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public of Benin and the Togolese Republic.
• Sprynvzynatyk said the partnership with Ghana began for several reasons more than a decade ago. Chief among them was that Ghana was looking to develop its oil resources in the near future, which was an enticing prospect for North Dakota.
• The general said the partnership quickly evolved into more civilian areas, such as health care and emergency preparedness.
• Fargo and Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health has opened clinics in Ghana, partly because of the military relationship, and the North Dakota National Guard has traveled to Ghana often to learn about how the African nation prepares for natural disasters.
• Quashie said his country is exploring new security measures as it continues to grow and wants to learn from North Dakota.
• "We've started talking about (unmanned aerial vehicles), which are fairly new for us, but with which North Dakota has great experience," he said. "We hope that experience will come to bear on us again," he said.
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SD Lottery expects less income this year than last
Associated Press
• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- The South Dakota Lottery is anticipating a slight decrease in revenue this year.
• Lottery officials estimate $105.7 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending in June 2014. Last year revenue reached $107.5 million.
• Lotto game sales are down 4.6 percent, reports Joe Willingham, director of sales for the lottery. He said sales are down for other states as well.
• The South Dakota Lottery Commission discussed the figures at a meeting Thursday.
• "Based on the excitement -- or lack thereof recently -- I'm not confident that we can top last year's numbers, though we should come close," Willingham said.
• He said last year was a record year. Last year's lotto sales were $23.6 million. Sales this year are $1 million behind.
• Video lottery remains level, as does the sale of instant ticket.
• "It looks like there's nothing moving. It is extremely flat," said Director of Security and Video Lottery Deb Reese about video lottery.
• Willingham said poor weather hurts sales of instant ticket scratch games. He thinks sales will pick up with the arrival of spring weather.
• While sales for most of the lotto games are down, the Mega Millions game sales have increased by almost 80 percent. That game, while not performing exactly as (Continued on page 19)
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