Super Bank: Mark Schroeder’s German American Bank wasn’t too big to fail. It was too good to fail. 2010 was an acquisition year for the Jasper, Ind.-based bank. The moves included a push into the Evansville market. We introduced readers to Schroeder, German American’s CEO, in Back Talk, and we liked the contrast of his self-described “regional super bank” with the banks “too big to fail.” You know, those banks that needed a major (nearly $1 trillion) federal intervention. Soon, that story, appropriately titled Too Big to Fail, will be an HBO original movie. Check out the uncanny similarities between the cast and the real-life bank and government officials.
Healthy Payments: Our feature story, Work Your Butt Off, demonstrated one reason employers should encourage employees to be healthy: It helps the bottom line. Here’s a question we didn’t ask, though: Should people be paid to stay healthy? The New York Times asked that very question to economists and health professionals. Read their debate here.
Vertical Limits: One under-promoted way to get in shape: take the stairs. Jennifer Rhoades, an account executive at Evansville Business magazine, learned that when she swore off elevators and escalators for three weeks. She isn’t alone: Stair climbing is becoming a serious sport. More than a thousand people “Hurry up the Hancock” (nearly 1,600 steps) in Chicago every year. These races to the top of skyscrapers occur across the country, including Las Vegas when competitors “Scale the Strat,” around 100 flights of stairs. This video proves stair climbing is for amateurs and professionals.
Ask about Asking: Economic experts have a growing sentiment that 2011 could be the year employers start to hire again. Job seekers should know that not all questions are kosher in the interview process. We covered a few in “Ask Not,” but dozens exist. Check out this list.
Medical Moves: Paper medical records soon could be a thing of the past, thanks to new federal incentives for healthcare providers to switch to electronic medical records. We spoke to an optometrist ahead of the EMR curve in Evansville Business, but while medical professionals are thinking about the promise of better patient care, government officials are thinking job creation. A switch to EMRs could create more than 200,000 jobs in one year. Find out why here.
