Norfolk Sailor Wins $250,000 in Mega Millions

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all be this lucky?

WTKR-TV

Orvin McLean matched the first five numbers to win the game’s second prize of $250,000.

He came within only one number of hitting the Jackpot, Mega Ball number. His ticket was one of just three nationwide to match five numbers, and the only one in Virginia.

He bought the winning ticket at Omer Art Shell, 1116 Big Bethel Road in Hampton.

The winning numbers for that drawing were 5-15-19-23-38 and the Mega Ball was 19.

He used Easy Pick and allowed the computer to randomly select the numbers on his ticket. Had he matched that final number, he would have won a jackpot estimated at $14 million.

McLean, who is in the U. S. Navy, told Virginia Lottery officials he hopes to buy a house and pay some bills with his winnings.

Source;  http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-norfolk-sailor-wins-250-000-in-mega-millions-20111014,0,44618.story

Amber Alerts May Soon Be Displayed On VA. Lottery Signs

Lottery displays in stores across Virginia could soon help state law enforcement locate missing or endangered children under a new partnership between the Virginia Lottery and the Virginia State Police.

Gov. Bob McDonnell said Wednesday that the Lottery has agreed to flash Amber Alert information on in-store displays on more than 5,000 clerk-operated machines and about 700 self-service vending machines at stores across Virginia. The idea was the result of a citizen suggestion submitted to McDonnell by e-mail.

During an Amber Alert, the electronic displays that normally show jackpot amounts and other marketing messages will show the location of the alert and instruct people to go to the Virginia Amber Alert website for more details about the child or abductor.

Messages will be automatically generated by the Lottery's data center when notified by the Virginia State Police, so retailers won't have to do anything when an alert is issued.


"Every second counts and the message needs to be spread quickly," McDonnell said in a news release.


While officials hope the help would never be needed, the Lottery is happy it can use its equipment and partnerships with retailers across the state to help law enforcement, said Executive Director Paula Otto.


The displays won't give descriptions of the child, the abductor or information like the abductor's car.

For example, if someone at a gas station is filling up next to a car holding the missing child or abductor, they wouldn't be able to identify them from the displays unless they went to the Amber Alert website.

But State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said simplicity is best when notifying the public and that many people have access to mobile devices to look up more detailed information.

The Virginia Amber Alert Program was established by the General Assembly in 2002. It has been used to issue 29 alerts for missing and endangered child cases that met criteria for activation. The public is notified through broadcast media as well as various alert systems and websites.

http://www.shoredailynews.com/

Another Big Winner In Virginia Lottery

"Is it real?"

That's the question Gregory Parker of Nelsonia asked himself as he looked at the winning numbers from the July 17 Cash 5 night drawing.

It was real. His ticket matched all five numbers to win the top prize of $100,000.

He bought the ticket at E & C VA, located at 16110 Lankford Highway in Nelsonia. The winning numbers for that drawing were 5-9-16-31-32. He used Easy Pick, allowing the computer to randomly select his numbers.

There is an even bigger prize in Mr. Parker's future. He plans to use some of his winnings to pay for his upcoming wedding.

Cash 5 drawings are held daily at 1:59 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The chances of winning the $100,000 top prize are 1 in 278,256.

Nearly 95 cents of each dollar spent on the Virginia Lottery by players goes back to the Commonwealth in the form of contributions to education, prizes and retailer commissions. Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been designated solely to K-12 public school education in the Commonwealth. In that time, the Lottery has turned over more than $4 billion for Virginia's public schools. The latest annual profits of $439.1 million currently represent about 8 percent of state funding for public education in Virginia. In 21 years, the Lottery has sold more than $21.1 billion in tickets, awarded more than $1.1 billion in retailer commissions and paid more than $11.6 billion in prizes to players.

For more information, visit www.valottery.com. Follow the Virginia Lottery on Facebook and Twitter.
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Local Contractor Wins One MILLION Dollars

Pictured: Michael Reagan, President of Local Class A-Contractor M. Reagan & Sons, is presented a $1 million check from Virginia Lottery Deputy Director Richard Williams. Reagan bought the check from the Tasley Oceanway "after having a bad day at work," he said.

Michael Reagan of Harborton pointed to a Virginia Lottery scratch ticket and said, "Yeah, give me that one." With those five words, he won $1 million.

"That one" was a Maximum Millions ticket he bought from Oceanway Market at 24328 Lankford Highway in Tasley. He scratched the ticket and discovered he had won the top prize: his choice of either $1 million dollar in annual payments over 25 years or a one-time cash option of $564,000 before taxes. He chose the cash option.

On June 18, Mr. Reagan returned to the store to receive his prize from Virginia Lottery Deputy Director Richard Williams. The store received a $10,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the ticket.

Reagan is the seventh player to claim the top prize in Maximum Millions, which means eight-top prize tickets remain unclaimed. Although his win was the talk of the are even before he officially claimed the prized, Reagan took it in stride.

"I didn't jump up and down and I haven't jumped up and down since," he said.

Reagan is the President of M. Reagan and Sons contracting, a local Class-A contractor. When asked what he's going to do with the money he said "Not a whole lot is going to change. I'm going to pay some bills and make life a little easier, but I still went to work this morning and I plan on continuing to work."

At the presentation Reagan was asked how he felt, he responded "OK, you know, honestly OK."

Nearly 95 cents of each dollar spent on the Virginia Lottery by players goes back to the Commonwealth in the form of contributions to education, prizes and retailer commissions. Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been designated solely to K-12 public school education in the Commonwealth. In that time, the Lottery has turned over more than $4 billion for Virginias public schools. The latest annual profits of $439.1 million currently represent about 7 percent of state funding for public education in Virginia. In 21 years, the Lottery has sold more than $21.1 billion in tickets, awarded more than $1.1 billion in retailer commissions and paid more than $11.6 billion in prizes to players.

www.shoredailynews.com

$224 Million in Mega Millions Lottery Drawing Tonight

Tonight across the United States, millions of lottery ticket holders will be hoping to match all of the Mega Millions winning numbers to win a

$224 million jackpot.

There's still time to get your ticket!!

Withams, Va. Woman Wins Big On Scratch-Off

WITHAMS — A mid-January weekend may have seemed longer for Eileen Knobloch of Withams than for most people. State offices were closed Monday for Martin Luther King Day. She had a Virginia Lottery ticket worth $100,000 and she had to wait until Tuesday, the next business day, to redeem it.

“I kept it in a safe over the weekend when the offices were closed,” she told Lottery officials as she claimed her prize.

Knobloch scratched to win the top prize in the Face Cards game. She bought the winning ticket at Corner Videos at 6491 Lankford Highway in Oak Hall, Virginia.

When she discovered she had a top-prize-winning ticket, she told her children first. “They were thrilled to pieces,” she said.

This is the fifth top-prize winner redeemed in the Face Cards game, which means one $100,000 ticket remains unclaimed.

Nearly 95 cents of each dollar spent on the Virginia Lottery by players goes back to the Commonwealth in the form of contributions to education, prizes and retailer commissions. Since 1999, all Virginia Lottery profits have been designated solely to K-12 public school education in the Commonwealth. In that time, the Lottery has turned over more than $4 billion for Virginia’s public schools. The latest annual profits of $439.1 million currently represent about 7 percent of state funding for public education in Virginia. In 21 years, the Lottery has sold more than $21.1 billion in tickets, awarded more than $1.1 billion in retailer commissions and paid more than $11.6 billion in prizes to players.

http://www.easternshorenews.com/

Lottery On the Web

The Virginia Lottery is pulling its Daily Draw and twice-a-week Win For Life drawings from broadcasting on television to the web in order to save money. Mega Millions drawings will remain on television.

Monday, Jan. 11 will begin the first week of the change.

And while it allows the Virginia Lottery from having to pay to broadcast on tv, they say it is also a recognition that many receive their lottery results online or on a mobile device.

Those interested can visit the lottery's website at www.valottery.com , fan them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and as always, call the lottery hotline.


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