A SLEEPLESS NIGHT FOR ONE NORTH ENGLISH COUPLE

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Robert Kelley Claims $200,000 Prize from the December 16 Powerball® Drawing

DES MOINES, Iowa – A North English couple has been playing the same set of Powerball numbers for years and now they've won $200,000.

About four or five years ago, Robert Kelley's wife, Carolyn, tracked the Powerball numbers to help find their lucky set of numbers.

"My wife kept track of all the winning numbers for about three months," explained Kelley to lottery staff. They made a list of the ones that hit most often and have been playing the same numbers ever since.

Kelley, a 69-year-old, semi-retired carpenter, made it a habit to watch the Powerball drawings every Wednesday and Saturday night.

"My wife, she was going to bed last night and I told her to come downstairs, I had something to show her," laughed Kelley. "She couldn't believe it. She says, 'What?' I said, 'Come down here.' She got downstairs and I said, 'Look here, we got the winning numbers!' She still didn't believe it."

After the shock of their win, the Kelley's had a hard time sleeping.

"Tossing and turning. And waking up and going to sleep, waking up," said Kelley. "A million things running through your mind."

Kelley waited until the next morning to call and share the news with their two children.

"We called our kids this morning. Had them come down and told them," said Kelley. "The first thing they wanted to know is if we were going to move to Branson."

When asked what they planned to do with their winnings, the Kelley's already had a plan which didn't include moving.

"We're going to pay our house off and our vehicles. Put the rest in savings," stated Kelley. "I'm not going to retire. I'm just going to slow down a little bit."

The Kelley's claimed their $200,000 prize Thursday at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids. They bought their winning Powerball ticket at Casey's, 504 S. Main St. in North English where they plan to go and share the good news with the clerks.

Kelley already had plans to buy Powerball tickets for Saturday's estimated jackpot of $92 million, still playing the same numbers.

The winning numbers for last night were 13-23-25-35-43 and Powerball 15. The Power Play multiplier was 5. The Kelley's matched the first five numbers drawn but missed the Powerball to win a $200,000 prize. Had they added the Power Play® to their ticket, they would have turned their $200,000 prize into an instant $1 million.

Players can increase their prizes with the Power Play (except the jackpot) up to five times. The cost is $1 per play. The Power Play number, 2 through 5, is chosen at the beginning of the drawing indicating the amount prizes (except the jackpot) will be multiplied if that number is drawn.

For players who choose the Power Play and match five white balls (regularly a $200,000 prize), the multiplier will always be 5, so those players would win an instant $1 million.

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

Players may visit the Iowa Lottery at 2323 Grand Ave. in Des Moines or go to one of the lottery's regional offices in Council Bluffs, Storm Lake, Mason City or Cedar Rapids to claim prizes.

Since the Iowa Lottery's inception in 1985, its players have won more than $2.4 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised more than $1.2 billion for state programs.