SOUTH OTSELIC – South Otselic faced a challenge this summer when the local NBT branch in town closed. For the first time since the turn of the century, local residents found themselves without a bank.

Sidney Federal Credit Union(sfcu) is taking steps to alleviate some of those difficulties with a mobile banking van that will be in town the first Thursday of every month, starting tomorrow.

A group of concerned residents has been working diligently to ensure local residents have access to banking services.

When NBT closed the branch of June 12, residents negotiated with bank officials to make sure a full-service, 24-hour ATM with Spanish and English options remained at the site. The upgraded ATM has been installed and will remain at least through the end of the year, but after that, the deal between the landowner and the bank is uncertain.

Sidney Federal has visited the previous bank location for a walk through to determine if they may be able to fill the local need for a bank. While many factors are still unknown, sfcu has taken the first step by promising monthly mobile bank services in the South Otselic area. While the current plan is for one day a month, if business is brisk, they may add to that schedule.