DES MOINES, Iowa — Is this heaven? No, it's Iowa. But for one recent Iowa Lottery winner, the two may as well be one in the same.
Melissa Runnels of Des Moines took home a $500,000 prize, the 11th top prize in the Iowa Lottery's "$500,000 CA$H" scratch game. She purchased her winning ticket at Git N Go (1307 Army Post Rd.) in Des Moines.
Runnels moved to Iowa from Louisiana last year.
"I wanted a change for my life," she told the Iowa Lottery. "The economy is not what it was, we were on one income."
Since moving to Iowa, Runnels has opened her own business. She plans to use her lottery winnings to expand her business, donate to her church and possibly purchase a house.
"I have a three-year-old son and I would like him to have stability and a home to grow up in that's his," Runnels said. "I worked hard to get where I'm at and I've come a long way, and it's finally paying off."
Runnels' recent prize is just one of the reasons she's grateful she took a leap of faith and moved to the Hawkeye State.
"Everybody's always asking, 'Why Iowa? Why Iowa?' Now I know why Iowa," she said.
The "$500,000 CA$H" scratch game features prizes ranging from $50 up to $500,000. For more information, visit the Iowa Lottery website.
