Traverse City Record-Eagle

Michigan

August 17, 2012

Michigan gas station sold winning Powerball ticket

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LAPEER (AP) — A gas station in a small Michigan city is buzzing with excitement after the state lottery announced Thursday that a $337 million jackpot-winning Powerball ticket was sold there.

The Michigan Lottery said the ticket was sold in Lapeer, about 45 miles north of Detroit. There wasn't immediate word about the buyer's identity. It was the third biggest Powerball jackpot in the game's history, lottery officials said, and the holder could take home a $241 million lump sum.

"It's a great day," Mayor Bill Sprague said after pumping gas at the market and Sunoco station, which was the center of the excitement.

Inside, customers who approached the counter to buy coffee, snacks and yes, lottery tickets, offered congratulations to Betr Odish, whose family owns the business.

Odish, 21, said his family has owned the station for two years.

"It's exciting," he said.

Odish, who was working the 2 a.m. to 1 p.m., shift, said a cousin called him around 5 a.m. to give him the good news. The Michigan Lottery said the business will get a $50,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. Odish said he didn't know what his family would do with the money, but he was sure it would be put to good use.

"It'll probably be their best business day," said Sprague, who described his 10,000-resident community as "a nice, hard-working Midwestern town."

The winning numbers in the Wednesday night drawing were 6, 27, 46, 51, 56 and Powerball 21. The holder of the winning ticket has a year to come forward and claim the prize, Michigan Lottery spokeswoman Andi Brancato said. The identity of the ticket holder will be released after they contact the lottery, she said.

Joe Jackson, 57, of Columbus, Ohio, has been in town for the past 10 days selling used cars. Jackson said he purchased two Powerball tickets Wednesday in the same store where the jackpot ticket was sold.

"Should have bought more. I am very upset," he joked.

"It should have been me," Jackson said before fist-bumping an employee and walking out.

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