Oregon family claims $340M
SALEM, ORE.—
A family that parlayed $40 worth of tickets into the second-biggest jackpot in American lottery history came forward yesterday to claim their $340 million ( U. S.) prize.
“ I’m still in disbelief that we won the big one,” said Frances Chaney, 68, who went in on the Powerball ticket with her 72year-old husband, Bob, and their daughter and her husband. The Powerball numbers were drawn on Oct. 19, but the four waited to claim their winnings at Oregon Lottery headquarters until they consulted with tax and financial advisers, said the Chaneys’ son- in- law, Steve West, 48. Frances Chaney said she checked lottery numbers on the Internet on the night of the draw, and was shocked to see they had the winning numbers.
“I checked about five or six other Internet sites, and said, ‘ There’s something wrong here,’ ” she told reporters at a news conference. She woke up her husband, and then called her daughter, Carolyn West, 47, to break the news. She said Steve West didn’t believe it at first.
“ My husband is a big joker and my son- in- law thought he had somehow dummied up a ticket,” Frances Chaney said. The four said they haven’t made major purchases yet, other than a Humvee that Bob Chaney bought.
“ For the past year or so he’s been wanting to get a yellow Hummer. Needless to say, there’s one in our driveway now,” said Frances Chaney.
Steve West, a landscaper, said he plans to continue working but likely will cut back his hours. The biggest lotto jackpot in U. S. history was $363 million, won by two people in 2000.