MEGA MILLIONS WINNING TICKET SOLD IN RED BUD.
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Randolph County, specifically Red Bud, is the talk of the nation after it was announced one of the three winning tickets throughout the United States was purchased at MotoMart in Red Bud.
Illinois Lottery Official Mike Lang was at the store this morning with a mock check and to congratulate the local business for selling the winning ticket.
""We knew fairly early on that we had a winner in Illinois," Lang stated.
Lang went on to state that the state raised 29 million for the Common School Fund.
" We had 20 Million dollars in ticket sales on Friday. That was through the roof, it is unprecedented," Lang stated.
The winner, who won with a quick pick ticket, is the largest lottery winner in Illinois history at $213.333,333 million, according to Lang.
He said the if the winner decided to take the winnings overtime, they would receive 1/26 now and 25 equal payments each year after that. If the winner decided to take the lump sum, the amount they would receive would be $154,031,359 before taxes. Lang added in order to take the lump sum the winning ticket would have to be claimed within 60 days or the lump sum would not be an option.
MototMart store manager Denise Metzger said "The energy level is high today. A lot of people are coming in today, we have had a lot more traffic and sales. I am so happy we can do this, congratulations to the winner.
Metzger was thrilled that MotoMart will receive $500,000, the maximum amount allowed, for selling the winning ticket. She said she was contacted at 7:00 a.m. by the Lottery office informing her that her store had sold the winning ticket.
"I thought she was joking (in reference to the Lottery office notifying her that her store was going to get $500,000 for selling the winning ticket)," Metzger stated. "I've been contacted from all kinds of media outlets, the BBC even called me for an interview."
Metzger said she was so happy that Red Bud was getting national attention.
"Everybody is trying to figure out who won. I just think it's awesome that someone from Red Bud won.
According to Lang, prior to Friday night's jackpot of $640 million dollars, the last Mega Millions Jackpot was awarded in January.
The winning numbers were 2, 4, 23, 38, 46 and Mega Ball 23.
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