Six wins of $150,000 to $1 million top best of the week

The number two was a theme of lottery wins this week: Two wins of $1 million, two wins for Durham residents and a second "big catch" for a retired catfish farmer on a scratch-off ticket. Plus, we had another All or Nothing player win the $250,000 top prize.

The first $1 million winner is Jack Piercy Jr. of McDowell County. The native of Old Fort was on his way to visit a family member in Morganton when he stopped to fuel up and bought a ticket for the $1,000,000 Jackpot game. When Piercy realized he won the top prize, he called his wife to share the good news. “Guess what I just hit on a scratch-off?” he asked her. “Baby, you’re a millionaire.”

The second $1 million prize went to a Wake County man who played 100X The Cash, a game that debuted Tuesday. Randy Black bought his lucky ticket at the Sheetz on Chapel Hill Road in Morrisville. With his win, three top prizes of $4 million and four $1 million prizes remain to be claimed.

You could say that James Harrison, a retired catfish farmer from Robersonville in Martin County, caught another big one playing the lottery. “Four months ago I won a million bucks,” the North Carolina native said. “Who’d ever have thought I’d come back for $200,000 more. I’m even more excited over this one.”

Two players from Durham claimed big prizes. Carlton Simpson won Monday’s $358,867 Cash 5 jackpot. “It’s like I’m dreaming,” he said. “I’m speechless, really.” {Read More} Barbara Clinton won $150,000 on a White Hot 5’s ticket she purchased at the Bragtown BP Family Fare on Roxboro Road in Durham.

Less than three weeks after the Powerball jackpot was won by a resident of Shallotte, the small coastal town in Brunswick County has another big lottery winner. Darlene Anuszewski matched all her numbers in Sunday night’s All or Nothing drawing to win the $250,000 top prize. Eighteen $500 prizes were won in this week’s twice-daily All or Nothing drawings.

A Wilmington man won the $50,000 top prize in the Feb. 19 Cash 5 Bonus Bucks drawing. John Allen got his winning entry slip at the Lowes Foods on College Road in Wilmington. The next Bonus Bucks drawing will be held April 23 with an April 8 entry deadline.

The Powerball jackpot has climbed back into triple-digit millions with a $100 million annuity up for grabs in Saturday’s drawing. If claimed as a lump sum, the winner would take home $66.3 million. North Carolina has had four Powerball jackpot winners of $74.5 million to $188 million.

Fourteen players won instant prizes of $10,000 to $30,000 this week. They are:

• Hailey Clevenger of Aberdeen: $10,000 ($120 Million Cash)
• Brandy Moore of Bolivia: $20,000 (Joker’s Wild)
  
• Bregenia Hill-White of Charlotte: $10,000 (100X The Cash)
  
• Dawn Stoeckel of Charlotte: $10,000 ($200 Million Blowout)
  
• Barbara White of Davidson" $10,000 (50X The Cash
  
• Johnny Simons of Glade Valley: $10,000 ($200 Million Blowout)
  
• Michelle Carter of Hertford: $10,000 (50X The Cash)
  
• Roslyn Snell of Hope Mills: $10,000 (50X The Cash)
  
• Jennifer Webb of Macclesfield: $10,000 ($200 Million Blowout)
  
• Wendy Mercado of Raleigh: $10,000 ($2,500 a Week for Life!)
  
• Willie Andrews of Robersonville: $10,000 (Millionaire 7’s)
  
• Berry Carver of Valdese: $30,000 (Triple Play)
  
• Len Bullock of Whitakers: $10,000 ($4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
  
• Michael Silveri of Winston-Salem: $20,000 (The Color of Money)
  

From Feb. 27 through March 5, instant players won more than $22.9 million and draw game players won $4.9 million, including $4.6 million from North Carolina draw games Pick 3, Pick 4, Cash 5 and All or Nothing. Since last weekend’s drawings, Mega Millions and Powerball players won more than $364,000 in prizes bringing the seven-day total to more than $27.9 million in prizes statewide.

If you’re like us, you’re hoping the weather makes up its mind and decides to bring us some more spring temperatures. And, like you, we’re hoping that good luck comes your way the next time you play. Thanks for reading and see you soon here in the Lucke-Zone.