GODFREY — Lucas Pirtle, a lifelong resident of Godfrey, recently struck gold with an Illinois Lottery Ultimate Crossword ticket and won $75,000.
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Pirtle, 21, was at home when he used a quarter to scratch his ticket and discovered his win. He bought his winning ticket at Medford Food Mart, 216 N. State St., in Jerseyville. The retailer received $750, one percent of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket. Ultimate Crossword is a $25 instant ticket featuring top prizes of $750,000 and $75,000.
“I plan to use this money to buy a house,” he said when he presented his winning ticket at the lottery Prize Center in Fairview Heights.
Medford Food Mart’s Eldon Medford said he thought what Pirtle’s triumph proves is “you can win” in the lottery.
“I think this is the biggest winner we have ever had,” Medford said. “I believe I recall a $10,000 winner and several $1,000 winners, but nothing this big.”
Eldon Medford said he checked on the Illinois Lottery website this morning to see if Pirtle had won.
‘His mom or someone told the girls he had bought a ticket and was a $75,000 winner so I checked it,” Eldon said. “It is nice to have someone win from here.”
For more information, please visit illinoislottery.com.
