Katrina Victim Wins Powerball Prize

Man Who Lost Two Homes To Hurricane Damage Scores Big On Stop To Pick Up Some Milk

(AP)  A construction company owner who lost two homes in Hurricane Katrina claimed a $97 million Powerball prize, a jackpot won off a ticket he bought at a convenience store where he stopped to buy his wife a gallon of milk.

When he turned in the winning ticket, Carl Hunter became the largest Powerball winner in Louisiana's history. He won the jackpot in January, but the 73-year-old businessman waited nearly four months to claim the prize.

An avid lottery player, Hunter said he already had bought a Powerball ticket on Jan. 16 at the gas station less than two blocks from his home in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie. But he stopped at the station again that day to buy milk - at the request of his wife, Dianne - and got a second "quick pick" ticket.

"I had some change, and one dollar was used to buy this ticket," Hunter said Thursday at the Louisiana Lottery Corp. headquarters in Baton Rouge, where he claimed his prize.

"It's all about milk," his wife said, smiling.

The couple, surrounded by cameras, was decidedly low-key about the multimillion dollar win, saying they didn't have specific plans for the money - besides retirement and the rebuilding of a camp lost to Katrina.

"I'm retiring, you know, naturally," Carl Hunter said.

Hunter took a lump sum payment that will give him $33.9 million after taxes, according to lottery officials. Asked why he waited so long to turn in the winning ticket, Hunter said he wanted to wrap up some of his construction work and finish his outstanding contracts. In fact, Hunter's wife Dianne said he was still at work this week.

"I don't think about buying elaborate cars or homes," Carl Hunter said.

Hunter said he owned two homes that were destroyed in 2005 by Katrina, and he and his wife moved into a Metairie home she owned after the storm, the home that was near the gas station where he bought his winning ticket.

The multimillion dollar win wasn't Hunter's first winning lottery ticket. He said he won $5,000 off a ticket a few years ago.

West Metairie Shell, the gas station where Hunter bought his ticket, will get $25,000 for selling the winning ticket. The station, tucked among brick ranch homes and raised wooden houses in a middle-class neighborhood, lost its roof during Katrina, and the store was looted.

Powerball is played in West Virginia, 28 other states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

[Martha Z]

I bet it will help! It would be nice if they share some with their neighbors...

[niecieg]

I was hoping it would be one of the people that really needed the money, not "owner of a construction company" like he really needs it...too bad more people that need the money do not win it.

[jersupporter]

I would take the money and get the hell out of New Orleans.

[dopelgangera]

I''m glad for the winners, that they are now financially secure, but, it does seem to say something about government policies, that when so many people needed prompt help on the basics of life right after Katrine struck, it took so long to begin to bring help; yet, we finance part of government with lottery games that give large payments of wealth to a relative handful of people.

[kennergirl]

He owned a small construction company not a big one. In fact, I''ve lived in the Metairie/Kenner area for my whole life and never heard of his company and my husband is in the construction field too! The bottom line is that many people have said on local websites that he and his wife are the nicest people you could ever meet and that shows in the fact that he finished all his outstanding contracts before coming forward to claim the prize money.

I like to add that he is in fact staying in NO and rebuilding his camp in Lake Catherine that was destroyed by the storm.

[ladyephesus1]

They should donate some to Katrina victims that are at a big loss. Being in the construction business, he could help alot of people who were at a great loss after Katrina.

[jboxton]

dopleganger- Maybe if those idiots wouldn''t have shot at helicopters bringing aid, more of us sophisticated educated northerers would feel worse.I felt bad until I heard that, then figured "good for ''em". Let ''em starve.

[kennergirl]

jboxston you sound like an idiot. You claim to be a "sophisticated educated northerner" but your statement proves otherwise.

[jboxton]

kennergirl- Your mother

[jboxton]

kennergirl- Your mother

[kennergirl]

Wow, you sound like a little kid! Your kidding me right?

[kennergirl]

Thanks, jboxston, your reply proves my point.

Enough said!

[nonayabiness]

Geez, I was hoping it was someone who could really use it. Too bad he lost 2 houses during Katrina, just to move into a THIRD house his wife owns. I hope he uses some of the money to build homes for the hard-working poorer folks to be able to come back to their hometown.

[jboxton]

nonya- Yeah the rich just keep getting richer. Boo hoo. He lost 2 houses. Many people don''t own one. I don''t, however, believe he should give anything to those savages that were in the Superdome. Just help rebuild.
kennergirl- Shut up. Oh, and my name is jBOXTON. There is no "s" in it, prostitute

[inmo-2009]

jboxton - you are rude chjill out - you are giving us educated AMERICANS from the north a bad name.
Sure it seems like they have no plans and that means not helping others. But we do not know that - they did not say. Kinda sucks but I think they will do some good. Can''t win if you don''t play - can''t say what you would do with the $ b/c u didn''t win

[nonayabiness]

nonya- Yeah the rich just keep getting richer. Boo hoo. He lost 2 houses. Many people don''''t own one. I don''''t, however, believe he should give anything to those savages that were in the Superdome. Just help rebuild.

Posted by jboxton at 03:38 PM : May 09, 2008

jboxton: I was talking about bringing people home who participate in and work in their community, not the welfare folks.

[sear1ngtruth]

Waah, boo-hoo.
Why couldn%u2019t someone who needs it have won?
Will they help others?
Are they gonna share it with those less fortunate?

Give me a break. The State of Lousy-anna TOOK $64,000,000 from him in taxes. Income from the Lottery is designated by law to benefit certain programs, but TAXED income, including lottery winnings, do not fall under that prohibition. Lousy-Anna can use those taxes to help, but most likely will spend it on payroll increase for campaign donors and state employees.

Carl Hunter and his wife can do whatever the heck they want with the $33,000,000 the state gave him. You%u2019d all be better served wondering what Lousy-Anna is going to do with the other $64,000,000.
ST

[jt92202]

Would you all think someone in NY should spend their money helping to rebuild N.O.? Just because they are in LA you think they should, I think they should spend it on what they want to. And if it helps the people in LA then great and if it doesn''t, it''s their choice!!!

Congrats to the winners!!!

[xnavygrrl]

I can just imagine the comments if the guy was poor and black. Sorry. I''m in Kansas. I see the ignorance a lot!
I''m happy for this guy and his family. Good luck to them!

[glock4me]

That guy is white!! I thought that all Katrina victims were black and that Bush was racist for intentionally not helping them.

[cantshutup]

who the h ell can afford a gallon of milk from a GAS STATION??? Too bad someone who really needed it didn''t win ...

[nonayabiness]

Dunno about Louisiana, but in my state, all proceeds from the lottery are supposed to go to public schools. You are probably right. Wonder if LA will bother to publish where this tax windfall will go.

[excoachken]

I think that the new Powerball Chairman "Brownie, is doing a heckuva job!"

[hwy71so]

2 homes?

Yeah, he''s a victim...

[stupidrules3]

The State of Lousy-anna TOOK $64,000,000 from him in taxes.
Posted by Sear1ngTruth at 05:29 PM : May 09, 2008

You have no idea how the lottery works. If you choose the 29 year paynent method, the lottery invests the cash amount in an annuity that sends you a payment once a year. The amount increases by 4% a year to account for increased cost of living. If you notice, when the interest rates change the percentage of the total amount in relation to the cash award goes up or down with the interest rate to account for the rate of return. The largest portion of the $64 million reflects the earnings of the annuity. The Federal income tax rate on the jackpot is %25. Oh and then there''s the capital gains tax (which can be avoided if done properly).

[al2008-2009]

.
I%u2019m appalled at the administration%u2019s lack of response to the global warming hurricanes, and cyclones as well. We have no comprehensive strategy in place whatsoever, let alone a detailed plan of action to mitigate the effects of these cyclones, and mother earth continues to suffer while the administration refuses to go forward and do what%u2019s right for mother earth.
.
How long must we sit idly by while our mother continues to suffer from the warming taking place at a feverish pace? How long must our mother suffer before we have proper c02 taxes put into place? How long must the destruction of mother earth take place before we finally put responsible plans into action? How long must we wait until we beef up our corn ethanol production? At least Obama wants to cut c02 pollution by 80%; he is definitely our best hope.
.
We the people call upon our leaders to implement a comprehensive antiglobal warming strategy at once and work in coordination with state and federal officials; these cyclones and storms continue to worsen and the quicker we stop the warming the sooner we will see these storms cease. We need action now.