Eight Meat Plant Workers Claim Record $365 Million Powerball Prize

LINCOLN, Nebraska As reported by CNN: "Eight meat processing workers came forward Wednesday to claim the $365 million Powerball jackpot, the largest lottery prize in U.S. history.

"For Chasity Rutjens, 29, it was just her third time participating in the office pool at the ConAgra plant.

"...Eric Zornes, 40, a maintenance mechanic, said, 'I've been retired for about four days now.'

"...Among the eight winners, who chose to take the lump sum total of $124.1 million after taxes, or $15.5 million apiece, were two immigrants from Vietnam and one from central Africa. The rest had lived in and around Lincoln for years.

"...The workers had chipped in to buy the pool of tickets last week. Many had done the pool for four or five years when the jackpots got big..."
2006-02-24