2 Joliet Powerball Winners From August 2017 Revealed

JOLIET, IL - If this August is as lucky as 2017, there will be at least two new millionaires smiling in the city of Joliet courtesy of the Illinois lottery. On August 7, 2017, Joliet Patch ran the following headline, "Joliet Business Sells $1 Million Powerball Winning Ticket." That winning ticket came from the Mickey's One Stop on Plainfield Road. Less than three weeks later, this headline appeared in Patch: "$2 Million Powerball Ticket Sold In Joliet." That winning ticket was sold at Highland Liquors on Cass Street.

At the time of both articles, however, the owners of the Joliet winning Powerball tickets remained shrouded in mystery. Neither Joliet winner participated in a news media photo-op as many Illinois lottery winners often do.

Winners have a year from the time of the drawing to come forward. Joliet Patch recently contacted the Illinois lottery to learn if the winners ever came forward. They did.

Joliet resident Patricia Lewis came forward as the lucky winner of the $2 million Powerball ticket that got sold at the Highland Liquors in the 1600 block of Cass. Her prize was a one-time payment of $2 million minus the tax withholdings, Illinois lottery media representative said.

As for the lucky $1 million ticket sold in the 1400 block of Plainfield Road, over at the Mickey's One Stop, that winner turned out to be Joliet resident Joseph Mikuska. His prize was a one-time $1 million payout, minus the tax withholdings, lottery officials said.

If you believe that lightning strikes twice and there's a such thing as a lucky number, well you might want to consider replaying some of these lucky winning numbers that Joliet's two millionaires used last August in the Powerball.

When Joe Mikuska had a winning Powerball ticket on the first Saturday in August 2017, his numbers were 11, 21, 28, 33 and 45. Then in late August, when the $2 million Powerball ticket was sold at Highland Liquors, those Powerball winners were 6, 7, 16, 23 and 26 and the PowerPlay number was 4.

Patricia Lewis wound up matching five of the six plus the PowerPlay number.

Why is it good that Lewis and Mikuska won their respective million-dollar Powerball tickets here in Joliet, Illinois, the state's third largest city, and not some dying farm town in the middle of nowhere?

The answer is sample. Have you ever seen the Alexander Payne movie "Nebraska?"

If not, here's the trailer.

Main image and bottom image via John Ferak/Joliet Patch