A groundbreaking at the Siouxland Historical Railroad Association Thursday kicked off a one million dollar expansion of the Milwaukee Railroad Shops Historic District.

Rail Association Board President Larry Obermeyer says the museum is developing into a destination point with great public and private support:



Built between 1916 and 1918, the Milwaukee Railroad Historic District is one of the largest remaining steam locomotive-servicing facilities in the Midwest. Obermeyer says many more improvements are planned:



Obermeyer's father started restoration on the original steam engine that formerly stood outside the Sioux City Auditorium years ago. He's continuing in his family's life work:



The railroad museum site is located on Highway 12 near Riverside. It currently includes a roundhouse with a turntable and around 20 more buildings or partial structures.

SIOUXLAND'S BUSINESS COMMUNITY LEARNED THE VALUE OF CREATING A GREAT PLACE TO WORK THURSDAY.

THAT WAS THE MESSAGE DELIVERED BY PAUL PURCELL, THE C-E-O OF ROBERT BAIRD AND COMPANY.

BAIRD HAS BEEN LISTED ON FORTUNE MAGAZINE'S TOP 100 BEST PLACES TO WORK SINCE 2004, BUT PURCELL SAYS IT WAS 14 YEARS AGO THAT HE BEGAN THE GOAL TO EARN A PLACE FOR BAIRD ON THAT LIST:



IT TOOK THREE YEARS BEFORE BAIRD MADE THE LIST. NOW THEY RANK 14TH OVERALL WITH GOOGLE IN THE NUMBER ONE SPOT OF THE TOP 100.

PURCELL SAYS BEING KNOWN AS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK HELPS ATTRACT GREAT NEW TALENT TO THE COMPANY.

HE SAYS APPLICATIONS HAVE INCREASED TENFOLD SINCE BAIRD MADE THE TOP 100.



PROCEEDS FROM THE LUNCHEON WERE DONATED TO THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF SIOUXLAND. MUSEUM DIRECTOR KARI KELLEN WAS PRESENTED WITH AN $8000 CHECK.

Governor Terry Branstad made a rare appearance in the Iowa House Thursday morning to watch legislators take the final votes on a plan to cut taxes by at least 400-million dollars over the next four years.



The bill reduces commercial property tax rates by 10 percent over the next two years and it creates a new commercial property tax credit.

Branstad says "everybody" in the legislature and in his own office deserve credit for the achievements of the 2013 session, including that tax plan, the health care reform compromise and an education reform package.



Branstad is nearing the end of his fifth term and this is the 19th year he's negotiated deals with legislators.

Radio Iowa

The first payment for the Sioux City Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has been made.

Sioux City Entertainment, the casino developer, made its first payment of four million dollars to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission

It's the first of five payments that will be made to the state over the next four years to satisfy the casino license fee granted on April 18th.

The payment was made on May 14th, four days prior to the due date set by the IRGC.

The next $4 million dollar payment will be due in 2014 before the casino opens to the public.

Developers of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino are estimating a summer 2014 grand opening.