Tennessee Lottery: Simple solution fixes store's lottery machineThree days after everyone else, the only lottery store in Harrogate, Tennessee is finally selling tickets. And the solution to what seemed a complicated problem, was simple.
It wasn't a lottery technician who helped solve the problem at the Chevron D and B Quick Stop. It was a customer.
For the last three days, Quick Stop workers had to turn away customers wanting lottery tickets.
"They don't like it and I've had to turn them down several times," said Penny Overton.
But Friday morning, things changed. "Someone came in and fixed it. I was in my car and the girl who was here by herself called me on my cell phone and told me everything was okay. So I rushed over here," Overton said.
"I just unplugged the power to the back of it," explained Jeff Rogers, an electrician. "I'm in here every morning, laughing and asking them when can I buy lottery tickets. Today I just decided, it's about time to fix it for them."
He unplugged and re-plugged the modem. A few minutes later, a lottery technician came in and said Rogers did the right thing.
The store manager said lottery officials never suggested unplugging the modem.
While the Quick Stop's lottery sales have been steady Friday, that can't make up for the grand kickoff the store missed. "It's still disappointing," Overton said. "We could sell a million tickets today and I'd still be disappointed. I'm sorry but I would be."
Tennessee lottery officials said out of 3,500 retailers, about three percent aren't running. That's a little over 100. They said they're trying to get technicians to those stores as soon as possible.
