Ind., has been freed from a November 2023 consent order. The order, issued by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Indiana Department of Financial Institutions, was tied to Finward's compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and related regulations. “We want to convey our sincere appreciation and thanks to our board of directors, management team, and staff who worked tirelessly to achieve the requirements of the