Latest news with #Bracken
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Despite unlucky 'mistake' by lottery, two players still win $100K Mass Cash prizes
Two lottery players in Massachusetts won $100,000 playing 'Mass Cash' on Thursday night despite a delay in the daily game drawing. The 'Mass Cash' drawing, scheduled for 9 p.m. on Thursday, was postponed after several numbered balls fell out of the game machine, according to Massachusetts State Lottery officials. A door had been left open on the 'Mass Cash' machine's mixing chamber, and the balls fell out prior to the first number being drawn. This made the entire 9 p.m. drawing invalid, lottery officials said. The 'Mass Cash' drawing instead happened at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. The winning numbers for the June 5 drawing were 6, 15, 22, 28 and 30. Two winning tickets matched all five numbers drawn to win $100,000. They were sold at a Gulf gas station in Framingham and at a shop called One Stop Mart in West Springfield. 'Mass Cash' drawings usually happen at 9 p.m. every day, and tickets to play cost $1 each. Five numbers are drawn and if all five are matched on a ticket, the player wins $100,000. Four matched numbers are worth a $250 prize, and three matched numbers are worth a $10 prize. 'The Lottery is committed to ensuring the integrity of our games,' said Mark William Bracken, Executive Director of the Mass Lottery. ' ... while we strive for perfection, we're all human and mistakes can happen. We apologize to our players for the inconvenience and appreciated their patience as we worked diligently to resolve the situation,' Bracken said. Mass. State Lottery winner: $1M ticket sold at Springfield gas station Mass. lottery drawing postponed after numerous balls fell out of machine Mass. State Lottery winner: Mobil gas station sells $100,000 ticket Mass. State Lottery winner: Irish pub sells winning $120,000 ticket Read the original article on MassLive.
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Case of foot and mouth disease detected at SA's largest cattle feedlot
A case of foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been confirmed at Karan Beef's feedlot facility in Heidelberg, the largest such facility in the country. Karan Beef spokesperson Anso Bracken said the FMD case was confirmed on Monday after the facility was, as a precautionary measure, placed under pre-emptive quarantine on May 30 when an infection was suspected. 'This development highlights the ongoing risks faced by the livestock industry, even under rigorous control systems. Karan Beef is working closely with state veterinary services to ensure swift containment and to minimise any further risk to the industry,' Bracken said. The agriculture department recently expressed concern about the spread of FMD, with outbreaks detected in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng in May. China has suspended imports of beef from South Africa as a result of the disease. The department advised livestock owners to abide by the incubation period of FMD, adding: 'Newly bought animals should be separated from the resident herd for at least 28 days, even if a health attestation was issued for the animals.' The department asked auctioneers and livestock owners to be vigilant when buying cloven hoofed animals from provinces where there are active outbreaks. 'No cloven-hoofed animals should be accepted from areas under restriction for FMD in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.' Owners or managers must take all reasonable steps to prevent their animals becoming infected with any disease and to prevent the spread of any disease from their animals or land to other animals or other properties. 'Essential biosecurity measures include limiting and/or postponing the introduction of new animals if at all possible and, if absolutely necessary, only introducing animals from known clean farms with a health declaration, preventing nose-to-nose contact of farm animals with animals outside the farm, maintaining secure farm boundaries, restricting access for people and vehicles as much as possible. 'Any suspicious clinical symptoms (salivation, blisters in the mouth, limping or hoof lesions) must be reported to the local state veterinarian immediately and such animals must not be moved under any circumstances.'
IOL News
03-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
SA's largest beef producer Karan Beef confirms a case of foot-and-mouth disease in Heidelberg
Karan Beef confirms a case of Foot-and-Mouth Disease at its feedlot Image: Ayanda Ndamane Independent Newspapers One of the major feedlot groups in South Africa, Karan Beef, has confirmed a case of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) at its feedlot in Heidelberg, Gauteng. Karan Beef has imposed a temporary pause on purchases after detecting the disease at its feedlot. The Marketing Manager at Karan Beef, Anso Bracken, revealed that the facility was placed under pre-emptive quarantine on May 30 following the identification of a suspected infection. 'This unfortunate development highlights the ongoing risks faced by the livestock industry, even under rigorous control systems, and Karan Beef is working closely with State Veterinary Services to ensure swift containment and to minimise any further risk to the broader industry,' said Bracken. Karan Beef has not disclosed further details on the implications of the situation for its beef delivery operations across South Africa. However, the company stated that additional updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Bracken said Karan Beef will remain committed to transparency, compliance, and maintaining the highest standards of animal health and welfare. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading South Africa is grappling with significant challenges in its fight against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which has persisted for several months. This ongoing crisis has led key trading partners, including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and China, to suspend imports of meat and related animal products from the country. In response, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen has announced an urgent order for R72 million worth of FMD vaccines to combat the outbreak effectively. "Funds for the procurement of the vaccine have been transferred to Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP). The procurement process has started, and the next batch of vaccines is estimated to be delivered by mid-June,' said Steenhuisen. The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) has also raised concerns about the disease. The party has called on the Department of Agriculture to intervene and approach this crisis with the necessary urgency. 'This development is creating a crisis for the entire red meat industry in South Africa, even the whole of southern Africa,' said the party. The FF Plus has highlighted that a crisis in northern KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape has escalated into a national emergency. If a major buyer like Karan Beef halts its livestock purchases, it could disrupt the entire industry. This situation is likely to drive meat prices down, forcing farmers to retain cattle on their farms at a time when grazing conditions deteriorate during the winter months. IOL NEWS
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lottery skid extends through April
BOSTON (SHNS) – All but one Massachusetts Lottery offering saw its sales dip in April, though agency overseers approved changes to one game Tuesday that the Lottery expects will lead to increased sales and profits. The Lottery's $454 million in sales last month fell $29.3 million or 6.1% below sales in April 2024, according to Executive Director Mark William Bracken's report to the Lottery Commission on Tuesday. It was the fourth consecutive month featuring a year-over-year drop in sales. The only product to post an increase in April was Keno, which saw its sales climb by $5.9 million or 5.9% to $105.7 million for the month. On top of the sales slump, the Lottery's monthly profit was affected by a prize payout percentage higher than last April's. The Lottery estimated that it paid out the equivalent of 76.2% of April revenue in prizes last month, compared to 74.64% a year prior. The Lottery's estimated profit for April was $74.1 million, compared to $82.6 million in April 2024, according to Bracken's report. Through 10 months of fiscal year 2025, the Lottery has sold more than $4.89 billion worth of its scratch tickets, draw game numbers and more this year. That trails fiscal 2024 by $178.9 million or 3.5% through the same 10-month period. Keno and Lucky For Life are the only two Mass. Lottery games that have sold more in fiscal 2025 than they did to the same point in fiscal 2024. The Lottery said Tuesday it is currently estimating a net profit of $876.5 million so far in fiscal 2025. After adjusting for differences in the calendar, the Lottery said that represents a $88.3 million drop compared to the same checkpoint a year ago. Treasurer Deborah Goldberg has told lawmakers she expects the Lottery to generate $1.05 billion in profit for fiscal 2025, and has also projected 'flat' retail sales and profit for fiscal 2026. The Lottery Commission on Tuesday voted to give Bracken the authority to amend the Lottery's regulations to facilitate a change to the drawing schedule for Mass Cash, a game first introduced in 1991, essentially expanding it by double. Drawings for that game happen daily at 9 p.m., but the Lottery is looking to begin holding two Mass Cash drawings a day starting July 20, one at midday and one in the evening. 'The Lottery anticipates this change will be welcomed by our players and will lead to increased sales and profits,' General Counsel Gregory Polin wrote in a memo about the change. To play Mass Cash, a bettor pays $1 to select five numbers between 1 and 35. Matching three of the numbers drawn wins $10, matching four wins $250 and matching all five wins the player $100,000. The Lottery says the overall odds of winning are 1 in 72, or 1 in 324,632 to win the grand prize. The Lottery had sold $67 million worth of Mass Cash tickets through April, according to Bracken's report Tuesday. That's down $1.9 million or 2.8% through the same 10 months of fiscal 2024. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Irish Sun
23-04-2025
- The Irish Sun
Killer, 52, who left ex-partner ‘living in fear' after brutal attack had campaigned for end of violence against women
A CONVICTED killer caged for battering his ex-partner was once part of an online group who opposed violence against women. The Irish Sun can reveal Anthony Bracken, 52, from Riverwell Close, in Dundalk, Co Advertisement In one of the protests he attended, he stood behind a banner calling for an end to the online bullying of young women. Our image also shows Bracken sporting a t-shirt of the group, which also supported But Bracken's association with the group is now over after he received a two and a half year sentence, with 15 months suspended, for assault causing harm last week over the brutal attack on his ex-partner. During the terrifying ordeal, his former partner of five years was headbutted, punched and kicked all over her body before the thug wrapped a cable around her neck. Advertisement READ MORE ON IRISH NEWS The beast - who was convicted of manslaughter in 1990 - also tore clumps of hair from her head. The thug attended the protests just a year after he targeted his ex-partner at his home on November 29, 2018 Following his conviction, we also contacted the Facebook page but they did not return our calls. And before he received his sentence last week, we can reveal he's suspected of threatening another woman in the border town. Advertisement Most read in Irish News One local told us: 'The people of Dundalk are delighted this animal has been sent to prison. 'WOMEN WILL HAVE TO BE VIGILANT' 'He was nothing more than a bully boy who also threatened to burn another woman in her bed after he had an argument with her son. 'He has intimidated a lot of people but they have been too afraid to report him. 'He's regarded as the devil in Dundalk and fair play to his ex partner for standing up against him. Advertisement 'It won't be long until he's out and people should know that he deliberately targets women who are vulnerable so he can dish out beatings to them. 'When he gets out of prison women in Dundalk will have to be vigilant.' And in the months before his conviction for assault, Bracken - classified as 'high risk' by the Probation Services once he has been released from jail - also joined the Island Church in Dundalk. After finding God, he appeared in social media images claiming to be part of the 'God Squad'. Advertisement We also contacted the evangelical Church but they did not respond to our calls. VICTIM'S ORDEAL Bracken was a regular preacher in Dundalk before he was found guilty of the attack. In her victim impact statement to the court, she said: 'I thank God every day for getting out when I did'. Dundalk Circuit Advertisement As the woman fought back, the coward tied a cable around her neck and also suffered bruising all over her body. The assault victim also told of her ongoing torment, adding: 'I struggle to sleep and when I do sleep I am plagued with nightmares. 'I have lived in fear since the attack. 'Following the assault I did not go out of my home for over six months through fear and have now developed a severe vitamin D deficiency from hiding away indoors. Advertisement 'I have also developed several stress related illnesses which I fear will stop men from ever returning to work. 'I lost out in every sense of the word from my relationship with this man - mentally, physically and financially.' Bracken received a two year suspended sentence after he was one of two men who beat another man to death after drinking the Greek spirit Ouzo. He was also previously quizzed over an incident in which former INLA man Thomas Murray shot Patrick Costello in the leg in 2008. Advertisement 1 Bracken received a two and a half year sentence, with 15 months suspended Credit: Journalist Collects
