Another winning lotto ticket from Kootenai County

Another big win in the Mega Millions lottery comes from a ticket sold in Kootenai County, the Idaho Lottery says. It’s the sixth time in the past year that someone has won $250,000 or more on a ticket sold in the greater Coeur d’Alene area, the state lottery said. One included last January’s jackpot winner, Holly Lahti of Rathdrum, who won $190 million on a ticket she purchased at Ady’s Convenience Store & Car Wash on Seltice Way in Post Falls. Three of the six winning tickets in North Idaho have been sold in Post Falls. Only two other winning tickets of $250,000 or more were sold elsewhere in Idaho over the same period. The latest $250,000 winner bought the Mega Millions ticket in Post Falls as well. The prize is for matching the five numbers drawn (11, 21, 44, 48, 49) but not the Megaball, which was 23. James Pond, 47, who operates a lawn mowing company in Post Falls, told the KREM television station he bought the winning ticket and is headed to lottery headquarters in Boise to collect his money. Pond said he bought the ticket at a Conoco gas station on Seltice Way. “This is a remarkable run of good luck for northern Idaho,” said Jeff Anderson, Idaho Lottery Director. “We are encouraging everyone who has played Mega Millions in the Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls area to check their tickets carefully for winners.” Too often, Anderson said, the lottery has seen players not match the Megaball and think they didn’t win, when in fact the ticket matched every other number and is worth a quarter of a million dollars.