CLIVE – Iowa Lottery officials introduced the winner of the Powerball jackpot won with a ticket purchased in the central-Iowa community of Redfield Monday morning. It is the largest lottery prize ever won in Iowa.
The winner is Lerynne West of Redfield. She claimed the $349.9 milllion Powerball jackpot at the lottery headquarters in Clive.
“I realize this is a life-changing moment,” said West. “I’m excited to share my winnings with family and friends, plan to purchase a new car, and look forward to a long vacation – or several. I also plan to give to the causes and organizations important to my family through our newly established Callum Foundation.”
West’s ticket split the Powerball jackpot in the Oct. 27 drawing with a ticket purchased in New York City. Her half of the jackpot – the third-largest prize in the 26-year history of the game – is $343.9 million annuity, or $198.1 million lump-sum option. The New York ticket has yet to be claimed.
West, 51, bought her jackpot-winning ticket at Casey’s, 425 Second St. in Redfield. She recently bought a house there. She was moving into her new home in late October and she and her sister stopped at Casey’s for pizza and coffee. While they were there, West bought an easy-pick Powerball ticket. She thought she put her ticket into her purse in her sister’s truck, but the jackpot-winning ticket for a time was misplaced – it rode around on the floor of that pickup for a time.
The day after the drawing, West got a text from a friend, asking if she had won the jackpot. She replied that she likely hadn’t, but she would check her ticket to see. When she couldn’t’t find her ticket, she called her sister, who found it in her truck. Her sister sent her a picture of the ticket and when West checked her numbers on the lottery website, she realized she’d won the jackpot.
“I told my sister to get in her truck and get that ticket and get up here right now! And, drive slow,” West said with a laugh as she recalled that day.
Later that day, West drove by the Casey’s store in Redfield and saw television crews setting up to do interviews there about the jackpot-winning ticket.
“I watched them and smiled,” she said.
