Arkansas Lottery to begin director search
The Arkansas Lottery Commission voted Monday to begin its search for a new director in December, but the panel left unanswered how quickly it hoped to fill the vacancy left by former director Ernie Passailaigue.
The commission voted to begin advertising for the director job on Dec. 1 and to begin reviewing applications at its Jan. 9 meeting. The panel set a priority deadline of Jan. 4, but it said it would continue to accept applications after that date.
The commission hired Passailaigue, ...
Nov 23, 2011, 10:04 am - Lottery News forum
Oregon Lottery doesn't allow public to comment at meetings
Some are upset over new Web site
Northwest Portland resident Bill Crane, bothered by news reports that the Oregon Lottery might be targeting youths with its planned new Internet site, The ORcade, wanted to give the commission that oversees the agency his two cents worth.
The timing was good. The Lottery Commission meets Friday morning, and Crane figured he'd drive south to Salem and sign up to talk. Problem is, the commission doesn't allow public testimony at its regular meetings, and told ...
Oct 21, 2011, 8:51 am - Lottery News forum
Indiana Gov. names interim Hoosier Lottery director
Megan Ornellas will serve as interim director of the Hoosier Lottery until a replacement can be found for Kathryn Densborn, who resigned following a flap over her lavish spending on a new headquarters.
(See Indiana Lottery chief resigns after lavish office revealed, Lottery Post, Oct. 14, 2011.)
Gov. Mitch Daniels' administration announced Ornellas' appointment Monday. Ornellas is the chief of staff for the Family and Social Services Administration, the state's largest agency. Ornellas wil ...
Oct 17, 2011, 8:54 pm - Lottery News forum
Arkansas Lottery not in a rush to fill director position
Arkansas Lottery commissioners said Monday they're in no rush to find a replacement for director Ernie Passailaigue weeks after he resigned the job and following the departure of two of his deputies.
The nine-member commission did not vote on a job description for the post after members said they wanted more time to review criteria. Passailaigue, who oversaw the state of Arkansas' lottery, resigned Sept. 19 following criticism over his management of the games.
Commission Chairwoman Dianne ...
Oct 17, 2011, 8:35 pm - Lottery News forum
Indiana Lottery chief resigns after lavish office revealed
Hoosier Lottery Director Kathryn Densborn stepped down Friday after coming under fire for moving the lottery to a posh new headquarters in Indianapolis.
Gov. Mitch Daniels said in a statement he accepted her resignation, which was effective Friday.
Densborn came under fire last week following reports of lavish spending on the move from Pan Am Plaza to a 35,000-square-foot office on Meridian Street.
(See Hoosier Lottery admits new office too lavish, Lottery Post, Oct. 6, 2011.)
Lotter ...
Oct 14, 2011, 6:12 pm - Lottery News forum
Arkansas Lottery fires second VP
The Arkansas Lottery has fired the last of three top officials brought in to launch the games two years ago, and the lottery commission's chairwoman called the move an opportunity for change.
Ernestine Middleton, the lottery vice president for administration, was fired Wednesday two days after the resignations of embattled director Ernie Passailaigue and another vice president, David Barden. Passailaigue announced last month he would be leaving, but Barden and Middleton had said they wanted t ...
Oct 7, 2011, 6:56 am - Lottery News forum
Hoosier Lottery admits new office too lavish
Includes video report
Less than a week after an Indiana TV station broke the story that the Hoosier Lottery overpaid for new offices, lottery officials are making some changes. In a news conference Wednesday lottery officials admitted mistakes were made.
The Hoosier Lottery admits it did not follow state rules when it moved into a new multi-million dollar headquarters on Meridian Street.
The WTHR segment called 13 Investigates first exposed the lottery's fancy new offices and that inves ...
Oct 6, 2011, 6:56 am - Lottery News forum
New travel questions crop up in Ark. Lottery director's final days in office
Outgoing Arkansas Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue gave his last scheduled report to state lawmakers today, as the lottery's internal auditor said new questions have arisen about Passailaigue's travel reimbursements.
Michael Hyde told the legislative committee that oversees the lottery today that he has referred to the Division of Legislative Audit a few things that came up.
It was of a nature that I felt like it needed to be investigated, he said.
Hyde mentioned the matter in answ ...
Oct 3, 2011, 1:24 am - Lottery News forum
Oregon Lottery chief accused of harassment, retaliation
Oregon state officials are looking into claims that the director of the Oregon Lottery sexually harassed a female manager, then retaliated against her when she spurned his advances.
According to allegations outlined in a letter by the woman's attorney, Lottery Director Larry Niswender made unwanted advances toward the manager, then put her on administrative leave after she and another manager at the Lottery became romantically involved.
Both employees were reinstated to their jobs after mo ...
Oct 3, 2011, 12:42 am - Lottery News forum
Arkansas Lottery VPs hope to stay after director leaves
Arkansas Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue is moving on, but the two top executives he brought with him from South Carolina say they hope to stay put.
Soon after Passailaigue left his job as director of South Carolina s lottery to become director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery in the summer of 2009, he hired two South Carolina lottery officials, David Barden and Ernestine Middleton, to be his vice presidents in Arkansas at nearly $100,000 more than their salaries back home.
On Monda ...
Sep 20, 2011, 8:57 pm - Lottery News forum
