One major business in Jefferson has been greatly impacted by the temporary closure from the governor’s public health emergency proclamation against COVID-19, and that is Wild Rose Casino and Resort.

General Manager Travis Dvorak says since they were ordered to temporarily close on March 17th, some employees took a voluntary lay-off due to family situations and underlying conditions and the entire facility has been deep cleaned. He talks about how he’s managed employees for this month.

“Since April, we’ve gone down to essential staff. We were able to maintain benefits for all of our employees.”

All aspects of the facility, excluding the attached Cobblestone Inn and Suites, have been closed, which means several events were postponed in the Greene Room events center. Dovrak says they were able to reschedule events including the Extreme Mixed Martial Arts Challenge, a Johnny Cash tribute band, One Night of Queen and Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. Dvorak adds they are working with local entities to reschedule events such as Greene County High School prom and the Bringing Opportunities and Optimism to Students and Parents (BOOST) fundraiser. 

Dvorak says online sports-betting has been greatly reduced, due to all major sports being suspended with COVID-19 concerns. However, before Wild Rose was forced to close its doors, Dvorak says their DraftKings mobile app was one of the best in the state.

“If you look at the IRGC (Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission) website, we were top three in the state for mobile sites in the month of March. So I see DraftKings as a very popular site for mobile sports-betting.”

Until the facility can be open again, Dvorak says they will continue to clean the facility and follow the guidelines from the Governor’s Office and the Centers for Disease Control.