November 29, 2012
Mo. Powerball winner verified; Ariz.'s a mystery
AP Photo
Lottery officials confirmed Thursday that one of two winning Powerball tickets sold before Wednesday's drawing was bought at a Trex Mart convenience store in Dearborn, Mo.
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Baron Hartell, son of the owner of the Missouri store, said if the winner isn't a local resident it might have been a truck driver. Interstate 29 connects Kansas City to the Canadian border, so it's a busy thoroughfare in both directions.

"Even the truck drivers who come around, we see them every day, so they all feel like all locals to us,'' he said.

Store manager Chris Naurez said business had been "crazy'' for Powerball tickets lately and that the store had sold about $27,000 worth of tickets in the last few days.

"This really puts Dearborn on the map,'' he said.

Kenny Gilbert, the general manager of Trex Mart, suggested his staff would be sharing in the $50,000 bounty that the store will be awarded for selling one of the winning tickets.

"The response from the owner was, `I guess we'll be able to give out Christmas bonuses,''' Gilbert said. "That's nice, especially at this time of year.''

Winners in both states have 180 days to claim their share of the prize money.

The numbers drawn Wednesday night were 5, 16, 22, 23, 29. The Powerball was 6. The $587.5 million payout represents the second-largest jackpot in U.S. history.

Tickets sold at a rate of 130,000 a minute nationwide -- about six times the volume from a week ago. That pushed the jackpot even higher, said Chuck Strutt, executive director of the Multi-State Lottery Association. The jackpot rolled over 16 consecutive times without a winner.

Bob Kangas realized Wednesday night that one of two winning Powerball jackpot tickets had been bought in Arizona, but he didn't immediately check his numbers.

"I didn't want to look because I just wanted to dream about being rich,'' Kangas said Thursday while checking his tickets at the 4 Sons store where he bought his tickets -- and where the winning ticket was sold.

"I just wanted to dream all night,'' he said, breathing a heavy sigh as he realized his tickets were not winners.

In a Mega Millions drawing in March, three ticket buyers shared a $656 million jackpot. This remains the largest lottery payout of all time.

Skoloff reported from Fountain Hills, Ariz.

 

 

 

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