The Powerball prize that almost got away

It takes a lot of luck to win a big lottery prize, and one of the luckiest folks in North Carolina this week was a $100,000 Powerball winner from Hendersonville.

Luck first struck in the Dec. 5 Powerball drawing when a $3 Power Play ticket purchased at the Mountain Energy on Airport Road in Arden won $100,000.

But months after the drawing, no one had claimed the prize. The second bit of luck occurred when news that the ticket was expiring on June 2 spread through the region.

Susan O’Shields’ husband heard the news, went home, told his wife, and the two began searching for their Powerball tickets. They found the lucky ticket right where Susan had put it when cleaning off her husband’s dresser, in a Ziploc bag. With just five hours to spare, Susan made it to Raleigh to claim the prize.

“I feel like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” said Susan.

If you’re feeling lucky this weekend, both big jackpot games, Mega Millions and Powerball, are sporting some impressive numbers.

Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot is $251 million, or $162.8 million cash. And Saturday’s Powerball jackpot is also in three-digits, $110 million as an annuity or $72.1 million cash.

This week’s biggest win went to a cook from Rowan County. Nora McDaniel of Rockwell claimed the $200,000 top prize in the Carolina Black instant game. “Yee-Haw?” she remembered thinking when she scratched the game. “I hit the big one.”

Another $100,000 prize this week went to Michael Mitchell of Winston-Salem. His win came in the Crossword Money Multiplier game.

And the June 1 Cash 5 jackpot of $157,000 was split by two lucky tickets. Starting the month off right were Roy Taylor of Charlotte and Carolyn Thompson of Hillsborough, who each received $76,941.

Five players won $20,000 to $50,000:

- Jeffrey Brown of Thomasville: $50,000 (10th Anniversary Millions)
- Kenneth Tysinger of Greensboro: $50,000 (6/1 Powerball drawing)
- David Crudup of Raleigh: $30,000 (Silver 7’s)
- Eddie Fouts of Thomasville: $30,000 (10th Anniversary Riches)
- Katie McLaughlin of Nebo: $20,000 (20X The Cash)

Seven players won $10,000:

- Wesley Alston of Siler City, ($4,000,000 Multiplier Spectacular)
- Mary Armstrong of Raleigh, (100X The Cash)
- Susan Brownell of Spring Hope ($200 Million Blowout)
- Bernard Hood of Nebo (5/11 10th Anniversary Celebration drawing)
- Thomas Young of Lexington (10th Anniversary Spectacular)
- Rosa Dominguez-Lopez of Willow Springs (Millionaire Bucks)
- Darcy Haynes of Hope Mills (Carolina Black)

Fourteen more players won $5,000. They are from Blounts Creek, Candler, Canton, Charlotte, Clayton, Clarkton, Ellenboro, Greensboro, Roxboro, Sanford, Snow Hill and Winston-Salem.