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Riverboat proposed

Friday, April 11, 2003 | 9:27 a.m.

NORTHWOOD, Iowa -- Steve Miller likes the idea of bringing a casino riverboat to Worth County, saying it would be a way to improve the area's economy.

He is trying to collect the 500 signatures needed for a petition calling for an election on the issue.

Miller, who recently moved to Northwood from Cambridge, Minn., said he noticed Worth County isn't growing much compared to Cambridge. He said a riverboat could bring as many as 600 jobs to the area, which includes Mason City and Albert Lea and Austin in Minnesota.

"We are definitely viable with the population around us," he said. "Once I heard that, I knew this was at least worth pursuing."

He estimates 400,000 people could pass through Northwood each year if a casino were located there.

The Northwood City Council approved a resolution Tuesday supporting further exploration of the casino proposal.

The Rev. Paul Holmer, pastor of the First Lutheran Church in Northwood, said a riverboat casino would cause the most problems for people who are the most vulnerable.

"Things that often happen with gambling is that it impacts the poorest element of the community the most," he said. "They tend to reach for that as a way to get out of their poverty and end up losing even more."

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