Idaho fire chief wins $1 million lottery prize

Boise, ID, United States (4E) – An Idaho fire chief and his wife collected their $1 million prize Wednesday, three weeks after winning the Powerball draw.

According to Mark Wendelsorf, he checked his ticket on Thursday morning after the draw at a store in Caldwell where he was instructed to sign it and bring it to Boise. He was not told about the amount and he thought he would receive around $2,500.

Through the use of an Idaho Lottery phone app, he found out that his ticket, bought on September 19, had matched the first five numbers and that he is to get a million dollars. He rechecked the site later that day and read the announcement that there’s a million dollar winner in Caldwell.

Wendelsorf signed the winning ticket and safely hide it at the fire station, informing his wife two days later.

It took the couple around three weeks to finally claim the ticket because they decided to primarily organize their financial issues including consulting with their banker and accountant.

Weldensdorf said that”when we wake up on Friday morning, we will be debt free.”

The winners also plan to shop for huge gifts and to invest the rest of their winnings.

The winning ticket was sold at the Stinker Store, a block away from the fire station. They also got a $20,000 bonus from the Idaho Lottery.

The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday night is approximately $50 million.

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