Lottery news sets Lyons abuzz

Friday, March 03, 2006 posted 12:44 PM EST

The winner of the $267 million ticket purchased just over the border from Lenawee County still hasn't come forward.

LYONS, Ohio - Wednesday wasn't a bad day to work if your employer happened to be the Lyons Main Stop gas station.

That's because everyone in the store, located about one mile south of the Lenawee County-Ohio border, was abuzz with excitement and joy after news spread that the winning ticket from the $267 million Mega Millions drawing had been purchased there sometime Tuesday.

Though the winner of the third-largest Mega Millions jackpot hasn't come forward, Main Stop employees couldn't help but feel like victors themselves knowing the lone ticket that defied the game's odds of one in 176 million could have passed through their hands.

“I was very shocked,” said Lyons resident Lisa Crooks, a Main Stop employee. “I never thought it would happen here.”

Crews from Toledo and Detroit television stations invaded the town of about 550 Wednesday morning to watch an Ohio Lottery representative present the store with an honorary check worth $100,000 - a bonus for selling the winning ticket.

“We're so thrilled for everyone here,” said Marie Kilbane, Ohio Lottery spokeswoman, while presenting the award to store manager Linda Freeworth and Jeff Erb, general manager of 11 Main Stop stations in northwest Ohio.

The winner of the largest Mega Millions jackpot ever won in Ohio will take home an estimated $113.7 million after withholdings, Kilbane said, should they opt for a one-time payment. If not, they'll receive 26 annual installments of about $7.4 million.

Because of the substantial amount of the prize, Kilbane urged the winner or winners to seek financial and legal help before coming forward to lottery officials and the public.

“We very much encourage the person to take their time,” Kilbane said.

Cheryl Rowland, assistant manager, said she received a call Wednesday from someone claiming to be the winner but didn't ask for the person's name. She said the caller was a man who told her he wasn't a Lyons resident. The man, she said, sounded “very nervous.”

Erb said the winner could be a Michigan resident, even someone from Lenawee County, because of the store's proximity to the state line.

“We get a ton of traffic from Michigan,” he said. “I hope it's somebody we know. If not, that's all right I guess,” he added.

Those brave enough to fight their way through the crowd of media representatives were treated to free coffee and pop.

“We might as well have a party because everybody is here,” Erb said.

Mega Millions is a lottery offered in 12 states, including Michigan. Players must match six numbers plus a Mega Ball number to win the contest's top prize. The winning numbers for Tuesday's drawing were two, four, 35, 36 and 48. The Mega Ball number was 22.

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