Winning $15 million ticket sold in Norwalk
1/8/2006NORWALK, Ohio - A winning Mega Millions lotto ticket bought in this Huron County city has made somebody somewhere much richer.
All lottery officials said yesterday was that the $15 million winning ticket was sold in Norwalk. The winning numbers were 8, 11, 28, 37, 53, and the Mega Ball number of 12.
The lack of information almost fueled the excitement - and curiosity. Visitors to convenience stores asked clerks all day about the winning ticket.
Nobody admitted to buying the ticket.
"We don't know yet," said Angela Williams, assistant manager of Mickey Mart. "It's kind of exciting actually. It's about time somebody in Ohio in a little hick town won."
Hick town or not, Mega Millions jackpot winners have been sold in Dayton and in the Cleveland suburbs of South Euclid and, in June, 2005, in Warrensville Heights. Ohio joined the 12-state lottery in May, 2002.
Sherry Fundak, a clerk at the Hitching Post convenience store, hopes she sold the ticket.
"I hear so many people say, 'If I win, I'll take care of you,' " Ms. Fundak said. "I've been here 13 years. It'd be nice."
Mayor Sue Lesch learned the news only late yesterday afternoon.
"How wonderful for someone," Mayor Lesch said. "I hope we have the big winner here in town.
She and about 1,000 others in town were celebrating another event - the return home from Iraq of the Ohio Army National Guard 612th Engineer Battalion's C Company.
Nearly 400,000 Mega Millions tickets won something Friday, most a prize of $2 for matching the Mega Ball. Four tickets that matched the first five numbers but missed the Mega Ball number each won $250,000. Those tickets were sold in California, Illinois, and New York.
A Mega Millions jackpot worth $88 million was won Dec. 30 in California.