Best shot: Birthdays win Smyrna woman $250K prize
Tequila Hayes is in good spirits, especially since winning a quarter-million dollar prize from the Georgia Lottery. Hayes of Smyrna matched the first five winning numbers from Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing to claim a $250,000 prize.

Hayes, 36, used her grandparents' birthdays for her lucky combination.

She claimed her prize Wednesday morning at the Georgia Lottery District Office in Duluth.

"I got an email, and I recognized the numbers," Hayes said. "I checked and was extremely excited."

The mother of five woke her husband, Eric, and called her sister to share the good news.

"We've always joked that we'd win," the lucky winner shared.

Feeling "great" over her windfall, Hayes anticipates paying off bills and taking a vacation.

RaceTrac #0633, 2550 Spring Road in Smyrna, sold the winning numbers.

$250,000 MEGA MILLIONS TICKET FROM AUBURN CLAIMED
Trevor Brown of Portland, TN is employed with a power company in Kentucky and while working in Auburn, stopped off at Minit Mart #84 to buy his Mega Millions tickets for the May 3rd drawing. He purchased five $1 quick pick tickets.

"I'll usually pick up a ticket when the jackpot gets over $100 million," Trevor told lottery officials.

It was a week later while at work that someone from Auburn contacted Trevor's boss. They told him that there was a rumor going around town that someone with the power company had won. The retailer had played back surveillance video from the time the ticket had been purchased and noticed the person was wearing a uniform shirt from the power company.

His boss yelled for Trevor to come over and told him he'd better check his tickets. After pulling up the winning numbers on his phone, he did come across one where he'd matched all five numbers but not the Mega Ball number. He asked his boss to read the winning numbers off just so that he could check it again.

"I didn't have a clue," Trevor said. "I didn't even know how much I'd won."

The Portland, TN resident matched all five white numbers but not the Mega Ball number in the May 3, 2013 drawing.

After taxes, the 26-year old walked out of lottery headquarters with a check for $172,500. He said for now he'll put the money in savings but that it could assist him and his wife with adopting a baby.

St. Louis Man Wins $1 Million With Megaplier
A St. Louis man added the Megaplier option to his Missouri Lottery Mega Millions ticket and turned a $250,000 prize into $1 million. Daniel Flanagan, 61, bought the winning ticket for the April 12 Mega Millions drawing at Circle K, 9931 Watson Road, in St. Louis. He picked his own numbers and matched all five white-ball numbers, which were: 1, 10, 13, 19 and 21.

Because Flanagan added the Megaplier option to his ticket at the time of purchase, the prize was increased to $1 million. The second prize in the game is paid in a lump sum, so he received a check for $710,000 after tax withholding. Circle K received a $1,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

Birthdays, anniversaries seal $250K for Cumming woman
A Cumming woman has grabbed a quarter-of-a-million dollars from playing Mega Millions. Geraldine Thornton, 66, matched the first five winning numbers from the April 2 drawing to win her monumental $250,000 prize.

With her windfall, Thornton anticipates making transformations at home.

"I'm going to have a new bathroom put in," she shared. "The rest we'll just bank, I guess."

A set of family birthdays and anniversaries is what helped Thornton clinch the prize.

Publix Super Market #0519, 500 Atlanta Road in Cumming, sold the lucky ticket.

Retired from working in retail, Thornton "choked up" upon seeing the results on the Georgia Lottery's website. She went back to the store to double check.

"I couldn't believe it," the lucky winner said. "I was shocked."

Man scores $250K Mega Millions prize in Cave Spring
A Georgia Lottery winner has scored a quarter-million dollar prize from the March 26 Mega Millions drawing. Michael Millsap of Jacksonville, Ala., won a $250,000 prize from matching the first five numbers from the drawing.

Millsap, 23, claimed his prize Wednesday at the Georgia Lottery's headquarters in Atlanta.

"I was at work when I saw this," said Millsap, who paints cars at a Honda manufacturing plant near Birmingham. "I looked the results up on my phone while I was eating breakfast, and my mind blew up!"

Chevron Food Mart, 2382 Gadsden Road S.W. in Cave Spring, sold the winning ticket.

Upon discovering his windfall, Millsap said he was "frozen in shock."

"My jaw hit the ground, and I'm sure the concrete shattered," he quipped. "I feel amazing."

Paying off bills and helping his grandfather pay for cancer treatments tops Millsap's to-do list, he shared.

Winning Mega Millions Ticket Claimed
The winning $40,000 Mega Millions Megaplier ticket from Friday's drawing has been claimed.

Ronald Pingleton of Hanson claimed the $250,000 Mega Millions ticket from the March 8th drawing. The winning ticket was purchased at Ideal Market #6 in Madisonville, KY. He purchased a $5 quick pick ticket with the winning numbers being on the last and fifth line. The five winning numbers he matched were 4-11-25-34-35. The winning Mega Ball number was 44 where his Mega Ball number was 15.

Ronald plans to take a trip to Florida next year with his wife and wants to help out his children. He also made reference to the horoscope he read earlier that day after finding out he'd won. It was a Capricorn reading and said: Even if you don't get off to a dazzling start, the day's end could be quite dramatic, desirable and exciting. It's important to remember that it's the bottom line that counts. Which he found ironic since his winning numbers matched on the "bottom line".

Salisbury Retailer Wins $20,000 Mega Millions Prize
The winning $40,000 Mega Millions Megaplier ticket from Friday's drawing has been claimed.

The owner of Mike's in Salisbury had a surreal feeling when posting Missouri Lottery winning numbers following the March 15 Mega Millions drawing. Michael Bales, 35, thought he recognized a few of the numbers. In fact, he matched four white-ball numbers and the Mega Ball to win $10,000. Since he added the Megaplier option at the time of purchase, the prize was increased to $20,000.

"I printed out the numbers and stuck them out. I didn't even bother looking at them," Bales began. "I was off doing something else, and I looked up at the little screen. Well, the first two numbers were mine, and I noticed the Mega Ball was mine. I was like, 'Yeah! I won $100!'"

After checking a little more closely, he discovered he was the winner of the state's only $20,000 prize in that drawing. Bales was familiar with the numbers because he plays a series of birthdates.

"My wife's birthday was the only number that didn't hit," he confirmed.

Bales purchased the gas and liquor store at 600 W. Highway 24 in Salisbury in 2008. It has something of a winning history. A $1.3 million winning Lotto ticket was sold there in October 2007.

Plans for the windfall were clear.

"Pay bills. Lots and lots of bills," said Bales. "It will pay just about every one of our bills in full."

He indicated that he wanted to clear the table so that he could focus on building a new home. His family, including his wife, who is serving active duty in Texas with the Army Reserves, and four children, need more rooms under one roof. They plan to tear down one of two two-bedroom homes and rebuild.

Bales has advice that he said he regularly doles out to customers.

"I tell everybody, 'Make a list. When you win something big, start at the top of your list, and work your way down,'" he declared. "That solves the whole issue of what's going to happen with it. Be positive about it, but don't pin your hopes on it, and have your list ready to go."

She won in 2012, but didn't know it!
Mary Panick of Gibraltar, MI didn't remember that she had bought three Mega Millions tickets until a couple of weeks ago; she only plays the Lottery every now and then. However, in December 2012 the Mega Millions jackpot became so enticing that she couldn't resist purchasing some tickets.

A couple of weeks ago she found them and took them with her when she went to buy groceries. The first ticket wasn't a winner; the second ticket won $4; but the third ticket was the charm! "the machine couldn't take the ticket," said the lucky winner. "It said I had to file a claim with the Lottery." The retail clerk, an acquaintance of Panick, came from behind the counter to say quietly in her ear, "Mary, you've won $250,000!"

Contrary to her name, she didn't panic. She shopped for groceries and spoke with people throughout the store; the store she had retired from in October 2012. "But," she says, making a zipper motion across her mouth, "I didn't tell anyone." At home later, she phoned her son to tell him the good news, "He thought I was kidding," said Panick.

The Gibraltar woman says she plans to use some of her winners to help her family, and maybe take a trip to Ireland to see a pen pal she has been writing to for 60 years.

Winning Mega Millions Ticket Claimed
The winning $40,000 Mega Millions Megaplier ticket from Friday's drawing has been claimed.

Michael Fitzgerald of Cranston, Rhode Island claimed his winning $40,000 Mega Millions Megaplier ticket he purchased at Phred's Drug at 1300 Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston. He actually won $10,000 playing PowerBall at Phred's Drug last year. Ever since then, he chooses the PowerPlay or Megaplier features to increase his winnings. This time, it paid off. He said he might buy a new truck or put it towards a new house.

Do Two Angel's Make the $65.7 Million Mega Millions Win Heaven Sent?
Carole Hedinger, NJ Lottery Executive Director, announced New Jersey's latest multi-million dollar Mega Millions jackpot winner, Angel Guallpa-Mayancela. Mayancela was the sole winner of the Mega Millions jackpot for the Friday, Jan. 25 drawing. By matching all five winning numbers along with the Gold Mega Ball number, Mayancela won the $89 million annuity jackpot which equates to a $65.7 million cash payout. The winning ticket was sold at Lisa's Angel Corporation, 328 Main Street in Orange in Essex County.

Mayancela arrived at Lottery headquarters with his family late in the day on Feb. 15 to claim the prize. With sheer joy and disbelief, the family was still in shock from the news. "I've been telling my wife that someday she would be married to a millionaire because I am a hard worker. So when I told her that I had won the Mega Millions $65 million jackpot, she didn't believe me," said Mayancela. Mayancela's promises certainly came true with this lucky win.

"This is a life-changing moment for Angel and his family and we wish them well in all of their future endeavors," said Hedinger.