RALEIGH – Allen Smith, an electronics manufacturer from Arden, said he plans to buy a home after his Quick Pick ticket matched all five numbers in the Sept. 30 Cash 5 drawing to win half of the $937,346 jackpot.

“I’ve been playing Cash 5 for a couple of years,” said Smith. “I like to buy a ticket when the jackpot gets big, and I’m so glad I did. To know that I can finally buy a home of my own is a great feeling.”

Smith’s half of the jackpot totaled $468,673. He purchased the lucky $1 ticket at the Mountain Energy store on Hendersonville Road in Arden. After taxes were withheld, he received a check for $324,557.

The second winning ticket from the Sept. 30 drawing was purchased by Michael Jones of Fayetteville.

Tonight’s Cash 5 jackpot is $196,000. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 575,757.

Ticket sales made it possible for the lottery to raise more than half a billion dollars for the state last year. For details on how $58 million in lottery funds have made a difference in Buncombe County, click on the “Where the Money Goes” tab on the lottery’s website.