Lottery, Powerball | featured news

When America got Powerball fever last November, Californians felt left out. Many asked friends in other states to buy tickets, and some even drove to the Arizona border when the jackpot for the multistate game reached $587.5 million. On Monday, Californians no longer had to worry about crossing state lines, because Powerball finally came to the state. Lottery die-hards lined up all across California for their 1-in-175-million chance to win.

It’s a lottery nightmare: You decide not to kick in for the office Powerball pool — and your coworkers strike it rich. It happened at a real estate agency in Florida. Jennifer Maldonado, who started working at the firm two weeks ago and had yet to receive a paycheck, opted out of the $20 buy-in because she was watching her money. She showed up for work Sunday to find the rest of the office screaming, hugging and crying.

All for one, and $1 million for all. Three long-time chums who made a pact to split the pot if one of them ever won the lottery got their payday last week, Georgia Lottery officials announced on Thursday. And to top it all, the threesome’s windfall was foretold by an after-dinner treat.