Bigbee credits her fiancé with the $1 million win."He wanted me to play Powerball, but I told him that I never win playing that game," Bigbee said. "I guess I can't say that now. Bigbee purchased her winning ticket at Howdershell BP in Hazelwood. She let the computer select the winning numbers.Bigbee said she plans to use her winnings to buy a house, a car, share with her friends and family and treat her cat, Black, "like royalty."

Oklahoma  Resident Wins $1 Million Playing Powerball!
The Oklahoma Lottery has announced Keith Fulton, a 44-year-old Oklahoma City resident, as Oklahoma’s newest millionaire. Fulton won the prize in the Wednesday evening, June 11th Powerball drawing. He purchased his winning ticket at Paul’s Conoco Service Center.

A regular at Paul’s for nearly 30 years, Fulton has been playing the Lottery since its launch.

“I was watching the drawing live but I knew I didn’t match the Powerball number so I didn’t immediately check my tickets,” he said. “Once I realized my numbers matched the five white balls I knew I had won a million dollars through Power Play. I hid my ticket in a Kleenex box and barely slept from the excitement.”

Fulton matched all five white balls winning $200,000. Since Fulton selected the $1 Power Play option his prize was increased to $1 million as the Power Play multiplier for the drawing was a “5.”

His plans at the moment include vacationing, paying bills and investing—and he plans to keep working for at least 20 more years.

"I had some farming business to take care of," said Blake, a crops farmer, who was especially busy after the recent storms. "It was hard to work."

Blake, accompanied by his fiancée Jill Dunn, was able to claim his $800,000 prize Tuesday morning at Hoosier Lottery Headquarters in Indianapolis.

"I always play Powerball and purchase Power Play," said Blake. "I've talked others into playing Power Play, too!"

Power Play is the Powerball multiplier feature that allows a player to multiply any non-jackpot win up to five times. Blake matched all five white Powerball numbers to win $200,000. That amount was quadrupled because the $1 Power Play option multiplier was 4.

The White County resident has played the same numbers for 15 years and when asked if he'd continue to play the same numbers, he responded: "Of course! I have more chances to hit the jackpot! This time I was only 4 digits off!"

Blake purchased his winning ticket from Gas America in West Lafayette.

He isn't sure what he's going to do with his winnings yet, but possibly get some things he and Dunn need.

"And we'll definitely put some money back for retirement," said Dunn. Blake and his fiancée plan to continue playing the Hoosier Lottery.

"You can't win if you don't have your ticket!" said Blake.

Family Birthdays a Lucky Charm for $800,000 Tennessee Winner!
Although four family birthdays in one month can occasionally present a shopping challenge, the dates proved to be a lucky charm for Knoxville’s Kathy Jones, who used the numbers to win $800,000 playing Powerball.

“I always play my family’s birthdays,” said Kathy, who claimed her winnings at the Tennessee Lottery’s Nashville headquarters. Kathy, who owns Brickstone, a masonry company in Knoxville, plays the number nine for September, then the dates of the birthdays in that month of her mother, father, niece and daughter-in-law. “And, I always play the Power Play,” she said. Power Play is the multiplier feature of Powerball, which allows a player to multiply any non-jackpot win up to five times. For example, since Kathy’s numbers matched all five of the five white ball numbers drawn Saturday night, May 31, the prize was $200,000. Since she added Power Play for an extra dollar, and the multiplier was four for that drawing, the prize grew to $800,000.

“She was so excited she jumped off our deck,” said Don, Kathy’s husband. “Then she starting yelling, ‘Happy Birthday to me!’” Turns out, last week was Kathy’s birthday! The Joneses said they will take some time to decide what they will do with their winnings. Meanwhile, birthdays will remain an important part of Kathy’s life. “Now I’m looking to win with my May birthdays!”

Kentucky Woman gets a $200,000 Mother's Day Gift!
This was one Mother’s Day that will be hard to beat for Crystal Kendrick of Lexington. While she was delighted with the new refrigerator she received from her husband Eric, they also found out that morning she had won $200,000 from the May 10th Powerball drawing.

“I was on the phone wishing my mom a happy Mother’s Day while Eric was on the computer checking the ticket,” Crystal told lottery officials. “That’s when Eric came running over asking me to look at the ticket. He said we had matched all the numbers but the Powerball and that he thought that we had just won $200,000.” “I went over to the computer to check the winning numbers and said, ‘Oh my gosh, mom, I think we did win,’” Crystal said. “I thought someone was messing with me at first,” Eric said.

“We just couldn’t believe it,” he said. The Kendricks have been playing Powerball for at least 13 years and always play $2. They have one set of numbers they play which are family birthdays and they also always select a quick pick. The Kendrick’s won with the quick pick and the winning ticket was purchased at Blue Sky BP on Clays Mill Road in Lexington. Crystal works at the University of Kentucky as a clinic manager and she and her husband have two children. They plan to pay off bills and buy a new vehicle. Crystal said the kids have never seen the ocean so they also hope to take a vacation this summer.

Iowa Man Wins $400,000 Power Play!
A central Iowa man returned to the store where he bought a $400,000-winning Powerball ticket and had a little fun surprising the staff there. John Ward of Stuart said that as he walked into the local convenience store, the clerk and another customer were talking about the fact that someone had won a $400,000 prize from a Powerball ticket purchased there. “I had checked the numbers before,” Ward said. “And I said, ‘Here, can you check this ticket for me?’ And she stuck it in the machine and she goes, ‘Oh! It’s you!’”Ward won his big prize in the Wednesday, May 7th Powerball drawing. Because Ward purchased the Power Play® option on his ticket, the normal $200,000 prize he would have won for matching the first five numbers was multiplied by two for a total prize of $400,000.

Ward, 58, who works as a metal fabricator, claimed his prize Friday at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Des Moines. His wife, Jodi Bassett, accompanied him on the happy trip. Bassett, a chiropractor, said she knew when her husband came to her office Thursday to share the news that he wasn’t joking around. “I knew that it was legit because he’s waited too long for this,” she said. “He wouldn’t make this up and interrupt my busy schedule and create that kind of ruckus for a joke.”Ward and Bassett live on an acreage near Stuart and said they may use Ward’s lottery winnings to build a new house on their land. “With this kind of money, you take your time and think things through and decide what the best use of the money is,” Bassett said. Ward said that his lottery winnings will make retirement “a lot easier, when it comes.”In the meantime, he has one purchase firmly in mind: He plans to buy a new air compressor. He’s dreaming a little, too.“I haven’t found my ’57 T-Bird yet!” he said.

Louisiana Man Claims $97 Million Powerball Jackpot from January!
After nearly four months of keeping a secret, 73-year-old Carl Hunter of Metairie claimed the $97 million Powerball jackpot from the Jan. 16 drawing at Louisiana Lottery headquarters. His prize was the largest single amount won in the Louisiana Lottery’s history.

The owner of a construction company, Hunter wanted to make sure his outstanding jobs were complete before “closing up shop” to redeem his winning ticket. He said he plans to use his winnings to retire, travel and rebuild a camp he lost during Hurricane Katrina. Hunter was picking up a gallon of milk for his wife when he decided to also purchase one Powerball “quick pick” at West Metairie Shell on West Metairie Avenue in Metairie.

“There was a person in line in front of me and behind me also purchasing tickets for the drawing. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” described Hunter, surprised and humble. Hunter chose the one-time cash payment option, which was $48,478,863.

Connecticut Couple Wins $2 Million Cash with Power Play!
Purchasing a $1 Power Play option with their Powerball ticket proved to be a very wise investment for Colleen and Jim Fraccola of Darien, Connecticut. During the month of April, a "10" multiplier number is added to the regular Power Play wheel. One of the normal "5's" is removed. With Power Play normally you multiply your Powerball winnings from 2-5 times, except for the jackpot. At the beginning of each drawing a wheel is spun to select that night’s multiplier. For a limited time during the current “Power Play 10X” promotion, all prizes (except the jackpot) can be multiplied up to 10 times for the same $1 Power Play cost.

Colleen and Jim matched all 5 white ball numbers, which normally pays out $200,000. Because they purchased the Power Play, that $200,000 was multiplied to $2 million as the number "10" came up for that Wednesday, April 16th drawing. Power Play 10X is available through the final drawing of Wednesday, April 30, 2008.

Eight West Virginia Co-Workers Claim $276 Million Jackpot!
After three sleepless nights, eight co-workers in the Monongalia County Tax Office have claimed the $139 million cash option from the $276 million Powerball drawing held March 15.  The “Easy Pick” ticket was purchased at Paula's in Westover.   Claiming the prize on behalf of her seven co-workers, Linda Fominko, who will celebrate her 53rd birthday in April, said she had called everyone by 3 AM Sunday morning immediately following the draw.  “I stayed up to watch for the numbers and check our tickets.  By the time I made the calls, I had moved from disbelief to stunned, but everyone else was stuck in disbelief with questions like, ‘Are you sure?  Did you look at it right?  Do you know what you're doing?'”

Fominko said various employees in her office often go together to buy Powerball tickets after the jackpot passes $200 million.  “This time around I bought 40 tickets, 30 at Paula's and the remainder near a grocery store I frequent.” In addition to Fominko, who has worked for the tax office 35 years, the winners include Amanda Pugh, who has worked in the office three years; Paula Pride, a 31-year employee; Andrea Grey, a one-year employee; Jessica Dotson, who worked three years part-time and moved to full time three months ago; Judith Gapen, a 14-year employee; Crystal Magrow, who has worked in the tax office nearly 16 years; and Allecia Priore, a 10-year employee.

Fominko said that among the winners are several who have faced serious family illness; another is caring for a sister who is mentally and physically handicapped.  Opting not to disclose the communities in which each winner lives, Fominko said that excepting one employee from Fairmont , the remainder of the winners lives in Monongalia County. Fominko said they all plan to continue working.  “I guess that could change, but that's what I've heard so far.  As for purchases, we've not had much time to talk. Most everyone is taking care of families.”