Pennsylvania Couple Wins $58.6 Million Powerball Jackpot Prize!
A York couple claimed a Powerball® jackpot worth $30.2 million cash from the Oct. 29 drawing at Pennsylvania Lottery headquarters.Myrna and Thomas Shearer had the single-winning jackpot ticket that matched all five white balls, and the red Powerball to win the Oct. 29 jackpot, which grew over seven drawings to an annuity value of $58.6 million. The couple elected to take the $30,207,012.05 cash prize.

Myrna Shearer had been playing her own Powerball numbers, but realized she forgot to take the list with her when she went to purchase her tickets for the Oct. 29 drawing.  While the winning jackpot ticket was a quick pick, four of her five regularly played numbers were drawn Oct. 29.Shearer purchased the winning ticket at Bookland in York.

Power Play Wins Tennessee Player $400,000!
For Edwin Fults, a minister in Grundy County, Tenn., the Powerball Power Play feature he so steadfastly uses paid off after the drawing on Saturday, Oct. 25.“I buy one Powerball Power Play ticket for each drawing,” said Edwin.

Good rule to follow! Edwin matched five white balls to win $200,000 … and because he played Power Play, his $200,000 was doubled to $400,000 since the multiplier was two. “This is just an amazing blessing,” said Edwin, who plans to use his prize money to further his ministry.

26 Individuals Claim $200,000 Powerball Prize!
Twenty-six individuals, including employees of the Lafayette School Corporation in Lafayette, Ind. (and their family and friends) claimed $200,000 on a winning Powerball ticket from the October 18 draw. Francis Niemiec of Lafayette came to Hoosier Lottery Headquarters to claim the win in 26 separate checks.

"We've been doing this for two and a half years," said Niemiec. "I make copies of the numbers for everybody after each draw." Niemiec purchases Powerball tickets once a month for 10 draws. "Usually 30 Quick Picks for 10 draws," said Niemiec, who is a school bus driver for the school corporation. He referred to the winning group as the "Best Bus Drivers."

"There are a lot of great stories with this win," said Niemiec. "Seeing the expressions on some people's faces [after being notified of the win] was more fun than actually winning!" The "Best Bus Drivers" matched five of the six numbers, excluding the Powerball for a $200,000 win. The winning ticket was purchased from the Just Smokes store in Lafayette. Niemiec went into the store for the Powerball tickets, along with the purchase of two cigars.

"The machine said I was a winner, so I asked the clerk how much I had won," said Hittler.  "The clerk wasn't able to tell me the exact amount.  I raced home to check my ticket on-line." Hittler, a stay-at-home mother of two, received a pleasant surprise when she realized that her ticket was a $200,000 winner. "I couldn't believe it when I found out how much I had won," said Hittler. 

When asked what she planned to do with her prize money, Hittler explained that she was going to share it with her family and possibly take a trip."I'm afraid to fly, so well probably go somewhere we can drive to," said Hittler.  "Maybe well go to Branson."

Kansas City Man Claims $200,000 Powerball Prize Twice in One Year!
One very lucky Kansas City man won Powerball at the Missouri Lottery not once, but twice in the same year.  Arthur Watkins Jr., 53, matched five white-ball numbers in the May 21 Powerball drawing to win $200,000, and then selected the winning Powerball numbers for a second time in the Sept. 24 Powerball drawing to win $200,000 again!

Watkins purchased both winning tickets at Longview Apple Market in Kansas City. According to Watkins, he never considered himself to be a lucky person, but this year’s lucky streak is proving to be a happy change of pace. “I was watching the news with my father when I realized I had won, again,” said Watkins.  “I can’t believe I hit it twice in one year, but I am definitely excited about it!”

When asked what he planned to do with his second windfall, Watkins stated that he was going to pay off bills with some of the prize money. “It will be nice to be debt free,” said Watkins.  “I might also buy a new car.”

The group of 22 coworkers to share in the jackpot prize are:  Larry Hibbett, Keith Williams, Maurice Long, Timothy Herbert, John Meehan, Raymond Jones, Michael Piekielski, Karen Henderson, Eddie Pacheco Jr., Beverly Smith, Winston Davis, Deneatra Jenkins, all of Philadelphia; Barry Bellinger, Darby, Delaware County; Robert Singleton, Erial, N.J.; Garman Gwynn, Willingboro, N.J.; Donald Akins, Upper Darby, Delaware County; Gerald Boglia, Levittown, Bucks County; Joseph McGugan, Bensalem, Bucks County; Ethel Gwynn, Willingboro, N.J.; Daniel McKay, Secane, Delaware County; Karen Greenfield, Ewing, N.J.; and Gregory Haynes, Elkins Park, Montgomery County. The Lucky 22 have been playing the Lottery together for many years. The jackpot-winning Powerball ticket was a quick-pick purchased at the Lansdowne Restaurant in Lansdowne, Delaware County. 

Nine New Mexico Residents Claim $206.9 Million Powerball Jackpot!
Friends from Roswell came to the New Mexico Lottery today to collect a Powerball jackpot of $206.9 million.  The nine winners are Carl and Holly Baldwin, Kevin and Jessica Breedyk, Ron and Cindy Miller, Ryan and Nicole Miller, and Randy Miller.  The friends elected to take the prize in a cash payment of $102.9 million rather than the annuity option of 30 payments over 29 years.

With money chipped in by her friends, a determined Holly Baldwin irked her husband, Carl, by leaving a family birthday party to drive across town to buy Powerball tickets at her favorite lottery retailer.  At Roswell Shell No. 47, Baldwin purchased the wagers less than two hours before the Sept. 27 drawing at 8:59 p.m. Mountain Time. 

After breakfast the following morning, Baldwin went to the lottery’s website to check the winning numbers, unaware that the state was already buzzing with news that a jackpot-winning ticket had been sold in New Mexico.  Among her ticket’s quick pick set of numbers, Baldwin discovered the jackpot-winning combination was theirs.

“I started bawling,” the 29-year-old woman said. Baldwin began calling fellow winners.“When Holly called me,” Nicole Miller recalled, “my first reaction was that she was playing a practical joke because I could hear Carl laughing in the background.” After arriving home Sunday afternoon from a weekend road trip, Kevin and Jessica Breedyk had to be coaxed to get back into their car to drive to the Baldwin home.

“They finally said ‘We have a birthday surprise for you,’” Jessica Breedyk recalled.The winners, who sought legal advice before claiming their prize, plan to make investments. “Every one of these young people realizes they have undertaken a major new responsibility,” said co-winner Ron Miller. 

Connecticut Great-Grandmother Wins $1 Million Powerball Prize!
Waiting in line at the Shaw’s Grocery customer service desk in Fairfield, Rose Marks of Bridgeport almost decided to step away before buying a Powerball Quick Pick ticket for the Saturday, September 20 drawing.  But, “my feet didn’t move,” Rose told Connecticut Lottery officials. Instead, she waited for the one ticket she planned to buy, a $2 Powerball with PowerPlay ticket.  Rose’s patience paid off with a $1,000,000 prize for matching 5 of the 6 numbers drawn that night. 

Normally a $200,000 prize level, Rose’s prize automatically increased to $1,000,000 because she activated the PowerPlay option, and the multiplier drawn that night was a 5. Accompanied by a family member, Rose arrived at CT Lottery offices to claim her prize.  She hadn’t yet realized the value of the PowerPlay feature added to her ticket, and was “overwhelmed” when CT Lottery officials gave her the good news that her windfall made her “Connecticut’s Newest Millionaire.” Rose shared her plans for the prize money – to spread it among her children and her many grand and great-grandchildren.  Her advice to others, “take a chance.” 

Indiana Player Wins $1 Million Cash with Power Play!
Tara Halderman of Kendallville felt like she hit the Powerball jackpot since she claimed $1,000,000 from Hoosier Lottery Headquarters. Halderman matched five of six numbers in the September 20 drawing for a $200,000 win, but since she purchased Power Play for an extra $1, her win was multiplied five times for a $1 million cash prize.

"I was picking up groceries and on the bottom of my Wal-Mart receipt it said, 'Don't forget to buy your Powerball ticket,' since the jackpot was high," said Halderman. The Noble County resident headed to Scott's in Kendallville to make her Powerball purchase. "You never think you're going to see that check," said Halderman's husband Eric. "I couldn't believe my eyes," said Halderman. The Haldermans are going to buy a home. "We've been renting all of our life," said Eric Halderman.

The families’ jackpot-winning ticket matched all five white balls, and the red Powerball, to win the jackpot of August 2nd, which grew over nine drawings to an annuity value of $86.3 million.  The family has elected to take the one time lump-sum cash option of $42.5 million.    

Barrie Edwards watched the televised Powerball drawing to learn he held the jackpot-winning ticket. He immediately ran to share the news with his wife, Jean, who had gone to bed. Shortly after the drawing, the Edwards called Terry and Linda Edwards, Barrie’s brother and sister-in-law, to inform them of the jackpot win.

Barrie and Terry Edwards and family members have purchased Lottery tickets for years, and long ago they made a verbal agreement that if one of them won a large jackpot, the prize would be split among family members, all of whom are natives or long-time residents of Lancaster County.            

The jackpot-winning Powerball ticket was a $1 quick-pick generated free in conjunction with a Pennsylvania Lottery promotion. Barrie Edwards purchased two Match 6 tickets to receive his free Powerball ticket at the Turkey Hill store on Willow Street Pike in Willow Street, Lancaster County.

On behalf of the group, Jean Edwards presented the winning ticket for validation yesterday at Pennsylvania Lottery headquarters in Middletown after consulting with legal and financial counsel.

New Mexico Man Puts $1 extra on Power Play and Wins $1 Million Cash in New Mexico!
Las Vegas, New Mexico, resident Joseph P. Baca is $1 million richer. Baca, a dedicated player of New Mexico Lottery games, matched all five of the white numbered balls from the Aug. 9 Powerball drawing. Ordinarily this prize-winning combination pays $200,000, but the prize was quintupled because Baca added the game’s Power Play® option to his wager for $1 more.   Power Play multiplies non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four or five times, depending on the Power Play number drawn.  On Aug. 9, “five” was drawn as the Power Play multiplier.            

“For most of my life, I didn’t feel lucky,” Baca said, “but I’m changing the way I’m thinking now.” Baca nearly missed his chance at winning the $1 million prize.  He rushed to the store to buy his ticket 20 minutes before sales closed for the Saturday night drawing. “I didn’t even tie my tennis shoes,” he said.

Baca and his wife, Loretta, plan to invest their $1 million windfall so that they can own their radio station KLVF outright as well as the property it sits on and the surrounding acreage. “The lottery bought us the station and all the land up on KLVF hill,” he said. Baca’s play was a “quick pick”. 

$1 Million Winner in D.C. Wedded to Wife and Lottery for Many Years
Lionel Holmes was as cool as the jazz music played on U Street when he strolled into the D.C. Lottery’s Claim Center with his $1 million POWERBALL ticket. The D.C. native is a Vietnam War veteran, retired federal government worker, devoted husband, and longtime D.C. Lottery player.The 63-year old northwest Washington, D.C. resident parlayed his $2 POWERBALL wager for the July 5, 2008 drawing into $1 million when his ticket correctly matched all five white balls to win $200,000. His Power Play option for an extra $1 multiplied that win five times and into the big hit. Holmes bought his winning ticket at Starlight Food. 

Happily married since 1970, Holmes says he and his wife have been playing the D.C. Lottery for nearly as long. About his winning strategy, Holmes advises fellow D.C. Lottery players, “Always go with the Power Play option.” Asked how he’ll spend his cool million—with one daughter pursuing a PhD at Georgetown University and another having graduated from the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University—Holmes affirmed that in addition to getting rid of some bills, he will pay off his daughter’s student loan.