Salem, Ore. – Steven Dery of Coquille is well aware that everyone in town already knows he won $1 million playing Powerball.
Dery, who is a regular Powerball player, purchased his ticket at the Coquille Tackle & Smokes Shop. Dery matched five numbers but missed the Powerball number. He said he was two digits away from hitting the grand prize. But noted he was perfectly happy winning $1 million!
When Kathryn Sutphin (SUT-FIN), who owns Coquille Tackle & Smokes Shop, heard Dery had won, she was very pleased that “someone who deserved it” hit a big Powerball prize.
“Steven is a local guy who was born and raised here,” Sutphin said. “He is the person everyone wants to win. He is a hard working guy who is close to retirement and this will be a very nice nest egg for him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hasn’t worked every day of his life. How perfect can it be that a person like that wins?”
Sutphin, who purchased her shop four years ago, will receive a 1-percent selling bonus for selling the big ticket. She said with the $10,000 bonus she plans on putting a new roof on the business and giving her five employees “a small bonus.”
“Now we are going to sell the big one,” Sutphin said. “We are having some fun with this.”
The overall odds of winning a Powerball prize are one in 24.9. Odds of winning the jackpot are one in 292,201,338.
The next Powerball drawing is today at 7:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time and the jackpot is estimated to be $361 million.
Players have until 7 p.m. to purchase tickets on drawing days.
Proceeds from Oregon Lottery sales help fund public education, parks, economic development and watershed projects.
