“Officials pitch plans for new casinos - Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier” plus 3 more |
- Officials pitch plans for new casinos - Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier
- Gaming expo targets families, too - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- AMD Foots Bill for Gaming Workshop for Teachers - The Journal
- Iowa casino projects make pitches - Quad-Cities Times
| Officials pitch plans for new casinos - Waterloo Cedar-Falls Courier Posted: 24 Mar 2010 09:06 AM PDT By CHARLOTTE EBY, chareby@aol.com | Posted: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 11:00 am JOHNSTON - Four communities hoping to land a gaming license allowing them to open new casinos pitched the promise of new jobs and revitalized local economies if they are selected. Leaders from Lyon, Tama, Webster and Wapello counties laid out their formal proposals Tuesday to members of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, which will make a decision on licenses this spring. The applicants used slickly produced videos with testimony from locals about what a casino would mean for their communities. Detailed drawings showed what their casinos would look like if they are allowed to break ground. The Lyon County contingent came dressed in lime-green shirts with slogans such as "700 Good Jobs" and "Lyon County Opportunity." Tama Mayor Chris Bearden said community support for another casino in Tama County is enormous and that the increased tourism and jobs would help the local unemployment rate. The county already is home to the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel. "An addition of a casino will help Tama to continue to grow and prosper," Bearden said. John Pavone, president of Signature Management Group, called the project the right size and right fit for Tama County, providing new opportunities for residents. "With your vote, Tama County can begin a new era of economic prosperity in a time when all of Iowa is suffering under economic distress," Pavone told the commission. Pat Leiting, a local investor for the proposed Fort Dodge casino, said their proposal was a solid plan for economic success. He said the casino will act as an anchor for future development. "It's about the preservation of our community. With your help, we will set Fort Dodge on a path of economic prosperity, witnessed by so many other communities throughout the state," Leiting told the commission. Backers of the proposed Ottumwa casino emphasized its downtown location next to the Bridge View Center, a convention facility, as well as a theater and water park. The proximity to Missouri was also touted as a benefit to draw out-of-state gamblers. Commission Chairman Greg Seyfer of Cedar Rapids called the presentations a first step that allowed applicants to expand upon the information they provided in their applications. Commissioners are scheduled to make visits of the proposed sites next month. A public hearing is scheduled for May 4 in Johnston. The commission is expected to make a final decision May 13. Gov. Chet Culver already has weighed in on the decision, urging the five-member commission to issue licenses for proposed casinos in all four counties. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Gaming expo targets families, too - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Posted: 24 Mar 2010 02:00 PM PDT The Midwest Gaming Classic rings, pings and dings this weekend with a new venue, an extra, early pinball tournament and turbo-boosted emphasis on family fun starting late Friday at the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel. The pinball tourney is a prelude to the largest electronic gaming show in town, which begins Saturday. The new location means more room for all the different kinds of gaming, including pinball, arcade machines, retro home systems and the latest video game consoles. "We are breaking up everything so all of the different communities have their own rooms they can use as a home base," said Dan Loosen, one of the Classic's organizers. "There will be events throughout the other halls constantly, and we are going to have these communities who have been involved for years really be the stars of the show." In addition to helping veterans find their favorite flavors of electronic entertainment, newcomers will be able to more easily discover the diversity of games, Loosen said. Pac-Man-style dots on the hotel's floor throughout the hallways will guide attendees to different parts of the show, and Loosen promised that it will be easy for visitors to find everything that is going on. "The goal is to help newcomers discover how much fun there is to be had with all these games and connect them with people who already know," Loosen said. www.midwestgamingclassic.com/">The Classic also has added some new events for both hard-core and casual players in addition to the mainstays that make the event so popular, which include all-you-can-play pinball, the classic gaming and computing museum, expert speakers and hardware hacking demonstrations. The Classic will begin with "Clock Chaos," a new pinball tournament designed for both professional and new players. A $20 entry fee gets contenders the chance to play 12 machines - one for each hour on a clock - with the 13 best players advancing to a final round for a share of more than $375 in loot. It starts at 10 p.m. Friday. "The main pinball tournament has grown by leaps and bounds, and we wanted to add something more," Loosen said. "It is a neat kind of kickoff thing for people who want to get started before the whole show gets going." Hard-core players can earn points toward their World Pinball Player Rankings, and newcomers can see how their skills match up with some of the best players in the world. "A lot of people - wrongly I might add - think pinball doesn't take skill," Loosen said. "There is definitely skill involved, and this tournament gives people a chance to play the exact same machines on an even playing field." For the casual crowd, the Classic is cutting the cost of admission for "family day" on Sunday from $20 to $10 to lure more parents and children for activities such as family pinball matches, where a parent and child each control one flipper on a pinball machine. To help the cause, Kristine Minnich of Sisters in Gaming, which is part of the Vgevo.com podcast network, will host a "crafting mama" workshop where members will help attendees create game-themed crafts such as Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man puppets and Mario Bros. mushrooms as magnets. And the Family Game Room, a dedicated space introduced last year, is going to provide more multiplayer video games and activities organized by Tom Legare of Crystal Lake, Ill., and sons Kevin, 13, and Justin, 15. In addition to setting up several retro and modern game systems for people to play, Legare said he will walk parents through the rating system for modern video games and provide tips for picking child-friendly games published before that system was established. "Something I really recommend is making it a family experience," Legare said about picking games. "Instead of just looking at the box, play it with them and have a little fun." IF YOU GOWhat: Midwest Gaming Classic When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday Where: Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel, 375 S. Moorland RoadCost: $20 Saturday, $10 Sunday, children 12 and younger are free with a paid adult admission Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| AMD Foots Bill for Gaming Workshop for Teachers - The Journal Posted: 24 Mar 2010 07:40 AM PDT Teacher Professional Development AMD Foots Bill for Gaming Workshop for TeachersAMD is sponsoring a day-long game design workshop this May for teachers at an annual game conference. The chip maker's foundation is awarding a $100,000 grant to fund the workshop during Games for Change, which is hosted in New York by Parsons The New School for Design and the Games for Learning Institute at New York University. The workshop will help train teachers, non-profit leaders, and others to develop social issue game design programs for their school curricula or after-school programs. The workshop, to be held May 24, 2010, is being sponsored by AMD as part of the company's education initiative, AMD Changing the Game. The program is designed to promote social issue game development as a tool to inspire teens to learn; improve their science, technology, education and math (STEM) skills; and become more attuned to global social issues. Games for Change is itself a non-profit venture that promotes the power of video games to address social issues, including poverty, education, and climate change. "Each year, social issue games gain more prominence and visibility within the gaming and educational communities, as those communities increasingly recognize the potential of games to engage youth in meaningful ways on pressing global issues," said Alex Quinn, executive director for Games for Change. "This workshop can have a valuable and lasting impact in this space by putting educational technology tools in the hands of a broad network of leaders who serve so many of these young people." The workshop will provide information on the software tools available for game design, showcase youth game development programs, and feature presentations by youth game design experts. About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business. Send your higher education technology news to her at dian@dischaffhauser.com.
Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Iowa casino projects make pitches - Quad-Cities Times Posted: 23 Mar 2010 08:49 PM PDT
JOHNSTON, Iowa - Four communities hoping to land a gaming license to open new casinos pitched the promise of new jobs and revitalized local economies if they are selected. Leaders from Lyon, Tama, Webster and Wapello counties laid out their formal proposals Tuesday to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, which will make a decision on licenses this spring. The applicants used slickly produced videos with testimony from local officials and residents about what a casino would mean for their communities. Detailed drawings showed what their casinos would look like if they are allowed to break ground. Lyon and Wapello counties brought supporters wearing brightly colored shirts to support their projects - the Lyon County contingency in lime-green shirts with slogans such as "700 Good Jobs." Lyon County leaders stressed their proposed location just six miles from Sioux Falls, S.D., and close to the Minnesota border is part of an underserved market and would mean more than 80 percent of the casino's revenue would come from outside Iowa. Designers of the casino proposal detailed its upscale amenities, including a golf course and luxury finishes, while local leaders talked about the jobs it would mean for the area. Jeff Gallagher, president of the Lyon County Riverboat Foundation, said 1,500 residents leave every day to work somewhere else. "We look forward to the opportunity of having nearly 700 jobs in Lyon County where those people can find work and stay in Lyon County, be close to their families and close to their residences," Gallagher said. Tama Mayor Chris Bearden said community support for another casino in Tama County is enormous and that the increased tourism and jobs would help the local unemployment rate. The county already is home to the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel. "An addition of a casino will help Tama to continue to grow and prosper," Bearden said. John Pavone, president of Signature Management Group, called the project the right size and right fit for Tama County, providing new opportunities for residents. Pat Leiting, a local investor for the proposed Fort Dodge casino, said their proposal was a solid plan for economic success. He said the casino will act as an anchor for future development. "It's about the preservation of our community. With your help, we will set Fort Dodge on a path of economic prosperity, witnessed by so many other communities throughout the state," Leiting told the commission. Backers of the proposed Ottumwa casino emphasized its downtown location next to the Bridge View Center, a convention facility, as well as a theater and water park. The proximity to Missouri was also touted as a benefit to draw out-of-state gamblers. Commission Chairman Greg Seyfer of Cedar Rapids called the presentations a first step that allowed applicants to expand upon the information they provided in their applications. He said they have not made any conclusions on what they saw Tuesday. Commissioners are scheduled to make visits of the proposed sites next month. A public hearing is scheduled for May 4 in Johnston. The commission is expected to make a final decision during a public meeting on May 13 in Johnston. Gov. Chet Culver already has weighed in on the decision, urging the five-member commission to issue licenses for proposed casinos in all four counties. Tama County Prairie Hills Resort, Hotel and Casino Location: U.S. bypass near Tama Casino: 500 slot machines, 18 table games Amenities: 80-room hotel, regionally themed restaurant and sports bar entertainment area, 500-seat conference center, outdoor amphitheater, upscale recreation vehicle park with executive clubhouse, motors sports complex Jobs created: 300-400 Webster County Diamond Jo Fort Dodge Location: Intersection of U.S. 20 and 169 Casino: 600 slot machines, 20 table games, five poker tables Amenities: Hotel, event center, multi-use arena Jobs created: 350 Lyon County Lyon County Resort & Casino Location: Along Iowa 9 near the South Dakota border Casino: 900 gaming machines, 24 table games Amenities: Restaurants, bar, 100-room hotel, 1,200-seat event center, convention center, show lounge, spa, meeting rooms, retail outlets, indoor/outdoor terraced resort pool, 18-hole golf course Jobs created: More than 700 Wapello County Rippling Waters Casino Location: Downtown Ottumwa riverfront, adjacent to Bridge View Center Casino: 625 gaming machines, 10 table games Amenties: 100-plus hotel rooms, two food venues Jobs created: 367 full-time casino jobs Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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