NEWS AROUND THE NATION
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Powerball Winner Claims $559 Million Prize & Announces $250,000 in Charitable Donations
The winner of a $559.7 million New Hampshire Powerball jackpot claimed her prize and donated a combined $250,000 to Girls Inc. of New Hampshire and three chapters of End 68 Hours of Hunger. The winner claimed the $559.7 million prize'the sixth-largest Powerball jackpot in history'through the Good Karma Family, 2018 Nominee Trust facilitated by the law firm of Shaheen & Gordon, P.A with William Shaheen serving as trustee.
The winner had two options, taking a lump-sum cash payment of approximately $352 million or an annuity payment over 30 years. The winner opted for the one-time cash payment, which netted her $264 million after federal taxes were withheld.
The winning Powerball ticket was sold at Reed's Ferry Market in Merrimack, New Hampshire for the January 6 drawing.
"The New Hampshire Lottery is excited to award yet another Powerball jackpot to our very fortunate Granite State residents," said Charlie McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery. "We know the winner's heart is in the right place. These substantial donations are an indication of her generosity and they will make a significant difference in the lives of many throughout our community."
With representatives from each nonprofit on hand at the press conference, the Good Karma Family 2018 Nominee Trust presented the following donations:
- $150,000 ÔÇô Girls Inc. of New Hampshire
- $33,000 ÔÇô End 68 Hours of Hunger ÔÇô Nashua
- $33,000 ÔÇô End 68 Hours of Hunger ÔÇô Dover
- $33,000 ÔÇô End 68 Hours of Hunger ÔÇô Derry
Lotto America Jackpot Winner
MINNESOTA
A brother and sister from Badger, Minnesota have a long-standing agreement that if "one wins, we both win"'and a Lotto America jackpot worth $22.8 million was no exception.
Debbie Kujava purchased the $22.8 million winning ticket for the March 14 drawing at Holiday Station stores in Roseau, Minnesota on her way home from work on March 12.
The morning after the draw, Debbie checked her ticket and noticed the numbers were a perfect match. She initially thought their ticket was worth $2 million so she went over to her brother Dennis's house and said, "We're millionaires!"
Dennis was a little skeptical of the news at first. "Well she does play tricks on me," he said. "But I normally wouldn't be at his house at 8 a.m." replied Debbie. It wasn't until Denise, Dennis's daughter, looked online that they discovered their ticket was actually worth $22.8 million.
The brother-sister duo and Dennis's two adult daughters, Denise Kujava and Deanna Kujava, are all sharing a portion of the $13.5 million cash option ($9.4 million after required tax withholdings).
While the family has had fun dreaming about the possibilities of what their new-found wealth could bring, they remain undecided on their plans-'except for one thing: Debbie was excited to retire from her job as an LPN!
Lincoln County Resident Cashes In Lost $1 Million Ticket
KANSAS
A Lincoln County resident had his faith in humanity restored this week when he unknowingly lost his Mega Millions ticket worth one million dollars. The workers and owner at a gas station in Salina hunted the man down and returned his ticket to him hours later!
The winner was in a hurry to get back home to watch March Madness basketball and stopped to get gas in Salina. "My brother went in to check my tickets. He apparently dropped the unsigned Mega Millions ticket, and then we left to go back home."
The clerks at the Pit Stop Gas Station noticed the lost ticket and decided to scan it to see if they should try to contact the man who dropped it. When they saw that the ticket matched all five numbers but not the Megaball, they knew what the ticket was worth and immediately called the store owner. The owner's son came to the store to help get the winning ticket back to the rightful owner.
"We had already been home for about an hour, and then went out and ran another errand. As we passed the store, the owner's son pulled out behind us and flagged us down. He explained what happened and handed me the ticket, and I just couldn't believe it!" said the winner.
The now-signed ticket was brought into the Topeka office the winner is now $1 million richer thanks to the good deeds of a Kansas Lottery retailer!
