Winner from Kansas Claims $96.6 million Powerball!
Donald Damon, 70, a lifelong resident of Great Bend, was introduced in a news conference that was held at Lottery headquarters in Topeka. Damon was the sole winner of the $96.6 million Powerball jackpot. He matched all numbers in the November 11th drawing, winning the biggest Powerball jackpot ever won in Kansas! Damon claimed his winnings at the Kansas Lottery’s Great Bend office, shortly after realizing he’d become a multi-millionaire.

“Thursday, my daughter Karen told me that someone had won the Powerball jackpot in south central Kansas on Wednesday,” said Damon. “She said that she knew she hadn’t won on her ticket, so I asked her to check my ticket.“ When Karen checked the ticket on the Lottery’s website it became a life-changing moment. “I told Dad he matched the Powerball number and he jokingly said that he must be the winner,” said Karen. “When we realized he did have the winning ticket, we were both shocked.” Damon and Karen immediately hopped in the car and drove to the Kansas Lottery’s Great Bend office. “I wasn’t sure how much I’d won,” the winner said. “I figured it was $15 million. When they said it was $96.6 million, I about fell over. I’ve been saying for years that I was going to win a Powerball jackpot someday.”

Once the paperwork was completed at the Great Bend office, Damon called his wife Kathleen at work and told her she should come home. “I work at the Senior Center and we were having our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday,” said Kathleen. “I wasn’t going to leave until my work was finished.” Kathleen not only works at the Senior Center in Great Bend, she also has two other jobs. She works at a beauty salon and at Central Kansas Medical Center. “It will be nice not having to get up at 4 a.m. anymore,” said Kathleen.

The winner purchased his lucky $1 Quick Pick ticket at Dillons 51, located at 4107 10th St. in Great Bend. Damon had the choice of taking the annuity option of $96.6 million, which is paid in 30 payments over 29 years; or the cash option of $48.3 million, which is paid in one lump sum. He has decided to take the cash option. Now that he’s a multi-millionaire, Damon plans to help a few local churches with a portion of his prize money. He also said he wanted to take his grandson Brendon to Las Vegas for his 21st birthday. Otherwise, he was undecided how he’d spend his winnings.

Man Gets $10,000 Halloween Treat
An Eldon, Missouri, man thought he was receiving a trick, rather than a treat, when his wife told him the Powerball ticket he believed was worth $7 was really worth $10,000.

James Sidebottom, 65, wasn't in a rush to claim his ticket from the Sept. 26 Powerball drawing, so it sat in his home for more than a month. His wife, Gayle, decided to cash in the ticket at a grocery store while running errands with two of their six grandchildren on Oct. 29. "I took it (ticket) to the counter, and I said, 'My husband said this is a $7 ticket,'" she recalled. After realizing the ticket was worth more than she expected, Gayle called her husband with the good news. "Your $7 ticket is worth $10,000," she relayed to her husband over the phone, to which he replied, 'You're kidding?'"

It wasn't until they claimed the ticket at the Jefferson City Lottery office hours later that the Sidebottoms believed the ticket was a winner. "I'm still in shock," James added. The first-time Lottery winners said they will use the windfall for Christmas shopping, because it's "getting close to the holidays." The winning ticket was purchased at Jiffy Stop, 15 S. Business Highway 54 in Eldon.

Jefferson City Group Splits $30,000 Powerball Prize
A group of seven factory workers from Jefferson City, Missouri, have claimed a $30,000 Powerball prize. The co-workers have been playing Powerball together for more than one year. Theresa Richardson acts as the Lottery captain and collects $20 a month from each member to purchase multi-draw Quick Pick tickets for the group.

"Every month I go yell at them, and they throw the money at me," teased Richardson. "Then I go get the ticket." They matched four-white ball numbers and the Powerball in the Oct. 10 drawing, and by adding the Power Play option, the group multiplied the $10,000 prize into $30,000. Each member collected an even share of the prize. Several group members noted that they were one number away from retirement. They matched 4 white ball numbers and the Powerball that evening. If they had matched the final white-ball number of 50, the group would have won the $25 million jackpot.

Plans for the money varied for each member of the group, but included paying bills, enjoying a weekend getaway and sharing the money with family. "Christmas is coming," added Richardson. One thing is certain, however. The group will continue to play Powerball together.

Arkansas Man Receives Explosive News with $200,000 Powerball Win
A Hope, Ark., man found himself trying "not to freak out" after realizing he was $200,000 richer while away on a business trip. Brian Hodge, 49, said his wife asked him to "play some different numbers, because mine weren't doing so good," so that is just what he did for the Oct. 14 Powerball drawing.

"I'm working in the Ft. Leonard Wood area," he began. "I had my computer, so I played a game of solitaire. It seemed like every card was a five or a 10. So, I said, 'Well, I'm going to play multiples of five and 10.'" Hodge, a retired Navy officer, who now works disarming bombs, isn't a stranger to danger. Despite his adventurous background, he admitted that his recent Lottery win had him "quaking inside." His only regret is not purchasing the Power Play option, which would've increased his winnings from $200,000 to $1 million. "I thought about doing the Power Play, but thought I'm probably not going to win anyway," he shared.

When asked about plans for the windfall, the first time Lottery winner said he "has some ideas." "I'm going to pay off everything," he started. "I have one daughter who is out of college who has college loans, and I have two daughters in college. I am planning on helping them all. I have a daughter that's only 12. I'm putting some money aside for her for college. And I have a grandson. I am putting some money aside for him for college. I plan to put the rest of it in CDs (certificates of deposit)."

Routine Stop Leads to News of a $200,000 Powerball Win for Missouri Man
A Friday stop for gas at the same location he had purchased Powerball tickets days earlier provided just the news Steve Garcia needed to kick off the weekend. The Kansas City man casually checked his Powerball tickets from the Oct. 14 drawing and discovered he held a winning ticket worth $200,000.

“My girlfriend said, ‘You know what? We ought to check those tickets while we’re here,’” he recalled. The couple soon realized they had matched all five white-ball numbers and headed directly to the Lottery’s Kansas City regional office to claim the prize. A retired welder, Garcia said he “didn’t know what to think” about such a large win, citing good timing all the way around. “I usually just play for Saturday, but I started playing Wednesdays about three weeks ago,” he explained. “This comes at a good time; I guess God just blessed us.”

He doesn’t know yet just how the prize money will be spent, but Garcia knows one thing for sure. “I’ll keep playing,” he said with a laugh. Garcia purchased his winning ticket at QuikTrip, 2525 Burlington St. in North Kansas City.

Small Town is Big on Lottery Luck Group of 31 from Minnesota Share $200,000 Powerball® Prize
A group of 31 people, who are all regular customers at the Popple Bar in the small town of Laporte, have a big reason to celebrate — the group won a $200,000 Powerball prize on Sept. 26.

Bruce Geckler, who is a bartender at the Popple Bar, has been running the Powerball pool for the last seven years. “It’s a great way to get the community together and have fun,” he said. “It gives them a reason to stop in and see us.”

Thirty-one regulars stopped in to contribute $5 each for the Powerball drawing on Saturday, Sept. 26. The following morning, Geckler checked the group’s tickets and discovered that one of them matched the first five numbers drawn to win a $200,000 prize. “I couldn’t believe it,” Geckler recalled. “You want to win, but you don’t really expect to.”

It didn’t take long for the rest of the group members to discover their windfall. “Almost everyone found out at the bar on Sunday,” explained Geckler. “I’ve never seen the bar so upbeat — everyone was chattering and happy. You could just feel the tempo in the bar lift up.” Laporte Grocery & Meat, located at 20 E. Main St. in Laporte, sold the winning ticket.

Going to Graceland with $200,000 Powerball Win
Thomas Jordan of Borden, Indiana, learned his lesson about Power Play the hard way. He came into Hoosier Lottery Headquarters recently to claim a $200,000 prize with step-son Delmas Couch. On last Saturday evening's Powerball draw of October 3rd, Jordan matched five of the six Powerball numbers, excluding the Powerball. That made his win $200,000. If Jordan would have purchased Power Play, the $200,000 prize would have automatically been $1,000,000!

"Don't let mom know that," said Couch laughing. "I kept telling him to stop wasting his money on the Lottery, but now look who's laughing." Couch thinks he might even play now or then for the thrill of it. Jordan purchased his winning quick pick ticket from Kroger Co. L-396 at 200 New Albany Plaza in New Albany. "I've had the ticket in my back pocket for the last couple of days," said Jordan. "I was at work when I decided to check and see if I won anything. I got up, locked the door, signed the back of the ticket and then just kept looking at it." Jordan said he plans to pay bills, go to Graceland and buy his wife a new Jeep.

The Hoosier Lottery reminds all players to please play responsibly.

Missouri Group Claims $10,000 Prize
A group of fellow employees has stepped forward to claim one of the eight $10,000 prizes won in Missouri for the Oct. 3rd Powerball drawing. Eight co-workers from the Missouri Air National Guard at Jefferson Barracks have been playing the Lottery together for two or three years, according to Julia Bauer, who spoke on behalf of the group.

"Each of us put in $2 a drawing," explained Bauer. "I go in on Wednesday and buy for both Wednesday and Saturday at the same time. They're the same number, quick pick." While the group has had some luck winning $3 or $7 in the past, this was their biggest win to date. "I went online and wrote down the numbers," recalled Bauer. "The first thing I usually go check for is the Powerball. And I go, 'Look, we got the Powerball. There's another one, and another one, and another one. "We had four white-ball numbers and the Powerball."

News of their win began to spread Sunday afternoon, and the group traveled to the St. Louis Lottery office on Monday to claim their prize. Each member will receive an equal share of the $10,000 prize. The eight winners are: William Dawson, Arnold; Mary Clubb, House Springs; Virginia Todd, Hillsboro; Arthur Schuermann, Carol Wheeler, Michael Rangel and William Reibe, all of St. Louis; and Julia Bauer of St. Paul. Bauer purchased the tickets for the group at Petro Mart, 2701 Telegraph Road, in St. Louis. She indicated that plans for the money ranged from vacations to paying bills. "One of the girls said her dryer just went out. And we had one that just retired," she said. Now that they've won a big prize, don't expect them to stop. Bauer said, "They are already giving me money for next month."

Wisconsin Player Collects $31.4 Million Powerball Jackpot
Doug Miron from Marinette has played the same Powerball numbers every week for 17 years. Finally, it paid off! Miron collected $31.4 million from the Powerball drawing of Wednesday, October 14th at Wisconsin Lottery headquarters. "I looked at the TV with one eye, and I opened my other eye, and I know my numbers. And they're all there! And I jumped up on the table," said Miron.

Even though the odds of winning the jackpot are high, Miron said he always knew his numbers were going to be drawn. "He was that sure that he kept playing. He said you gotta buy one to win," said Miron's girlfriend Jody Nelson. Nelson said she was shocked when Miron told her he'd matched all six numbers. "I couldn't believe that he won. I thought maybe he didn't look at the numbers right," said Nelson. But the numbers were correct, and Miron won the jackpot. His winnings were bittersweet. Miron and his brother Steve used to play Powerball together every week. Steve died several years ago, and Miron said he wishes he could have shared the moment with him. "I kept playing his numbers after he died. And not one of his hit," said Miron.

Miron said even though his brother has passed, he still plans to live out some of the dreams they shared. "We always talked about what we'd do. I'm gonna do something now," Miron said, choking back tears. "I got my eyes on a new truck." Miron will do some traveling and get his family what they need with the money.

"I think I'm just gonna have a few more toys. Other than that, I don't think so. I'm a pretty grounded guy," said Miron. Miron said despite his new wealth, he has no plans to quit his job as a wood sculptor. He also said he plans to continue playing Powerball every week, with the same numbers.

Ten Iowa Co-Workers Claim $1 Million Power Play
A group of 10 co-workers from a Des Moines tire-manufacturing plant stepped forward recently to claim a $1 million Powerball prize they’d won with a ticket purchased at a local convenience store for the October 10th Powerball drawing. The co-workers who all produce agricultural tires at the Des Moines Firestone plant are calling themselves “The Local 310 Ten” because they’re all members of Local 310 of the United Steelworkers Union. They’ve pooled their money to buy Powerball tickets together for about five years and made for a happy bunch as news of their good fortune spread.

“I’ve been coming to grips with it since 11:15 p.m. Saturday night (night of draw) when I called in and read the numbers and was actually disappointed because we didn’t have any Powerballs on our ticket,” said Dan Kelley of Urbandale, who buys the group’s tickets. “And low and behold, there it was on the bottom line, the last one on the ticket. And I just had to sit back and take a deep breath and call the Iowa Lottery once again to double-check my numbers on the verification line.”

Kelley bought the group’s winning ticket at Casey’s, 4560 E. 14th St. in Des Moines. It was the only ticket in the nation to win a $1 million prize in that drawing. When the Powerball game was redesigned in January, one of the changes made was specifically for the prize you win if your ticket matches the first five numbers and you’ve added the Power Play. The prize for that play is always $1 million, no matter what the Power Play number is for that drawing.

Kelley’s wife, Susan, won a $100,000 Powerball prize in 2005 and hadn’t added the Power Play to her ticket, so her prize wasn’t multiplied. Kelley said that’s when the group decided to start playing the Power Play. Don Root, 56, of Ankeny, is another member of the group. He said he found out about their good fortune about 5 a.m. Sunday after the draw when Kelley called him, rousing him from sleep to tell him how much they’d won. “He said we’d won and he told me how much. I just kind of said, ‘Yeah,” and I hung the phone up,” Root said. “I went over and sat down and kind of realized what he’d told me and the adrenaline kind of hit. It took about 20 minutes to hit and then I realized what he’d actually said.”

As the group claimed its prize, the members of The Local 310 Ten were pooling their money to buy more tickets for the next drawing. As always, Kelley checked off the names in the pool in his notebook. “We’ve all got a bond because we’re after the same goal and that’s products made in America and to keep America going,” he said.

Co-workers in Kentucky Share $200,000 Powerball Prize
Debra McIntosh of Hebron was on her lunch break at work when she overheard on the news that a $200,000 Powerball ticket had been sold at the Hebron Corner Mart for the September 23rd Powerball drawing. She thought to herself, ‘Hey, I bought my ticket there’, but continued to eat her lunch and didn’t think anymore about it.

On her way home, she and her husband stopped by the store to check the tickets she and her nine coworkers bought together. Debra walked into the store and scanned them on the self checker. Debra told lottery officials she received the message, ‘see retail clerk’. She scanned it again and said, “Oh my God”, and ran outside to get her husband. They went back inside and got a printout of the winning numbers. He began reading them off as she looked at the ticket. Realizing she was holding a ticket worth $200,000, she looked around the store. She noticed there were signs up everywhere informing people that the store had sold a $200,000 Powerball ticket. “I pointed to the signs and yelled, ‘That’s me! I’ve got that ticket’”, Debra said. She didn’t stop to talk to anyone and ran out of the store and got in the car.

Next, she and her husband immediately started calling everyone in her group to let them know they had won. “Nobody wanted to believe us; they thought we were playing a joke on them”, Debra said. The 10 players work together at the Duro Bag Designer Division in Richwood. They have been playing Powerball together for years, some for 12 or 13 years. They chose to pick their own numbers and have been playing the same ones since the group was formed.

Debra told lottery officials that the money will be of great use to many of the winners in her group. One of her co-workers has been off from work due to a surgery and his wife has been very sick. He will need the extra money to supplement his lost income and to pay medical bills. Brenda Malott of Union, who traveled with Debra to Louisville to pick up their winnings, had always told her grandson that she would take him shopping if she were to ever win the lottery. She said he had already asked when they could go to Wal-Mart.

Colorado Group Wins $1 Million Power Play Prize
Ball Aerospace in Boulder might be the luckiest company in Colorado. Nine Ball employees won $1 million in the Saturday, September 26th Powerball drawing – the second group of Ball workers to win a major prize on Powerball this year.

Jeff Davis, an aerospace technician at the company, represented the latest batch of Ball winners, claiming the group’s prize in the Colorado Lottery’s Fort Collins office Wednesday morning. The workers won the windfall by matching five numbers in the Powerball drawing and choosing the Power Play option for an extra $1. Players who match five numbers in the Powerball drawing usually win a $200,000 prize, but selecting the Power Play option (for an extra $1) automatically multiplies their winnings by five.

Davis said his co-workers pitch in $4 each for every drawing once the jackpot hits $90 million. The group has been buying tickets collectively for about six months, but the win still took everyone by surprise. In fact, Davis’ son, who is also part of the pool, was convinced that someone was playing a joke on him when he realized that one of the group’s tickets (which Davis had made photocopies of) matched five of the numbers drawn.

“He asked a co-worker to look at and I think they must have looked at it 40 times,” said Davis. “He just really didn’t believe it.” Davis bought his ticket at the Country Corner Store in Hygiene not far from his home. “I can’t tell you how happy they were,” says Davis, who plans to save his windfall. The group works at Ball’s facility in Boulder. In June, Pat Weber and Terry Hutson, co-workers at Ball’s plant in Broomfield, won $200,000 playing Powerball. Davis said the pool will continue despite the big win. He has already purchased $36 worth of tickets for the next drawing. “We’re going to hit the big one,” said Davis. “Lightning strikes twice.”

“A Good Cup of Coffee” Leads to $200,000 Winning Ticket for Connecticut Man
While making a stop for coffee is part of Ron Peterson’s weekday morning routine, winning $200,000 as a result was certainly not the “perk” this Watertown resident expected. Peterson, a mechanical engineer, hand picked the numbers he played for the September 9, 2009 Powerball drawing. “I work in statistics…I have my own way of keeping track of numbers, playing different ones each drawing,” Peterson said with a laugh.

Last week, he again stopped for coffee and while doing so, pulled out his Powerball ticket to see if it was a winning one by using the Ticket Checker. “I was totally unprepared. The ticket checker said, ‘Congratulations. You’re a $200,000 Winner.’ I just couldn’t believe it,” said Peterson. Peterson successfully matched the first 5 numbers drawn in the September 9th Powerball game, but missed the Powerball number that was drawn. “That was a pretty good cup of coffee, wasn’t it?” Peterson remarked to Lottery officials upon receiving a check.

Peterson was very certain of his plans for his prize, “Given the economy, I’m going to pay down some debt, maybe take a trip, and put the rest in the bank.” Gulf Food Mart at 30 Reidville Drive in Waterbury sold Peterson his winning Powerball ticket.

Florida Man Claims $200,000 Powerball Prize
The Florida Lottery has announced that Joe Florence, 59, of Mary Esther, claimed $200,000.00 from the Powerball drawing held on September 16.

Mr. Florence was excited to receive his prize as his wife and his daughter are both in school, and his winnings will greatly help his family accomplish their goals. Mr. Florence would have won $1 million had he purchased Power Play® on his ticket for $1 more, and he said that from now on he will select Power Play every time. He purchased his winning ticket at Tom Thumb, located at 9810 Navarre Parkway in Navarre.

Dream Comes True for Idaho Woman Who Wins $20,000 on Powerball
Yes, Mary Lou, dreams really do come true. A recent night while Mary Lou Pierce of Buhl was sleeping, she had a dream that her Powerball/Power Play ticket matched four numbers and the Powerball. In the dream she believed she’d won $50. As an early to bed, early to rise person most of her life, Mary Lou awoke around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, September 17 after her dream and decided to check her tickets to see if she had won.

“I go to bed around 6 p.m. in the evening and have always gotten up early in the morning. It’s usually when I do my baking for the day so I can do other things when the sun comes up,” explained the retired telephone worker of 25 years. “Last night I got on my computer to check my Powerball tickets. It was the last one I checked and I saw that I’d matched four numbers AND the Powerball! My dream was real!” Mary Lou had to wait another three-and-a-half hours before Jacksons Korner in Buhl was open so she could double check her winning ticket. “Five o’clock couldn’t come fast enough,” said an excited Mary Lou.

Once the store was open, the clerk checked Mary Lou’s ticket, informed her she’d won $20,000 and that she needed to go to Boise to claim her winnings. “The Wonder Bread man was in the store at the time and when he heard I won on the Lottery, he asked me to marry him,” said a giddy Mary Lou with a wide, friendly smile before she added with a wink, “I told him he was too old for me. He was maybe 40.”

She matched four of the Wednesday, September 16th Powerball drawing’s 5 white balls, and the Powerball which is usually a $10,000 winner. Being a regular and savvy player, Mary Lou had the Power Play option on her ticket, which for one additional dollar multiplies all prizes of $10,000 or less by two to five times. That night’s Power Play number was 2, turning her $10,000 win into a $20,000 windfall.

Florida Man Claims $200,000 Powerball Prize
The Florida Lottery has announced that Raphael Martinez, 39, of Davenport, claimed $200,000.00 from the POWERBALL® drawing held on September 5.

Martinez, who regularly plays POWERBALL and FLORIDA LOTTO™, said he plans to use his winnings to purchase a new home and travel. Martinez would have won $1 million had he purchased Power Play® on his ticket for $1 more. He purchased his winning ticket at 7-Eleven, located at 407 S. Goldenrod Road in Orlando.

Four Minnesota Hairstylists Share $200,000 Powerball Prize
A group of four co-workers, who all work together at a hair salon in Waite Park, shared a stylish $200,000 Powerball prize from the Aug. 19 drawing.

It was beginners’ luck for Nicolle Kruger of St. Cloud; Derek VanderLinden of Sartell; Jennifer Wenisch of St. Cloud; and Shelly Wilkening of Becker, who pooled their money for the first time — each contributing $10 for the drawing. “We just thought it would be fun,” recalled VanderLinden. Little did they know that the experience would result in a lot more fun than expected for the foursome. “This will change all our lives in a good way,” Wenisch stated. “It’s a little something to help us all out,” agreed Wilkening, the owner of Concrete Image Salon, where they are all employed.

Wilkening was the first to discover the group’s windfall after watching the evening news on Aug. 19. “I was quite awe struck,” she remembered. Wilkening immediately called her employees to share the good news — they were all in shock after the call. “It was hard to believe,” said Wenisch. “I couldn’t sleep a wink that night.” However, the win started to sink in for the hairstylists the following morning. “When I walked into the salon everyone had a permanent grin on,” Wenisch said with a smile. The group arrived at the Minnesota Lottery’s headquarters in Roseville on Aug. 24 to claim the prize. Each group member claimed $50,000.

One of the group’s quick-pick tickets matched the first five winning numbers drawn on Aug. 19. SA, located at 29 – 3rd St. N.E. in Waite Park, sold the winning ticket.

Rhode Island Couple Claim $200,000 Powerball Win!
Robert Carr from Wakefield, RI, claimed the $200,000 prize with his wife, who couldn’t believe they really won from the Saturday, August 29th drawing until RI Lottery Validations handed them their check. The $200,000 winning ticket matched all five numbers, but not the PowerBall® number.

They plan to put the money towards bills and then figure out how they’ll spend the rest after that. Colbea Enterprises at 1190 Quaker Ln., Warwick, sold the winning ticket.

$1 Million Winner with Power Play from Indiana
Retirees Thomas Sturm of Indianapolis and his wife Judith play the Hoosier Lottery "faithfully" and are glad they do after matching five white balls and purchasing Power Play to multiply the $200,000 prize by five in the August 19th Powerball drawing. He purchased his $1 million winning quick pick ticket from Circle K #23 at 4054 E. Southport Rd. in Indianapolis.

"For one extra dollar, why not purchase Power Play?" said Judith Sturm. "I love that store!" Thomas Sturm retired from Eli Lilly & Co. nine years ago and has been married to Judith for twenty years. "We've also been playing the Lottery for twenty years," said Thomas. "It's really a lot of fun! We've won a little bit here and there, but nothing this big before." "My God, that check looks good," said Judith after viewing the $1,000,000 large check presented to her and her husband at Lottery Headquarters.

Judith checked the newspaper for the winning numbers from the draw, but still wasn't sure it was true until she and her husband verified it at Hoosier Lottery Headquarters. "We check the obits [obituaries] first, then the Lottery numbers," said Judith. "It's the right time, because we hit!" Thomas and Judith have plans to re-decorate their home, purchase a car and help out their children. "I think I see new cars in their [our children's] future," said Judith. "I'm also going to get a new, red Cadillac CTS for myself!"

In addition to the vehicle purchases, the Sturms have a two-year-old English Bulldog that needs hip surgery. "We just found out Murphy's hips are going out," said Judith. "I would do anything for that dog. Now we can get her surgery."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," said Thomas.

Power Play Pays for Tennessee Lottery Player who Wins $1,000,000
Make it Power Play – words to live by for Gary Moses of Atoka, Tenn., who won $1 million after purchasing a Powerball ticket with Power Play for the August 15 drawing.

Gary's $200,000 win became a $1 million win when he matched all 5 white balls. The winning ticket was purchased at The Keg in Millington, Tenn.

Vacationing Pennsylvanian Claims $50,000 Powerball Prize in South Carolina
A Pennsylvania resident’s impromptu decision to buy a Powerball ticket in South Carolina scored him a $50,000 prize! “I’m very excited to win,” said Arturo Alleyne. The winner and his wife were vacationing on the coast when they bought the Powerball ticket for the August 19 drawing at the Kangaroo Express # 3482, located at 501 Highway 17 North, in Surfside Beach. “We’ll share the money with family and then use some to do a few home improvement projects,” Alleyne said.

His lucky ticket matched four of the five winning white ball numbers plus the red Powerball® to win a $10,000 prize. Alleyne purchased the PowerPlay® option which multiplied his winnings by five, the multiplier drawn that evening.

Florida Man Claims $1 Million Powerball Prize with Power Play Option
Powerball with Power Play $1 million winner Edward Wilson, 54, of Mossy Head, has claimed his prize at the Florida Lottery Pensacola District Office. He won the prize in the August 19th drawing.

Wilson was thrilled about his Powerball win and brought 10 of his family members to the Lottery office with him to share in the excitement. He purchased his winning ticket at Fillups Food Store, located at 901 Beal Parkway N.W. in Fort Walton Beach.

Missouri Co-Workers Split $200,000 Powerball Prize
Thirty eight co-workers had a very exciting start to their work week. According to Tammy Morgan of St. Charles, she started a Powerball group at her office more than three years ago, but the group never won more than $100 until now. Morgan and her co-workers all work at Nordyne in O'Fallon in various positions from customer service to engineering. "I was in shock when I checked the numbers," revealed Morgan, who purchased the ticket at QuikTrip, 4646 Highway 94 S. in St. Charles, the day after the drawing.

Morgan said she informed the group about the win with an e-mail. "Monday morning I went in, and I e-mailed everybody with the good news and bad news," she shared. "Bad news we didn't win the millions, but the good news is we won $200,003." The group, which started with 10 co-workers, has grown to include "about 40 people," and it is sure to keep growing after the most recent win. When asked about plans for the prize money, Morgan noted that some co-workers are planning vacations, while others are talking about home renovation projects. "A couple people are going to be going on vacation next week, so they are going to be taking some extra cash that they weren't going to take," she said. "A couple people are buying appliances, because they are remodeling their house." In terms of advice for fellow Powerball enthusiasts, Morgan says "don't miss a week.""It might be the week you hit," she noted. "Good luck to everybody!" The crew used Quick Pick to select the winning numbers from the Aug. 1 Powerball drawing.

Oregon Woman Wins $1 Million with Power Play
It was a Sunday like any other as Peggi Crawn of Pendleton came into work early at Dean’s Deli and Market. While chatting with a co-worker, Peggi scanned her Powerball ticket to see if she had won anything the evening before. When turning back to look at the screen, it read “$1,000,000, Go to Salem.” After convincing herself she had indeed won a $1 million prize with Powerball, she called her children.

"All three of my kids didn't believe me," Crawn said. The store owner finally got on the phone and convinced them. Crawn matched all the five white numbers for the July 25 Powerball/Power Play drawing. Since she chose the Power Play option, and did not match the red power ball number, Crawn automatically won the $1 million prize. Aug. 17 was Crawn's last day as an employee of Dean's Market and Deli after eight months of diligent work. The store owners said Crawn will definitely be missed. "She was a great employee and I couldn't be happier for her.”

Crawn said she plans to take care of her newborn grandson and three children. She said she has never been interested in travel or anything extravagant, and has no intentions for a big splurge. "I plan on buying my own house, probably in Pilot Rock, where my kids live," she said. Even with the check in hand, Crawn said she isn't going to stop buying Powerball tickets now. "I'm stilling buying tickets every drawing," she said. "With different numbers, of course."

Missouri Man Claims $200,000 Powerball Prize
Travel for work kept a Department of Veterans Affairs employee from claiming a $200,000 prize for more than two weeks. Douglas Robinson of Park Hills bought a single Quick Pick ticket for the July 18 Powerball drawing at QuikTrip, 11444 St. Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton, the day before the drawing. "I had just returned from a business trip and stopped in QuikTrip," recalled Robinson. "I got me a glass of tea and was like, 'Oh, $61 million. Give me a $1 Quick Pick on Powerball.'"

Robinson said he carried the ticket around in his wallet for about 10 days before checking the ticket at a retail location. When he scanned the ticket, he learned that it was a $200,000 winner. "I thought 'There's gotta be something wrong. There's no way,'" said Robinson. "I wound up checking it four times." Because he was leaving for another business trip, Robinson signed the ticket and locked it up until he could return and claim it at the St. Louis regional Lottery office on August 4. That gave him some time to consider his luck and his options.

"One, how blessed I am to get so lucky on a $1 Quick Pick," started Robinson. "And then the normal stuff, taxes, how to invest it, make sure it does me and my family good for a long time." Robinson, 42, and his wife, Corinne, plan on using the windfall to create college funds for their three children, as well as invest some for retirement. "And splurge a little," said Robinson. "I'm buying a Harley. If the boss lets me," he added.

$260 Million Powerball Winner Comes Forward
During a Tuesday new conference at the South Carolina Education Lottery offices, it was disclosed that Solomon Jackson Jr. was the winner of the $259.9 million Powerball jackpot from the August 19th drawing. Jackson grew up in Columbia and is a retired member from the State Department of Revenue.  Jackson attended Richland County public schools.

Proceeds from the sale of lottery tickets in South Carolina go towards supporting public education. Jackson's lawyer said the lucky winner bought the ticket with the intent of helping public education in South Carolina.  “It's a beautiful day for education in South Carolina," Jackson said. "I've always supported education, and I've always supported higher education.

If I can justify this, only God knows what is ahead. Someone has anticipated a change, but I'll still be Solomon." Jackson bought the ticket at the Murphy USA gas station in front of Walmart on Garners Ferry Road in Columbia.