Jervis Barnett of Burnsville plans to use the $100,000 he won playing Black Onyx 7’s to pay off his mortgage.

Barnett’s win came Saturday when he stopped at Burnsville Gas on U.S.19-E in Burnsville. He said he had “a lucky feeling” so he decided to try his luck with the $5 instant game.

“I have been smiling ever since,” said Barnett, a machinist, as he collected his winnings at N.C. Education Lottery headquarters on Monday.

After state and federal taxes were withheld, Barnett received a check for $68,001. He claimed the last of five top prizes of $100,000 in the game.

As of September 2013, the lottery has raised more than $3 billion to support education programs. Lottery dollars support teachers’ salaries in grades K-3, school construction and repair projects, prekindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds, college scholarships and financial aid based on need and digital learning initiatives.

To see how more than $3.6 million in lottery dollars have made a difference in Yancey County, go to the Where the Money Goes webpage at http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/beneficiary.aspx.