LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two Kentuckians from Paducah took a chance on this week's Powerball and lucked out.
Both matched four white balls and the Powerball to win the $150,000 third prize each according to Kentucky Lottery officials.
Jimmy Sharp, who has worked as a riverboat captain for nearly five decades, had just returned from a 28-day shift when he said he saw the upcoming Powerball jackpot. So he decided to stop at Quick Shop on Bridge Street to buy several tickets.
Using the lottery terminal to pick his numbers and the Power Play, officials said he took his tickets back to the store after the drawing to have them checked by the clerk.
“I had six tickets and when I gave her the fifth one that’s when it lit the machine up. She said, ‘Oh, you’ve got a big winner,’” Sharp said.
He went to the lottery headquarters with his son on Wednesday and walked away with $108,000 after taxes. Sharp said he plans to put the winnings in the bank to help his family.
The second winner wished to remain anonymous. The woman bought her tickets from the same Quick Shop in Paducah.
She said she picked her numbers after noticing certain numbers were appearing more often, and decided to play the same numbers for a few weeks.
“She was checking them, and she kept saying, 'man, man, man.' Finally, she said 'ooh, no way. Stop, are you serious,'” her husband said.
The couple went to the store to check the tickets, and on the very last ticket, $150,000 showed up on the board officials said.
“I can’t believe I was just one number away from becoming a billionaire,” she said. “I’m very thankful though and content with what I have.”
She also received $108,000 after taxes, and she said she plans to pay off debt and invest some of the winnings.
Quick Shop will get $3,000 for selling the tickets Lottery officials said.
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