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By: Hollie Hojek hhojek@kcautv.com Is caffeine your drug of choice? Well if you said 'yes', you're probably not alone. And in new controversial move, a scientific manual is labeling coffee addictionsMore>> Diagnostic Statistical Manual list "Caffeine withdrawal" as one of 15 New Mental Illnesses.More>> By Staci DaSilva sdasilva@kcautv.com 20 University Of Iowa faculty members paid a visit to the Four Directions Community Center Thursday evening. The group stopped in at Four Directions to listen toMore>> 20 University Of Iowa faculty members paid a visit to the Four Directions Community Center Thursday evening.More>> By Staci DaSilva sdasilva@kcautv.com It ran nearly 3 weeks overtime, but the Iowa state legislative session has officially wrapped. The Senate signed its last bill Thursday morning just after midnight.More>> It ran nearly 3 weeks overtime, but the Iowa state legislative session has officially wrapped.More>> By: Scott Larson slarson@kcautv.com Traffic along Interstate 29 was slowed down significantly Thursday afternoon due to an accident. It happened just before Noon when a semi rear–ended a Honda Civic.More>> Semi nails the back of a Honda Civic partially busting out the windshield and clogging up traffic on I-29More>> Drowsy Driving Increasingly Dangerous
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By: Sam Doerr sdoerr@kcautv.com When a natural disaster strikes like the horrific tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, social media plays a big role in the spread of information. The Sioux City Fire and PoliceMore>> When a natural disaster strikes like the horrific tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, social media plays a big role in the spread of information.More>> By Channel 9 Eyewitness News news@kcautv.com Iowa investigators say the discovery of blood of a missing 15-year-old girl has diminished hope of finding her alive. Bill Kietzman of the Iowa DivisionMore>> 15-year old Kathlynn Shepard went missing on Monday.More>> By: Channel 9 Eyewitness News news@kcautv.com DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) _ The Board of Regents is following up on its promise of freezing tuition at Iowa's public universities now that an education budgetMore>> The Board of Regents is following up on its promise of freezing tuition at Iowa's public universities now that an education budget is in the books.More>> By Channel 9 Eyewitness News news@kcautv.com The Boy Scouts of America today voted to lift its longtime ban on admitting gay scouts but will continue to exclude openly gay adults from leadership roles.More>> By Channel 9 Eyewitness News news@kcautv.com The Boy Scouts of America today voted to lift its longtime ban on admitting gay scouts but will continue to exclude openly gay adults from leadership roles.More>> By: Channel 9 Eyewitness News news@kcautv.com DES MOINES, Iowa – May 23, 2013 – MidAmerican Energy Company is asking the public to help name Peregrine falcon chicks that recently hatched in nesting boxesMore>> MidAmerican Energy is opening up submissions for names for the falcon chicks. More>>
By: Tim Seaman
tseaman@kcautv.com
Penn National Gaming shows off it's proposed Hollywood Casino proposals with business and community members on Tuesday. Before that, the companies Director of Public Affairs joined News Co-Anchor Tim Seaman for a one–on–one interview. He began by asking Karen Bailey why Penn National is proposing two projects. One in downtown Sioux City and the other in rural Woodbury County.
"We hear the community interest in downtown redevelopment. That's a big part of our downtown Sioux City project a $160 million dollar project in downtown. But if the state is more interested in a rural location we have that too. Both are feasible," said Bailey.
Seaman asked, "With the 2nd proposal being a rural proposal in Woodbury County but not in Sioux City, why would Sioux City people want to support that project ?"
"That's a great question," said Bailey. She continued, "And I think both are going to have representative audiences so I think that people that have an interest and opinion in these proposals, one side or the other, downtown or county, the IRGC and state have the mechanism for them to comment their feelings on that."
Both Hollywood Casino's would be built in totally new facilities. Seaman asked Bailey if the company considered the use of a pre-exsisting building like the 2 other developers.
"We looked as some of the buildings over the course of the years. Actually some were examined but going back to the business model we know is successful and the single floor casino for amenity access is something that is essential to the success. Not to take away from the other proposals but we have a model that works. Things like ventilation and high ceilings. Not to retrofit to historic structures, we think overall, is a benefit to the customer experience and gaming revenue we're capturing for both the community and the state," said Bailey.
Penn National's revenue projections are in line with it's competitors. But unlike those other proposals, Penn National turned down city financing for it's projects and plans to finance them on it's own without local partners. Something some have voiced concerns about.
Bailey said, "Look at our track record. Have we reinvested in the community and in our facilities? Yes we have. We also have invested in our employees. I think that's a misnomer when people say all the money is going out of town. It's not. It goes back to shareholders and is reinvested in the community as well as our employees."
With a new dock lease agreement with the city in the works for it's Argosy Casino, Bailey told Seaman Penn National is looking forward and not back and is excited about what may lie ahead.
"At the end of the day we've still put forth the best proposal the biggest investment out of all 3 proposals, $160 million in downtown and $167 million in the county. And the fact that it's fully funded and not dependent on public substitutes," said Bailey.
