Lottery winners in North Carolina starting 2024 with an extra cash flow
NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) -- For the second time in a row, a North Carolinian became the first Powerball millionaire of the year by winning a drawing just after midnight during "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" on ABC.
Pamela Bradshaw isn't the only one celebrating a windfall heading into 2024. Several others claimed lottery wins the first week of January.
Marie Ward, of Durham, won $100,000 in the December 20 Powerball drawing.
Ward told lottery officials she plans to go on a cruise with her husband.
"My husband and I will go on a nice vacation someplace warm," she said. "We will probably go on a cruise, maybe to the Caribbean."
She said she bought her lucky Quick Pick ticket using Online Play on the lottery's website.
"I don't buy tickets very often but the jackpot was growing so I just said, 'Okay I'll give this a try,'" she recalled.
After required federal and state tax deductions Ward took home $71,509.
Roger Lundy, of Fuquay-Varina won $100,000 in a second-chance drawing by the North Carolina Education Lottery (NCEL).
He said he's always wanted a new ride and now he can buy himself one.
"We really need a new car," he said. "We might get a Hyundai Palisade."
Lundy won one of three prizes on the Season-End Extravaganza second-chance drawing on Wednesday. The drawing had more than 4.2 million entries, according to the NCEL.
"This was the biggest drawing for the whole year so I threw a bunch of extra points in there," he said.
Lundy told his wife he won after he got an email notification Thursday morning.
"She thought I was pulling her leg," Lundy laughed. "We are both thrilled."
He took home $71,500 after the required taxes were paid.
The biggest winner this week, Toy McLeod, of Aberdeen, took a chance on a $20 scratch-off and won the top $2 million prize.
McLeod is starting 2024 $858,006 richer after paying the required taxes. He said he purchased his lucky 100X The Cash ticket from the Speedway on NC 5 in Aberdeen.
