2 big Powerball winners have yet to come forward

Somewhere out there, possibly in Montgomery County, is a very rich person - or persons - who took a chance on the Pennsylvania Lottery's Powerball game and came up golden.

One of two jackpot-winning tickets for Saturday's $174.4 million Powerball drawing was sold at the Plymouth Meeting Mall. The other was sold in Delaware.

Each ticket has an annuity value of $87.2 million and a cash value of $46.6 million, less 25 percent federal tax withholding.

The winning ticket matched all five white balls, 03-16-20-42-58, and the red Powerball number, 07.

The winner or winners, since it's common for groups of people to join in on ticket purchases, had not come forward by yesterday. Lottery officials won't know who won the jackpot until a claim is filed.

Winners have a year from the drawing date to claim prizes. They then have to decide between 30 annuity payments over 29 years or a one-time cash payment.

For selling the winning ticket, Plymouth Meeting Mall, which sells lottery tickets from its customer-service center, will get $100,000.

Lottery officials encourage the holder of the winning ticket to contact a financial adviser, then call the Pennsylvania Lottery at 717-702-8146. Prizes must be claimed at lottery headquarters, 1200 Fulling Mill Road, Middletown, Dauphin County. Claims may be filed between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Powerball tickets are sold in 30 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands.

Players pay $1 and select five white balls from the first set of 59 numbers, plus a single red ball - the Powerball - from a second set of 39 numbers.