“Where, oh where’s my Mega Millions Lottery ticket?”

Here’s what we know thus far.

Three winning tickets were sold. One each in Kansas, Illinois & Maryland. Only one winner – the one in Kansas, whom also chose to remain anonymous – has come forward to claim their portion of the prize.

The winning Kansas ticket was purchased at Casey’s General Store No. 2668 at 940 N. Main Street in Ottawa, which has a population of little more than 6,000. The winner spent only $1 and let the computer pick a random number.

Director of the Maryland Lottery, Stephen Martino, said “The ticket has not been claimed. People need to look at their tickets.” He added that a Quick Pick ticket with the winning numbers was sold around 7:15PM on 30 March 2012 at the 7-Eleven on Liberty Avenue in Baltimore, and was the only ticket sold at that time. The drawing was less then four hours away when that ticket was sold. He also said the winner has until 28 September 2012 to claim the prize, and must do so in person. However, the winner is not required to make their identity public.

Maryland and Kansas allow winners to remain anonymous, but by law Illinois must publicly identify the winner to demonstrate that jackpots are being paid out, and winners have one year to claim winnings.

The Illinois winner has not yet been identified, and lottery officials there said

Things Alabama ain’t got… Mega Millions Lottery

Some folks would say “common sense,” and to some extent, that’s probably true.

Well… better make that “to a great extent.”

But, a state lottery is another thing Alabama ain’t got.

And, the Republicans in the legislature in the past administration and the present administration seem to have absolutely no inclination to allow the people the opportunity to vote on it… whether to have state sponsored gammlin’, that is.

Folks’ve tried to get one for education but have failed. And, in a move called “proration,” the governor this year cut all state budgets across the board by 10.6%, excluding education, because Alabama’s state constitution, for better or for worse, forbids going into debt and requires a balanced budget. Bonds are a different matter.

But, one other thing the state’s legislature doesn’t do

Strange Twist of Fate: Idaho woman wins Lottery, goes into hiding – UPDATED

UPDATE 25July2014: See additional story following.

Here’s another chapter in our quickly growing book, “News of the Weird.”

No violence of any kind is genuinely funny. Rather, it is instead, genuinely tragic. And yet, it seems this woman – and her husband – were unstable, at least mentally. The story indicates that “Holly Lahti was arrested and charged with battery in 2003 in Kootenai County, but the prosecutor eventually dismissed the charges. Her husband was arrested on the same charge the same day, and those charges were also dismissed.”

Mystery surrounds Idaho winner of $190 million

By Nicholas K. Geranios, Associated Press – Sat Jan 22, 10:31 am ET

RATHDRUM, Idaho – Holly Lahti burst into the spotlight a week ago in a feel-good story about a single mother who won a $190 million Mega Millions jackpot.