2018 June Issue
Welding a need: College’s new workforce center to make August debut
New workforce center to make debut this August By DENNIS GRUBAUGH One contractor recalls Ed Weber as the only laborer he ever knew who came to work each day with the Wall Street Journal tucked under his arm. Weber lived a frugal life, but he had a penchant for picking stocks. His last years were…
Read MoreGas prices up in recent months and here’s why
By ALAN J. ORTBALS Oil prices have largely been on the rise for the last year and in May briefly topped $70/barrel for the first time since 2014, and you can look to OPEC for the reason, says Matt Schrimpf, president and CEO of HWRT Oil Co. in Alton. “Back in November of 2014 the…
Read MoreContractors say tariff talk driving building material costs higher
By ALAN J. ORTBALS The cost of goods used in construction jumped in April at the fastest year-over-year rate since 2011, with ongoing increases for a wide range of building materials, including many that are subject to proposed tariffs that could drive prices still higher and cause scarcities, according to an analysis by the Associated…
Read MoreAmy Kempfer, Senior Branch Manager, Associated Bank, Fairview Heights
By RITA DUCKWORTH Amy Kempfer got a job at a bank while in college at Oregon State University. A native of Belleville, she returned home to finish her business degree at Lindenwood University. She has been in the banking industry ever since. She is now senior branch manager of Associated Bank’s Fairview Heights Branch. She…
Read MoreDiane Sinn, Senior Vice President Columbia Branch, First Bank
By DENNIS GRUBAUGH Diane Sinn’s passion for her career, like interest on a good bank account, has grown through the years. Today, she’s hooked. Sinn is senior branch manager/vice president at First Bank’s Columbia, Ill., location. She arrived there in November after 22 years in banking. She started as a part-time teller with Boatmen’s National…
Read MorePOINT: Should the U.S. Constitution be amended to reverse Citizens United?
Yes: People, not corporations, should have ultimate say in a democracy By GEORGE PENN In the wake of the horrendous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Citizens United and other campaign finance cases, we desperately need to amend the U.S. Constitution not just to clarify the regulations in this field, but much more importantly,…
Read MoreCOUNTERPOINT: Should the U.S. Constitution be amended to reverse Citizens United?
No: Government power over campaign spending is a threat to free speech By BRADLEY A. SMITH In 2009, before the Supreme Court, the government claimed it could ban the publication of a book, if that book contained a single sentence calling for the election or defeat of a candidate. The basis for that extraordinary claim…
Read MoreQ&A with Jim Nussle, president and CEO of Credit Union National Association
IBJ: How much of an impact will the newly signed Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155) have on credit unions? Nussle: The law will create targeted regulatory relief for community financial institutions, allowing them to dedicate more resources to serving Main Street consumers. Specific regulatory relief…
Read MoreQ&A with Tom Kane, president and chief executive officer, Illinois Credit Union League
IBJ: Tell us about your association. Kane: The League is the trade association for credit unions in Illinois. We’re a not-for-profit that does advocacy work in Springfield on behalf of credit unions. We also work with our counterparts at CUNA in Washington on federal legislative issues. We do education and compliance work for…
Read MoreIMRF pension succeeding where others in Illinois have not
By DENNIS GRUBAUGH While state-funded pensions around Illinois are floundering, another retirement plan that benefits many of its residents is leaving most pensions in the dust. That plan is the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, and it is doing quite well, thank you. The IMRF’s members are employed by taxing bodies, meaning the plan itself is…
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