EARNINGS PER SHARE (Reconciliation of the Denominators of the Basic and Diluted EPS Computations) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2023	Mar. 31, 2022
Net Income:
Net income	$ 35,653	$ 43,690
Less: Preferred Stock Dividends	2,967	2,967
Net Income available to common shareholders	$ 32,686	$ 40,723
Basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding	74,832,141	75,544,644
Dilutive effect of stock awards	3,000	11,000
Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted	74,835,514	75,556,127
Basic EPS:
Earnings per common share, basic	$ 0.44	$ 0.54
Diluted EPS:
Earnings per common share, diluted	$ 0.44	$ 0.54