Lottery champs take cash option
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, May 30, 2000
FRANKLIN Four Tennessee men were in Louisville today to show the Kentucky Lottery Corp. the ticket for the big one. The men James Christian, 32, of Burns, Tenn., Ronnie Mays, 38, of Lavergne, Tenn., Andy Perry, 43, of Mount Juliet, Tenn., and Mike Alderice, 48 of Lewisburg, Tenn., purchased the winning Powerball ticket Friday evening, according to Don Spears, owner of Lotto Land in Franklin, where the ticket was sold. They called us last night to say they were up there, Spears said. The men, who took the cash option for the $60.6 million jackpot meaning they will each get $7,753,325.25 before taxes were waiting at the lottery office doors when it opened this morning. The men work together in the wholesale parts department at Beaman Automotive Groups Pontiac-GMC division in Nashville, Tenn. They havent decided if they will continue to work. Were not ready to make that decision yet, Christian said. The four, who pooled $5 each to buy a ticket, are regular customers, Spears said. He was almost as excited as the winners. This is the big one weve been waiting for, said Spears, whose store has sold more big winning tickets than any other in the state. Lottery tickets for $8 million, $5 million, $12 million and about 25 tickets for $100,000 have been purchased at the store, which sells only lottery tickets and tobacco products, he said. Lotto Land is one of five stores in Franklin that deal mostly in lottery tickets. With customers from Tennessee and Alabama there seems to be more than enough business for everyone. The store will receive a bonus of $85,475.67 for selling the ticket or 1 percent of the Powerball ticket sales in Kentucky. This is the second straight winning Powerball ticket sold in Kentucky. Melvin Rhodes of Clinton, Tenn., won an $80 million jackpot from a ticket he bought in Jellico.