$1M Powerball winner is Freeport woman

FREEPORT, Mich. (WOOD) - The Michigan Lottery has identified one of two people who each won $1 million during last month's record Powerball drawing.

Patricia Giar of Freeport claimed her ticket on Nov. 29 in connection with the drawing from the night earlier.

The Barry County resident said she rarely buys any Lottery tickets and plans on using her winnings to pay some bills, according to the Lottery website.

The winning ticket was sold at East Paris Discount Liquor, 2871 East Paris Avenue SE in Kentwood. The other ticket was sold at the CVS store, 13250 Ford Road in Dearborn.

The Kentwood business has sold four winning Powerball tickets with prizes of $10,000 or more since the game became available in Michigan in January 2010. The lucky store happened to sell both Giar's $1 million winner and another ticket that won $10,000 for the same Powerball drawing.

Wednesday's Powerball jackpot, $587.5 million, was the largest ever in the game's history and shared with winning tickets, one in Missouri and one in Arizona. In addition to the two $1 million winning tickets, Michigan wins ranged from 169,099 $4 winners who matched just the Powerball to 18 $10,000 winners who matched four white balls plus the Powerball.