Alerus to close branches

North Dakota bank Alerus Financial will close three of its branches later this year..The decision to close the branches, in Fargo and West Fargo, N.D., and Maplewood, Minn., was based on changes in customer trends, said Randy Newman, president, chair and CEO of the Grand Forks-based bank.."We've recognized a trend among our customers toward conducting their day-to-day banking transactions online and through our mobile app as opposed to in-person at our branches," Newman said. "We want to be able to continue investing in technology so that we will keep up with customer expectations as their needs evolve.".The $2 billion Alerus will still have 17 branches after the Nov. 23 closures, including three in Fargo and six in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.