GRAND RAPIDS (Northland's NewsCenter)--Itasca County has some new millionaires.
A Grand Rapids couple has claimed a $2.61 million prize from the Minnesota State Lottery.
One, four, nine, 17, 21 and 10 for the hot ball.
Those six numbers appeared on the first line of Sandy Conrad's five-line quick-pick Hot Lotto ticket and matched the winning numbers of the Minnesota Jackpot.
"Pulled up the numbers, oh-my-God," Sandy Conrad said. "All I could hear was, 'oh-my-God, oh-my-God,'" Don Conrad said.
Hot Lotto jackpot winners can be paid in 25 annual payments or in one lump-sum.
The couple chose to claim their prize in a lump sum making the ticket worth $1.98 million before taxes.
"It's like you are dumbfounded because you really don't believe it," Sandy said. "You want to believe it but you don't. It's like, Yes!"
Last Saturday, Sandy bought the lottery ticket at the River Road Market in Grand Rapids.
The market will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket, a surprise the owner says couldn't have come at a more perfect time.
The store was hit by lightning and has been under extensive repairs.
"We are going to redo the inside," Owner, Mark Dufner said. "We are actually going to reset the whole store with shelving. Reset and make our deli area bigger so we have more room for people to sit down and eat."
The Conrad's say their first priority is to pay off their home mortgage. Then they plan to take a vacation in Alaska, buy a new car and spread the wealth to their family.
"I want to make sure the kids, the grand-kids get money for their education," Sandy said. "Help out the kids a little bit."
The Conrad's will receive their prize money within two weeks.
"This is great, it makes you feel like you are on top of the world," Sandy said.
The Hot Lotto is a smaller version of the power ball and is played in 15 states.
This is the second big Northland winner this month.
In the first week of January James Putnam of Duluth won $1.2 million in the Gopher Five lottery.
Posted to the web: Jennifer Walch
jwalch@northlandsnewscenter.com
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