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Minnesota lottery ticket given by daughter to dad as Christmas gift hits for $1MNews Story
Don DeSaer got a lottery ticket for Christmas from his daughter a Minnesota Millionaire Raffle ticket. It turned out to be true to its name. The ticket proved to be worth $1 million, and now the family of six is divvying up the winnings equally. DeSaer, of Courtland in southern Minnesota, got the ticket from his daughter Amber DeSaer, who also bought one for herself at Casey's General Store in New Ulm, lottery officials announced Monday. Amber said it didn't take long for her to realize
Jan 23, 2018, 8:11 am - Lottery News

Minnesota woman beats deadline, claims $50K lottery prizeNews Story
Another ticket, however, goes poof With barely a day to spare, a southern Minnesota woman showed up at the state's lottery headquarters in Roseville and claimed her $50,000 prize. Another person in the same situation, however, is out of luck. Debra Newman of Austin had the good fortune to arrive Thursday to cash in the Powerball ticket, which she bought on Jan. 13, 2016. Its value would have plummeted to $0 if she had arrived after 5 p.m. on Friday the 13th. Of the 12 $50,000 winning ti
Jan 17, 2017, 11:57 am - Lottery News

Minnesota father, son both win $100K in same lottery drawingNews Story
A father and son from Halstad in northwestern Minnesota both won the $100,000 top prize in the Dec. 2 All or Nothing drawing. Pedro Ruiz Jr. was on his way to dinner Dec. 2 when his father, Pedro Ruiz Sr., called asking him to purchase All or Nothing tickets for the weekend drawings. Ruiz bought his father's ticket in Gary and later decided to buy his own ticket in Mahnomen. Ruiz Jr. played the opposite numbers that were on his father's ticket. To win the $100,000 top prize a ticket must e
Dec 8, 2016, 8:23 am - Lottery News

Minnesota man comes up with 2nd big lottery winNews Story
A Minnesota man has claimed his second major lottery prize in less than 17 months, hitting a Gopher 5 jackpot last week worth nearly $875,000. Anthony Fusaro of Plymouth, Minnesota, won $1 million playing Mega Millions just last year. It's just pure luck, the 46-year-old Fusaro said in a statement issued Monday by lottery officials. I've always believed it would happen again. Fusaro won an $874,766 Gopher 5 jackpot in Friday's drawing. He claimed his Mega Millions prize in June 2015.
Nov 2, 2016, 1:11 pm - Lottery News

Man who makes living with horseshoes wins $1M Powerball prizeNews Story
For years, horseshoes have been bringing a steady income to Minnesotan Joseph Yanish. Last week, the luck that the horseshoe symbolizes brought him a $1 million payout. Yanish, a farrier who lives just west of the Twin Cities in Litchfield, won the $1 million prize on an impulse purchase he made at a Casey's General Store in St. Cloud. I just had an extra couple of bucks and decided to buy two tickets at the last minute, he said. Yanish, 33, discovered his win a couple of days after th
Jun 6, 2016, 9:01 am - Lottery News

Minnesota Lottery director resigns after timeshare inquiryNews Story
Minnesota State Lottery director Ed Van Petten abruptly resigned Friday, coming after an inquiry found that taxpayers have reimbursed the director for staying in his own timeshare unit when traveling. This morning, I met with Minnesota Lottery Director Ed Van Petten, said Gov. Mark Dayton's chief of staff Jaime Tincher. During that meeting, Mr. Van Petten offered his resignation. I accepted his resignation. We will immediately begin a search for his replacement. Van Petten had been reimb
Dec 18, 2015, 6:02 pm - Lottery News

Records show alcohol-related misconduct by former MN Lottery officialNews Story
The former acting director of the Minnesota State Lottery was so drunk at conferences in Las Vegas, New York City, Miami and Indianapolis that she was suspended by Gov. Mark Dayton's chief of staff, according to records released Wednesday by the lottery. Johnene Canfield was eventually fired earlier this year and is now suing the state for discrimination, saying her gender and disability from alcohol dependency led to her dismissal. She was terminated after a December 2014 incident in whic
Nov 7, 2015, 8:03 am - Lottery News

Ex-Minnesota Lottery executive pleads guilty in car-crash caseNews Story
A former top Minnesota Lottery official suing over her termination pleaded guilty Monday to a drunken-driving charge stemming from a serious car crash last December. Johnene Canfield pleaded guilty in Ramsey County District Court to gross a misdemeanor charge of failing to submit to a chemical test. She paid a $715 fine, agreed to 30 days in an out-of-custody sentence-to-service program and committed to perform 100 hours of additional community service. Additional penalties were stayed pendin
Oct 27, 2015, 9:18 am - Lottery News

Fired Minnesota Lottery executive sues for her job backNews Story
A former senior executive at the Minnesota State Lottery who was fired amid a bout with alcohol abuse is suing her ex-boss and the state on claims she was discriminated against because of her gender and her chemical dependency. Johnene Canfield filed a lawsuit Friday in Ramsey County District Court that seeks reinstatement to the $100,000-a-year assistant lottery director post. She is also seeking damages for lost wages and emotional distress since being put on leave in December following her
Oct 7, 2015, 4:10 pm - Lottery News

Minnesota retiree scores his second big payout in 2015News Story
Turns out, when it comes to beating long odds, Jeffrey Bock has just the right touch. For the second time this year, the 65-year-old St. Paul retiree has struck lottery gold, with his latest odds-defying reward proving even more lucrative than the first. Bock scored a $100,000 top prize payout by matching all 12 numbers in Sunday's All or Nothing drawing, Minnesota Lottery officials said Tuesday. About eight months ago, Bock won $20,000 with a $2 scratch-off ticket. After Sunday's dr
Sep 2, 2015, 8:27 am - Lottery News