News writer
Two Kentucky Lottery players are laughing all the way to the bank thanks to their $150,000 Powerball prizes. One winner was a woman from Paducah. The player, who wishes to remain anonymous, recently came forward to claim her winnings from the April 6 drawing. She purchased her ticket from the Quick Shop located at 2517A Bridge Street in Paducah.
She used her own choice of numbers that has been playing with for the past few weeks. Her favorite numbers ended up matching four white balls and the Powerball, which with the Power Play, gave her a $150,000 prize. The Powerball numbers for that drawing were 22, 27, 44, 52, 69, and Powerball number 9.
In an interview with Kentucky Lottery officials, she said that she doesn’t usually add the Power Play but she had played it in the last three drawings.
“I was circling the numbers to see how I won. I was like, wait a minute and it just kept going on down the line. I really didn’t know how much I’d even won,” she added. “I can’t believe I was just one number away from becoming a billionaire,” she said. “I’m very thankful though and content with what I have.”
The winner received a prize of $108,000 after tax withholdings. She plans to pay off her debts and invest some of the winnings.
A second winner purchased his ticket at the same store
Paducah riverboat captain Jimmy Sharp was the second lucky player to nab a $150,000 Powerball prize. What’s amazing is that he bought his winning ticket from the Quick Shop located at 2517A Bridge Street in Paducah – the same store where the other $150,000 winner bought her ticket. Jimmy also matched four white balls and the Powerball and boosted his prize with the Power Play addition.
Jimmy has been a riverboat captain for almost 50 years and he had just returned home after a 28-day shift. He told lottery officials that as he was leaving his boat, he saw a sign for the upcoming Powerball jackpot, which inspired him to buy a ticket. He stopped in at the Quick Shop and bought a few Quick Pick Powerball tickets. It was Jimmy’s grandson who suggested he add the Power Play option. Thank goodness Jimmy took his advice because that triples his prize money.
The morning after the drawing, Jimmy took his tickets to the Quick Shop and had the cashier double-check them.
In an interview with the Kentucky Lottery, Jimmy said, “I had six tickets, and when I gave her the fifth one, that’s when it lit the machine up. She said, ‘Oh, you’ve got a big winner.’”
The prize was too big for the store to pay out to Jimmy, so the cashier printed off the details so he could find out how much he had won.
“That’s when I knew, and she told me to sign the ticket. I felt pretty good,” said Sharp.
Jimmy and his grandson took home a check for $108,000 after tax withholdings. He plans to use the money to help his family and add to his savings.
Enjoy playing Powerball, and please remember to play responsibly.
