A retired railroad engineer from Apache Flats turned a small lottery prize into a much bigger windfall.
William Stover recently won $15 on a couple of "Bingo Multiplier" tickets, and he decided to cash them in for some more tickets. He returned to the Bee Line Snack Shop, 5805 Business 50 West in Jefferson City, on June 18 to make the exchange.
The first ticket he bought revealed a $10,003 prize.
"The cashier got them out of this other side," recalled Stover. "She said, "The first one coming off is number 49.' I said, "Well, that just sounds like a good number to me.' Just joking, you know, and, by golly, that number 49 was the winner!"
Once Stover recognized the $10,003 prize, he called his wife, Gertie, for confirmation.
"My wife was downstairs doing laundry, and I said, "Come up here a minute!'" said Stover. He told her the good news, to which she responded, "Are you sure?"
His plans for the windfall are tenuous.
"I've got some things to fix up around there. I need a new garage door," he said. "My wife will find somewhere to spend it."
"Bingo Multiplier" is a $3 game that officially began Feb. 11. The game features a top prize of $50,003. More than $5 million in prizes, including four top prizes, remain in the game.