Staff Report. February 22, 2012  RALEIGH -- Mark Tallent, a Mountain Recycling utility worker from Connelly Springs in Burke County, plans to use a portion of the $155,807 Carolina Cash 5 jackpot he won to pay off his mortgage and maybe purchase a new vehicle.

Tallent, an avid player of Cash 5, purchased 10 Quick Pick tickets for the Feb. 20 drawing at the Shop & Save on First Avenue in Hickory. The fourth ticket turned out to be the big winner, matching all five balls in the drawing. He was in his living room on Monday morning when he checked his numbers on the Internet.

“I went straight to the bedroom and got my wife up,” Tallent said. “I had to get her to verify that I was seeing what I was seeing.”

Tallent received a check for $105,950 after state and federal taxes were withheld. He said he may use some of his winnings to take a trip to enjoy one of his favorite hobbies.

“I may go to Arizona and do some gold prospecting,” Tallent said. “I’ve been a member of the Gold Prospectors Association of America for quite a few years. I love it. I may go to Alaska or California. It’s a good hobby.”

Through June 30 of last year, Burke County players won more than $32.1 million in lottery prizes and local retailers earned more than $4 million in commissions on ticket sales. During the same time frame, Burke County education programs received more than $19.8 million in lottery funds. By law, those funds pay for teachers’ salaries in grades K-3, school construction, need-based college scholarships and prekindergarten programs for at-risk four-year-olds.

To date, the N.C. Education Lottery has raised more than $2.2 billion for these initiatives statewide.

Comments: