Alva Review-Courier -

JENKS, Okla. (AP) — An Oklahoma bank is allowing customers who are federal employees but didn't get their paychecks to continue to spend as if their checks had cleared.

First Oklahoma Bank chairman Ted Bennett Jr. said Friday the company has a policy to waive overdraft fees and let customers who get regular checks from the government continue to withdraw money if the government shuts down, up to the amount of their usual deposit.

Bennett called the shutdown a crisis and said customers should still be able to make house payments and buy groceries. Bennett said the bank will keep this up for a "reasonable" amount of time, which he estimated to be two to three months.

Some 800,000 federal employees missed their first paycheck Friday because of the government shutdown.