Lottery Winner Has Date With Fishing Pole

(AP)  A Georgia truck driver stepped forward Wednesday to claim half of a $390 million jackpot, the richest lottery prize in U.S. history.

"I'm going to do a lot of fishing," Ed Nabors, 52, of Rocky Face, Ga., about 90 miles north of Atlanta, said in a deep Southern drawl.

The other winning ticket in Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing was sold at a liquor store in New Jersey, and the holder did not immediately come forward.

Nabors bought his ticket when he stopped in for his weekly cup of coffee at a gas station convenience store in Dalton - the self-proclaimed "Carpet Capital of the World" - near a carpet mill run by his employer, Mohawk Industries.

He said he didn't learn he had won until 9 a.m. - about 10 hours after the numbers were announced - when his co-workers told them that someone bought the winning ticket in Dalton.

"I'm still numb," he said.

He elected to take his winnings in a lump sum instead of annual installments, and will get $116.5 million before taxes, or more than $80 million after.

Nabors said he wants to buy a house for his daughter, who has wanted to move out of her mobile home for a long time, and plans to keep working - "at least two more days."

Nabors' mother, Doris, said the whole family was in shock.

"We just can't believe it. He was shaking so hard they sent him home from work," she said from the door of the rural home she shares with her son. An American flag waved over a patch of daffodils, and a small camper and fishing boat were parked outside.

The winning numbers were announced Tuesday night in Times Square in New York. Even though the temperature was just 16 degrees, a few hopefuls showed up to watch the drawing.

The winning numbers were 16-22-29-39-42, with the Mega Ball 20. The odds of hitting the winning combination: 1 in 176 million.

The previous largest lottery jackpot in the U.S. was $365 million in 2006, when eight workers at a Nebraska meatpacking plant won the Powerball drawing. The Big Game, the forerunner of Mega Millions, paid out a $363 million jackpot in 2000.

Mega Millions tickets are sold in California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington state.

[SLKM1115]

I think it's great. Someone who deserves to win. I live in the same town as Ed (my sister, Rachel, works at the store where he bought the ticket)she says that he's a very nice person. As far as the comment made about throwing away his hard earned money, in the first place it was his money to "throw away". At least he wasn't to greedy to spend a little of his "hard earned money" to take a chance. I would say it paid off!!!! Congrats Mr.Nabors.

[hermit22]

i always wonder why "news" media workers are such cuckholds that they give so much free advertizing to the lottery nastiness.

"fair" reporting would always count up all the loosers along with the 1 winner.

[linfinster]

I usually tell my friends to let me call them a loser and they can pay me the dollar instead! No one has taken me up on my offer .. .. and somehow I don't think I'll be remembered if they do win! HA HA

[fuddyjak]

I am very happy for this regular "Joe" to have the winning numbers!! I rather it be someone that can use it that some yahoo that doesn"t!! Most of his numbers are the same as mine...Good luck to him and his family and I hope he keeps the people that will come out of the woodwork at arms length...do feed the homeless and do help the poor. Good luck!
Linda

[shanev137]

1 in 176,000,000 odds....That's still better than no chance at all.

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yea, try these odds out and think of the last time they happened to you in your lifetime. lol


-Odds of a meteor landing on your house: 182,138,880,000,000 to 1

-Odds of dying from a shark attack: 300,000,000 to 1

-Odds of dying from a mountain lion attack in California: 32,000,000 to 1

-Odds of dying in a fire: 30,589,556 to 1

-Odds of being recognized a saint by the church: 20,000,000 to 1

-Odds of dying from parts falling off an airplane: 10,000,000 to 1

-Odds of dying from contact with a venomous animal or plant: 3,441,325 to 1

-Odds of dying from food poisoning: 3,000,000 to 1

-Odds of drowning in your bathtub: 685,000 to 1

-Odds of getting a royal flush on your first five cards in a poker game: 649,740 to 1

-Odds of being struck by lightning: 576,000 to 1

-Odds of dying in an airplane crash: 354,319 to 1

-Odds of dying in car accident: 18,585 to 1

[mnelsonix]

I'm with MITY. If you invest all the money you spend on games of chance for 20 years, how much will you have?

You have a much better chance of winning the Cancer Lottery, Fatal Car Crash Lottery, even the Struck by Lightning Lottery...and you don't have to waste a buck to enter!!!

Good luck all

[mitywhity]

I won! I won! I won because I didn't throw my hard-earned dough at this "fool's game" I wonder how many people spent money they couldn't afford to lose on worthless tickets? Do they let you use credit cards to buy tickets? That would be bad if they did.

[delta5243]

that's still better than no chance at all......

[themartyred]

for those in Ohio, the official said, "we're very very sorry" and looked away and said, "because your chances were SLIM & NONE you were gonna win, HA!"

1 in 176 million odds, good GRIEF!

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