A husband and wife with Columbus North High School connections are trying to decide what to do with their winnings from the Aug. 23 Powerball drawing.
Larry and Cara Garris, who have an Elizabethtown post office address, won $200,000 on a Powerball ticket purchased at the Circle K convenience store located at 3461 U.S. 31 South, southeast of Columbus, according to the Hoosier Lottery.
Larry Garris, 63, retired a year ago from Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. as a maintenance worker at Columbus North. He had worked for the Columbus-based school district for 38 years.
His wife, Cara, 50, still works at the high school as a secretary in the dean’s office, he said.
They live a short distance south of Reddington in Jackson County — but possibly not for long.
Although Garris said he does not know yet what their after-taxes take will be, he said the couple is weighing buying a new house. Also on his wish list: Paying off debt and buying a boat.
Garris said they came home with $143,000 from the lottery office, but more will have to be paid in taxes — and they’re planning to see a tax specialist soon to find out just how much more.
While Cara Garris organizes a regular workplace Powerball pool, this was only the second time her husband bought a Powerball ticket, the lottery said.
Larry Garris paid $1 to add Power Play to his $2 ticket, which quadrupled the prize for matching four of the five winning Powerball numbers plus the Powerball number, increasing before-tax winnings from $50,000 to $200,000.
Garris held one of 11 tickets — four sold in Indiana — that matched four of the five winning Powerball numbers plus the Powerball.
Garris said his vehicle was being repaired and he was borrowing a friend’s truck for transportation. Before returning it, he stopped at the Circle K to fill it up with gas.
“It didn’t take all of the money I had,” he said.
So having heard about the size of the Powerball jackpot, at the checkout line Garris said he decided to buy two tickets — although that wasn’t on his mind when he pulled in.
One person, a 53-year-old Massachusetts hospital worker, held a Powerball ticket with all correct numbers. Mavis L. Wanczyk chose to take a lump sum payment of $480 million, or $336 million after taxes.
