Woman wins $4 million lottery prize after buying scratch-off ticket at gas station

Diane Howard bought a $30 scratch-off ticket and won a $4 million prize in North Carolina. (North Carolina Education Lottery)

Warsaw, N.C.

A North Carolina woman became an instant millionaire thanks to buying a lucky scratch-off ticket.

According to the North Carolina Education Lottery, Diane Howard bought a $30 Black Titanium scratch-off ticket and turned it into a $4 million prize.

Howard bought her winning ticket from a Circle K convenience store and gas station in Warsaw.

She arrived at lottery headquarters on Monday to claim her winnings.

Howard chose the lump sum payout option of $2.4 million.

After required state and federal tax withholdings, she took home a little more than $1.7 million.

The Black Titanium game debuted in June. Lottery officials said the game offers six $4 million prizes and 16 $100,000 prizes.

Lottery player turns $500 win into $1 million jackpot: ‘I decided to go all in’

A lottery player in California won $500 on a scratch-off ticket and another $1 million when trying his luck again. (California Lottery)

Sacramento, Calif.

A lottery player in California hit a million-dollar payday thanks to a lucky scratch-off ticket.

Vang Cha told California Lottery officials that he rarely plays scratchers because he prefers playing games with bigger jackpots like the SuperLotto or Mega Millions.

But he said he found the odds better and decided to give the California 200X Scratchers game a chance.

“I looked at the odds of winning and found it’s better odds than SuperLotto. So, I figured I might as well give it a shot,” he said.

Cha ended up winning $500 from a $30 ticket. However, he had his eye on an even bigger prize.

“I decided to go all in and buy an entire book of the games,” Cha said.

According to officials, he used his $500 winnings to buy 30 of the $10 Xtreme Multiplier Scratchers tickets at a Sacramento liquor store.

And lucky 16 was uncovered on the final row of one of the tickets, resulting in a $1 million payout.

“I was stunned! I scanned the ticket to make sure it was real, and it was!” Cha said.

According to Cha, he had gone through about 20 tickets before finding the million-dollar prize.

Cha said he plans to invest his winnings and might start playing a few more scratch-off games too.

Officers find dog abandoned at airport after owner told needs crate to fly, police say

Police say they found a dog abandoned at the Pittsburgh International Airport. (Allegheny County Police Department)

Pittsburgh

Authorities in Pennsylvania say a dog was found in a stroller at the Pittsburgh International Airport early Friday.

According to the Allegheny County Police Department, officers working at the airport were called to assist after the dog was found at about 5:30 a.m.

Police said they were able to find a microchip but could not reach the dog’s owner.

Authorities said they discovered that the dog’s owner was told by an airline that the dog had to be placed in a crate to fly.

The owner then abandoned the dog near the short-term parking lot and boarded their flight, according to police.

Officers said they contacted the state dog warden to safely turn over the dog. A charge of animal abandonment is expected to be filed against the pet owner.

“Don’t leave your pets behind!” the department shared.

Officer issues speeding ticket to teen driver going 132 mph, calls parents

A Florida officer pulled over a teenage driver for going more than 130 mph and called his parents. (Orange County Sheriff's Office)

Orange County, Fla.

A Florida officer pulled over a teenage driver for going more than 130 mph.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Cpl. Greg Rittger clocked the 16-year-old driver going 132 mph on Interstate 4.

In a video released by the sheriff’s office, Rittger let the teen driver know how fast he was going on the interstate.

After asking whose car he was driving, Rittger told the teen to “call your father” as he wanted him to meet them on the highway.

“Dad, this is Cpl. Greg Rittger. I need you to come out here and pick up your son,” Rittger can be heard telling the boy’s father over the phone. “I just clocked your son at 132 mph.”

The officer gave the boy a citation while letting him know that if he was an adult, he would be going to jail for reckless driving.

The boy’s parents are then shown on video speaking to Rittger. He let them know about a previous teen driver who was caught speeding about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, that underage driver lost his life in a crash.

“He wrapped the car around a tree and now those parents don’t have a kid,” Rittger is heard telling the boy’s parents.

The sheriff’s office added, “Excessive speeding is a very real danger we work to combat every day.”

According to authorities, the teen driver, in this case, was issued a speeding ticket that required a court appearance along with a $1,104 statutory fine.

Veterinary team discovers why an alligator was exhibiting ‘unusual behavior’ at zoo

An alligator in Florida was diagnosed with an ear infection. (Sarah Carey | University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine)

St. Augustine, Fla.

An alligator at a Florida zoo recently went through an examination to find out what was causing his sudden “unusual behavior.”

Brooke, a 376-pound gator from the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, underwent an evaluation after displaying a series of actions that included intermittent head-rolling in his lagoon.

According to the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Brooke has been a popular zoo resident for nearly 20 years, and he was brought to its hospital on July 25.

The team said they performed a blood draw, lung X-rays and CT scans of Brooke’s head.

The X-rays were needed in addition to CT images because Brooke was too large to perform a complete CT scan of his body, the hospital team said.

It was determined that Brooke was suffering from an ear infection.

The college did not say what caused Brooke’s infection, but the team said they were able to return the gator to his habitat at the zoo later that day.

Zookeepers shared an update that Brooke would receive medicine “without any stress or worry” while thanking the veterinary team for their help.