Trio of $1 million prizes mark best of the week

One million dollars. Three words that mean lottery luck for three players - and one their identities is still a mystery.

That winner became the first North Carolina player to win $1 million in the new MONOPOLY MILLIONAIRES' CLUB lottery game. The ticket won the $1 million prize in the exclusive one-time drawing held on Friday night alongside the first-ever weekly drawing for the game. The winning ticket number was NC-2191-0006-7887. Whoever bought it has 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim the prize money at Lottery Headquarters.

Diana Forbes, a retiree from Elizabeth City, won her $1 million in the Oct. 22 Powerball drawing. She told us she'll use her winnings to pay off her mortgage, travel and purchase new American-made cars for herself and for her son.

The third $1 million makes for a great fish tale. James Harrison, a retired catfish farmer from Robersonville in Martin County, plans to use the $1 million prize he won playing the $200 Million Blowout game to buy a boat and save for his grandchildren’s education.

We met another big winner - for a second time. Jesus Lugo, a Mexican restaurant owner from Carthage won $100,000 playing the lottery’s Mega Bucks game in 2009. His second big win came beating the odds came playing the $200,000 top prize in the “$” game, making him the first top prize winner in the game.

A Carolina Cash 5 player won the fifth six-figure-plus prize of the week. Brenda Highsmith of Pitt County won the $209,282 jackpot in the Oct. 27 drawing.

Ten more players scratched or matched their way to $10,000 or more. They are:

• Astrid Garner of Cameron: $10,000 (10/25/14 Powerball drawing)
• Richard McCaslin of Conover: $10,000 ($120 Million Cash)
  
• Macie Hill of Durham: $50,000 (Junior Big Ol’ Bucks)
  
• John White of Fayetteville: $10,000 (Millionaire 7’s)
  
• Carmon Wood of Greensboro: $25,000 ($200,000 Jackpot)
  
• Michael O’Berry of Greensboro: $10,000 (10/22/14 Powerball drawing)
  
• Sandra Dove of Mebane: $10,000 (Millionaire 7’s)
  
• Brian Quiller of Raleigh: $20,000 ($1,000,000 Jackpot)
  
• Patricia Jones of Raleigh: $10,000 ($200 Million Blowout)
  
• David Payton of Winterville: $20,000 ($1,000,000 Jackpot)
  

All or Nothing players won more than $222,552 in prizes over the seven-day period, including 30 prizes of $500.

Overall, instant scratch-off players in North Carolina won more than $16.7 million in prizes from Oct. 23-30. During that time, players of draw games won $5 million in total prizes.

Thanks for reading and playing. See you soon here in the Lucke-Zone.