[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 170 (Thursday, August 31, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 53016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22248]


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FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM


Formations of, Acquisitions by, and Mergers of Bank Holding 
Companies

    The companies listed in this notice have applied to the Board for 
approval, pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (12 U.S.C. 
1841 et seq.) (BHC Act), Regulation Y (12 CFR Part 225), and all other 
applicable statutes and regulations to become a bank holding company 
and/or to acquire the assets or the ownership of, control of, or the 
power to vote shares of a bank or bank holding company and all of the 
banks and nonbanking companies owned by the bank holding company, 
including the companies listed below.
    The applications listed below, as well as other related filings 
required by the Board, are available for immediate inspection at the 
Federal Reserve Bank indicated. The application also will be available 
for inspection at the offices of the Board of Governors. Interested 
persons may express their views in writing on the standards enumerated 
in the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1842(c)). If the proposal also involves the 
acquisition of a nonbanking company, the review also includes whether 
the acquisition of the nonbanking company complies with the standards 
in section 4 of the BHC Act (12 U.S.C. 1843). Unless otherwise noted, 
nonbanking activities will be conducted throughout the United States. 
Additional information on all bank holding companies may be obtained 
from the National Information Center website at www.ffiec.gov/nic/.
    Unless otherwise noted, comments regarding each of these 
applications must be received at the Reserve Bank indicated or the 
offices of the Board of Governors not later than September 18, 2000.
    A. Federal Reserve Bank of New York (Betsy Buttrill White, Senior 
Vice President) 33 Liberty Street, New York, New York 10045-0001:
    1. First Niagara Financial Group, Inc., and Niagara Bancorp, MHC, 
both of Lockport, New York; to acquire 100 percent of the voting shares 
of Iroquois Bancorp, Inc., Auburn, New York, and Cayuga Bank, Auburn, 
New York, and for Iroquois Bancorp, Inc., Auburn, New York, to merge 
with First Niagara Financial Group, Inc., Lockport, New York.
    In connection with this application, First Niagara Financial Group, 
Inc., and Niagara Bancorp, MHC, both of Lockport, New York, have 
applied to acquire direct and indirect ownership or control of 
Homestead Savings FA, Utica, New York, a federal savings association, 
and thereby to engage in certain insurance activities pursuant to 12 
C.F.R 225.28(b)(11)(iii), securities brokerage activities pursuant to 
12 CFR 225.28(b)(7), providing investment and financial advisory 
services pursuant to 12 CFR 225.28(b)(6), and owning, controlling or 
operating a savings association pursuant to 12 CFR 225.28(b)(4).

    B. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (D. Michael Manies, 
Assistant Vice President) 925 Grand Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 
64198-0001:
    1. Custer Bancorp, Westcliffe, Colorado; to acquire 100 percent of 
the voting shares of Orchard Valley Financial Corp., Englewood, 
Colorado, and thereby indirectly acquire First State Bank of Hotchkiss, 
Hotchkiss, Colorado.

    Dated: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, August 
25, 2000.
Robert deV. Frierson,
Associate Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 00-22248 Filed 8-30-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-P