Edgewood woman wins $2 million

EDGEWOOD, Md. - It may have been a little too early in the day for food or drink, but Powerball players couldn’t wait to show up at Herb’s Deli & Spirits in Edgewood to find out if they had struck in rich.

"We had just bought 50 tickets in here, but it wasn't us," said Sandra Nething who came to check tickets she purchased in a pool with her co-workers.

One ticket sold at the store on Wednesday though is worth millions---$2 million to be exact.

"The $2 million one was sold here?” asked Kevin Muller incredulously, as he cashed in a $4 winner, “Can I hold that ticket?  I just found out."

Within a matter of hours, the Maryland Lottery found out the identity of the big winner when Almerta Williams showed up to claim her prize.

Williams had already won $145 on Scratch-Offs this week, so her children had encouraged her to play Powerball while she was on a lucky streak.

"Sitting there watching the TV and the numbers start coming out and I'm like, 'I've got four of these numbers.  I got something,” recalled Williams, “So I pulled the ticket out of my pocket book and looked at it and I'm like, 'Wait a minute.  I've got five numbers."
 

Five numbers after filling out a circle for one number by mistake because she had forgotten her eyeglasses.

What’s more, her daughter looked up the payout and mistakenly informed her mother that she had only won $200,000 until she later caught her mistake.

"'You did not win $200,000,' and she was like, 'What do you mean?'  We was like, 'You won $2 million,' and she's like, 'Oh my God,'" said Brandie Thomison.

Now the custodian from Edgewood who cleaned up with a big Powerball prize is left to contemplate how to start spending it.

"I'm going to buy a house and I'm going to buy me an 80-inch flat screen TV... and give the kids some money... put some money for the grandkids... keep working,” said Williams, “I'm not ready to quit working.  I'm going to keep working until they just get on my nerves and just say, 'I quit.'"
"She's close to retirement anyways."
"Shut up."

Once Williams has actually received her real check and the money is in the bank, she says she will take of a week or two from work, and she plans to buy plenty of new shoes.

The winning numbers