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Lottery player takes break from yard work to buy NC ticket. Prize left her ‘in shock’

A North Carolina lottery player took a break from yard work — and won a prize that left her “in shock.”

Now Jodi Owens, who spent years helping people as a nurse practitioner before she retired, may treat herself.

“I’m gonna pay my mortgage off and pay my car off,” Owens told the N.C. Education Lottery after she won $100,000. “I’m thinking about getting a manicure/pedicure too!”

Owens hit the jackpot after she took a pause on yard work. On her way to pick up dog food, officials said she stopped at the Civietown Mini Mart in the Shallotte area.

At the store — roughly 35 miles southwest of Wilmington — Owens spent $30 on a ticket for the Black Titanium scratch-off game. She checked the ticket when she got home and couldn’t believe her luck, the N.C. Education Lottery wrote July 28 in a news release.

“I’m still in shock,” Owens told officials. “It’s truly a blessing.”

Owens, who is from Shallotte, kept $71,259 in winnings after taxes.

It’s not the first time someone celebrated a big windfall after retiring from a job in the nursing field. Last year, a North Carolina woman who had worked as a certified nursing assistant scored a $2 million lottery prize, McClatchy News reported.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published July 31, 2023 at 5:43 AM with the headline "Lottery player takes break from yard work to buy NC ticket. Prize left her ‘in shock’."

Simone Jasper
The News & Observer
Simone Jasper is a service journalism reporter at The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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