‘I’m not coming back.’ JCPS bus driver quits after Kentucky Lottery Powerball win
A Jefferson County Public Schools bus driver is living the dream after winning $100,000 playing Powerball.
“I called my boss on Sunday (Aug. 20), and I told him, ‘I hit the lottery, and I’m not coming back.’ I loved my job, but I’d been thinking about retiring for a while,” said James Keown, a Louisville man who had driven for JCPS for 11 years.
Keown bought his winning Powerball ticket from the Circle K on Galene Drive in Louisville for the Aug. 19 drawing, according to a Wednesday Kentucky Lottery news release.
He managed to match four white ball numbers and the red Powerball, winning the game’s $50,000 prize. However, because Keown paid $1 extra for the Power Play option, he was able to multiply his winnings by the number drawn, in this case 2.
Keown woke up the day following the drawing and checked the winning numbers on his phone. That’s when he learned he was a winner and looked at his ticket four times in disbelief, he told state lottery officials.
The Aug. 19 winning Powerball numbers were 1, 25, 27, 38, 62 and Powerball 13, according to the game’s website. The estimated jackpot for the draw was $275 million, and the odds of the $50,000 win are 1 in 913,129.18.
Keown’s wife, Monta, said she was “over the moon and excited.”
“We had just gotten off the phone and then he texted for me to call him as soon as I could. I panicked thinking something was wrong,” Monta told state lottery officials. “He told me, ‘I just paid off my bills.’ I said, ‘You did what?’” ‘I just paid off my bills. I just won $100,000!’”
The two claimed the prize Aug. 20 at Kentucky Lottery headquarters in Louisville, according to the release. After taxes, Keown won $71,500.
The couple told lottery officials they have a passion for disabled cats and they plan to support local rescues. The two also want to purchase lake property.
As for Circle K, the lottery retailer that sold the winning ticket, it will receive $1,000, the release said.
While JCPS isn’t the only school district contending with a widespread driver shortage —Fayette County has had its own challenges — the problems in Kentucky’s largest school district have gained national attention recently.
On the district’s first day of school, Aug. 9, some students were returned home as late as 10 p.m. with the implementation of new routes and start times, according to WDRB in Louisville. Things got so bad JCPS canceled classes for the following two days to address the issues.
If you or someone you know has a problem gambling, help is available at 1-800-522-4700.
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