Powerball: Another winning Powerball ticket sold in Pennsylvania
For the third time in four months, a winning Powerball ticket was bought in Western Pennsylvania -- this time in Marshall, state lottery officials said Thursday.
The ticket for Wednesday's $18.7 million drawing was sold at the Sunoco A-Plus convenience store on Route 19.
The winner -- who has not come forward yet -- matched all five white balls, 11-19-25-38-50, and the Powerball, 35. The lucky buyer can opt for the full annuity value or take a lump sum payment of $10.16 million, less 25 percent for federal taxes, lottery officials said.
"It's important to remember we are the (most populous) state that plays Powerball," lottery spokeswoman Stephanie Weyant said. "So we should have more winners."
Other Western Pennsylvanians also won fortunes recently.
On Jan. 22, PNC Financial Services Group employees Karen Rodgers, Kathleen Fitzgerald and Janet Bigler, all of the Pittsburgh area, won a jackpot that resulted in a lump-sum payment of $14.7 million. They bought their ticket at Nielsen's, a newsstand inside 2 PNC Plaza, Downtown.
On Dec. 8, Florence Ayers, 69, of Jackson, her son, James Ayers, 41, of Mars and her daughter, Sharon Kreindel, 48, of Beachwood, Ohio, won the drawing that gave them a lump-sum payment of about $70 million, after federal taxes.
Scott and Marian Calligan, of Cranberry, ended up with $53.7 million in cash, after taxes, when they won the July 9, 2003, Powerball drawing. They split a jackpot with a Missouri couple. The winning ticket was bought at a 7-Eleven store in Cranberry.
Sunoco employees would not talk about the ticket yesterday. They said they only heard rumors that it was sold there. The store owner will collect $100,000 for selling the ticket.
Customers pumping gas and buying snacks were largely unaware that a winning ticket was sold there.
"There seems to be a lot of winners around here," said Rick Drossman, 47, of Cranberry. "I didn't play. I usually wait until the jackpot hits triple digits."
"I play, but usually in the North Hills. I wish I was the winner," said Tina DeGolier, 26, of Ross, as she pumped gas into her vehicle at the Sunoco station in Marshall. "Then I wouldn't be worried about paying $31 for gas."
The prize must be claimed within one year in person at the state lottery headquarters in Middletown, Dauphin County. Winners should take their time and seek proper financial advice, Weyant said.
Pat Efremenko, 65, of Hampton, who works across the street at Kinko's, said sometimes she and co-workers buy tickets in a pool together from the Sunoco but did not do so for Wednesday's drawing.
"They sold it at the store right across the street?" she said. "It wasn't us. We didn't buy them this time."
Recent Western Pennsylvanian Powerball winners
Jan 22, 2005: Karen Rodgers, Kathleen Fitzgerald and Janet Bigler, all of the Pittsburgh area, accepted a lump sum of $14.7 million in Powerball winnings, which they claimed Feb. 8. The women, who were employees at PNC Financial Services Group, chose cash rather than the annuity value of $26.4 million. Each is taking home $3.7 million after taxes. The winning ticket was bought at Nielsen's, a newsstand and convenience store on Liberty Avenue inside 2 PNC Plaza, Downtown.
Dec. 8, 2004: Florence Ayers, 69, of Jackson; her son, James, 41, of Mars; and her daughter, Sharon Kreindel, 48, of Beachwood, Ohio, won the drawing for a $93.4 million Powerball jackpot, which they claimed Jan. 12. The family chose to take the lump-sum payment, about $70 million after 27 percent is withheld for federal taxes. The winning ticket was bought at Country Food Mart in New Castle.
July 9, 2003: Scott Calligan, 40, and Marian Calligan, 39, of Cranberry, opted to cash their winning Powerball ticket for a $73.6 million lump-sum payout, which they claimed July 22, 2003. The couple received about $53.7 million after 27 percent was withheld for federal taxes. They split a $261.3 million multistate drawing with a Missouri couple. Each couple qualified for a $130.6 million annuity. The Calligans' winning ticket was bought at a 7-Eleven store in Cranberry.