ELIZABETH CITY, NC — A North Carolina woman is celebrating a life-changing lottery win after a $2 Powerball ticket turned into a $1 million prize.
Janet Cornelius purchased her lucky ticket at the Hop-In-Citgo on North Road Street in Elizabeth City ahead of the Wednesday, August 12 Powerball drawing. Her ticket matched all five of the white balls drawn, beating odds of approximately 1 in 11.6 million to secure the seven-figure prize.
$1 Million Ticket Becomes $720,100 After Taxes
Cornelius didn’t wait long to collect her winnings. She visited North Carolina Education Lottery headquarters on Thursday, August 13, one day after the drawing.
After required federal and state tax withholdings, Cornelius took home $720,100 from her $1 million prize.
Her win also puts another spotlight on Elizabeth City and Pasquotank County. According to lottery officials, the county received approximately $2.5 million in lottery-funded support during the previous year.
Three $50,000 Winning Tickets Still Need to Be Claimed
Cornelius wasn’t the only North Carolina player to score a significant Powerball prize.
Three additional tickets worth $50,000 each were sold in Elizabeth City, Charlotte and New Bern. As of the report, those prizes had not yet been claimed.
That means Powerball players who recently purchased tickets in those areas may want to check them carefully.
North Carolina draw-game winners have 180 calendar days from the drawing date to claim their prizes, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Powerball Jackpot Resets
Following the recent drawing, the Powerball jackpot stood at an estimated $35 million for the next drawing on Monday, August 17.
For Cornelius, however, the big win has already arrived. A simple $2 purchase and five matching white numbers were enough to turn an ordinary Powerball ticket into a $1 million payday.
No comments