RALEIGH — Joel Stevens Sr. said he stops by the Corner Store on Union Road in Gastonia every morning for coffee and an occasional lottery ticket purchase. The “Carolina Cash 5” ticket he purchased there turned out to be worth $237,720 after it matched all five numbers in the Aug. 11 drawing. After the Gastonia man checked the numbers on the NCEL Web site the morning of Aug. 12 and realized he won, he said he went to work like he usually does. One thing Stevens said he planned to do with his winnings, which were $161,650.24 after taxes, is buy a new car for his wife.
A new car is on the agenda for another big winner as well. Henry Berry of Fayetteville won the top prize of $200,000 playing $200,000 Jackpot. Berry said he shared the news with his wife by telling her “you can buy that car now.” Berry purchased his winning ticket, worth $136,001.60 after taxes, at Bobby Taylor Oil #2 on Country Club Drive in Fayetteville. He said that in addition to sharing the prize money with his wife and adult children, he plans to vacation in Las Vegas with a friend and enjoy a peaceful retirement.
A Bertie County man went to the store for juice and came home with a Mustang Fever instant scratch-off ticket worth $100,000. While David Watson waited in line to buy juice at Smokers Express on Piney Green Road in Jacksonville, he picked a Mustang Fever instant-scratch off game from slot number 11, because three family birthdays fall on the 11th of the month. Coincidentally, Watson said he watched a TV special about Lottery winners with his fiancé the night before he won. His winning ticket had an after-tax amount of $68,001.60.
At an estimated $245 Million, the Powerball Jackpot is currently the largest lottery jackpot in the world and if won, it would be the 10th largest in Powerball jackpot history. Players in North Carolina and across the country will be watching the Wednesday, Aug. 19 drawing to see if they win or if the jackpot will continue to grow.
Four tickets are worth $10,000 each after they matched four out of five white balls and the Powerball in the Saturday, Aug. 15 drawing. The winning tickets were sold at the Xpress Mart on Caldwell Creek Road in Huntersville; the Han-Dee Hugo on Gregson Drive in Cary; Jim’s Grocery Bait & Tackle on South Point Road in Belmont; and at the Scotchman on South 17th Street in Wilmington. A total of 90,317 North Carolina Powerball players won prizes in the drawing, ranging from $10,000 to $3 for a total payout in prizes worth $853,018.
The North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL) has paid out over $5.7 million total in instant scratch-off ticket prizes since Thursday, Aug. 13. Also since Thursday, “Carolina Pick 3” players have won over $1.7 million. “Carolina Pick 4” players have won over $333,600 and 14 tickets won the top prize of $5,000. “Carolina Cash 5” players have won over $132,530.
