MAQUOKETA CO-WORKERS CLAIM
$400,000 POWERBALL® PRIZE

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Media-ready jpeg image of the The Maquoketa News Lucky 13.

Slideshow of Maquoketa News Lucky 13 claiming their prize.

Group of 13 Claims $400,000 Powerball Prize From March 15 Drawing

DES MOINES, Iowa - A group of co-workers from Maquoketa enjoyed a limousine ride to Des Moines to claim a $400,000 Powerball prize on Wednesday.

The group known as The Maquoketa News Lucky 13 won a $400,000 prize in the March 15 Powerball drawing. Because the group purchased the Power Play® option, the normal $200,000 prize for matching the five white balls in that night's drawing was multiplied by two for a total prize of $400,000.

“A lot of people said they're glad to know that someone in our area won it,” group member Deb DeVore said as they claimed their prize. “I think all the community was really good to all of us about it. They were happy, really excited.”

Word of the group's win had spread quickly, as the co-workers are all employed at Maquoketa Newspapers Inc., which publishes the Maquoketa Sentinel-Press newspaper and handles other commercial printing. The newspaper had printed an article about the group's win before the co-workers claimed their prize.

“We were on the front page of the newspaper right away of course because we print it,” said group member Amy Luskey. “But you hear a lot of people out and about talking about it.”

Twelve of the Lucky 13 traveled to Des Moines to claim the prize.

From Maquoketa: Dianne Barker, Kim Cornelius, Jeremy Hansel; Nancy Hink; Don Kutsch and his wife, Rebecca Kutsch; Amy Luskey; Cindy Sellnau and Audrey Winegar.

From Monmouth: Deb DeVore and Jodi Elmegreen.

From Zwingle: Jean Duhme.

R.B. Melvold of Maquoketa also is a member of the group, but stayed behind Wednesday to staff the office.

Luskey said that four members of the group began buying Powerball tickets together in January 2007 when the jackpot was high, and the group grew in size as they continued to play.

Luskey bought the group's winning ticket at Casey's 801 E. Platt St. in Maquoketa. The winning numbers in the March 15 Powerball drawing were: 6-22-42-43-47. The Powerball was 16. The Power Play multiplier was 2.

Luskey checked the winning numbers March 16 on the Internet and began to call other group members immediately. A group telephone tree then kicked in to spread the good news.

DeVore didn't initially believe the group member who called her.

“He said, ‘We won $400,000.’ And I said, ‘Oh quit your lying! We did not,’” she said. “He said, ‘No really! We did, we did!’ Then I got excited.”

Each group member received $21,538.46 after taxes as their share of the winnings.

Members of the group talked about plans for their winnings after they received the prize check. Several are planning home improvements, one planned to buy a house, one has purchased a new car and another has her heart set on a zero-turn lawnmower.

Players can add the Power Play option to their Powerball purchase for an additional $1 per play. Just before the Powerball numbers are drawn, the Power Play wheel is spun. Normally, slots on the wheel list the numbers 2 through 5, indicating the amount prizes (except the jackpot) will be multiplied if that number is drawn.

For a limited time, one of the four “5s” on the Power Play wheel has been replaced by a “10” during a special promotion. That means prizes can be multiplied to even higher amounts during the Power Play 10X promotion. For example, if a player wins a $200,00 prize and the Power Play number is “10,” that player would win $2 million. The Power Play 10X promotion runs through at least April 30. Jackpot prizes are not eligible for this promotion.

The Power Play 10X promotion will run for at least nine drawings or until the “10” on the Power Play wheel is drawn at least once. The “10” could be drawn up to nine times during the promotion. At the end of the promotion, if the “10” has been hit, it will be replaced by the original “5.” However, if the wheel does not land on “10” during a Powerball drawing in April, the promotion will continue until it is drawn.

Powerball tickets are sold in Iowa, 28 other states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball jackpots start at a guaranteed $15 million. Players choose five numbers from a pool of 55 and another number - the Powerball - from a pool of 42. Plays cost $1 and drawings are held at 9:59 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Winning numbers may be checked by calling the lottery at (515) 725-7900 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Winning numbers may also be checked through the winning numbers' hot line at (515) 323-4633, the lottery Web site at www.ialottery.com or with lottery retail outlets.

Since the Iowa Lottery's inception in 1985, more than $2.1 billion has been awarded in prizes and more than $1.1 billion has been raised for state programs.

Powerball prize of The Lucky 13: $400,000
Federal withholding (25 percent): $100,000
State withholding (5 percent): $20,000
Net amount: $280,000