W.Va. Lottery Winner Picks Up Big Check

The state’s newest lottery winner stepped forward today to claim her share of that $1.8 billion Powerball drawing earlier this month. 

Mary Kathryn Hernandez of Hedgesville, West Virginia, near Martinsburg, purchased her ticket for the Sept. 6 Powerball drawing at a gas station near her home. 

She matched all five numbers – 11, 23, 44, 61 and 62 – but not the powerball, which was 17. She takes home just over $700,000. 

At a check presentation at the West Virginia Lottery Commission in Charleston on Monday, Acting Director David Bradley said since its inception in 1986, state lottery proceeds have generated more than $13 billion for seniors, veterans, education and tourism.

“We’re excited when everyone wins, no matter the prize value, because it can always be life changing. And even if it’s not life changing, it’s a win for everyone, including the state of West Virginia,” Bradley said. 

The Sept. 6 drawing was the second largest jackpot in U.S. history.