[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 6 (Thursday, January 9, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1333-1334]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-478]


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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. Once the application has been accepted 
for processing, it will also 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, including whether the acquisition of the nonbanking company can 
``reasonably be expected to produce benefits to the public, such as 
greater convenience, increased competition, or gains in efficiency, 
that outweigh possible adverse effects, such as undue concentration of 
resources, decreased or unfair competition, conflicts of interests, or 
unsound banking practices'' (12 U.S.C. 1843). Any request for a hearing 
must be accompanied by a statement of the reasons a written 
presentation would not suffice in lieu of a hearing, identifying 
specifically any questions of fact that are in dispute, summarizing the 
evidence that would be presented at a hearing, and indicating how the 
party commenting would be aggrieved by approval of the proposal. Unless 
otherwise noted, nonbanking activities will be conducted throughout the 
United States.
    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 February 3, 1997.
    A. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (Zane R. Kelley, Vice President) 
104 Marietta Street, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30303:
    1. Emerald Coast Bancshares, Inc., Panama City Beach, Florida; to 
become a bank holding company by acquiring 100 percent of the voting 
shares of Emerald Coast Bank, Panama City Beach, Florida.
    B. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago (James A. Bluemle, Vice 
President) 230 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60690:
    1. First Financial Bancorporation, Iowa City, Iowa; to acquire 100 
percent of the voting shares of West Branch Bancorp, Inc., West Branch, 
Iowa, and thereby indirectly acquire West Branch State Bank, West 
Branch, Iowa.
    C. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (Randall C. Sumner, Vice 
President) 411 Locust Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63166:
    1. FGH Bancorp, Inc., Herrin, Illinois; to become a bank holding 
company by acquiring 100 percent of the voting shares of The Bank of 
Herrin, Herrin, Illinois, and thereby indirectly acquire Carterville 
State & Savings Bank, Carterville, Illinois.
    2. NCF Financial Corporation, Bardstown, Kentucky; to become a bank 
holding company by acquiring 100 percent of the voting shares of Nelson

[[Page 1334]]

County Bank & Trust, Bardstown, Kentucky.

    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, January 3, 
1997.
Jennifer J. Johnson,
Deputy Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 97-478 Filed 1-8-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6210-01-F