Glen Burnie Air Traffic Controller Soars With $50K Scratch-Off Win

GLEN BURNIE, MD — A Glen Burnie man discovered that a large Maryland Lottery win can lift your spirits into the stratosphere. The 59-year-old air traffic manager found a $50,000 winning $2,000,000 Fortune scratch-off recently.

The work that winner Stephen Batchelder performs at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is a carefully orchestrated choreography of airplanes, airspace and runways. The lucky winner has guided air traffic at several airports for over 40 years and is just months away from retirement. The only blip Stephen didn’t have on his radar was winning a large Lottery prize.

The excitement began when Stephen stopped by his favorite Lottery location, the Soda Pop Shop, to purchase Powerball tickets. “I play the long odds on the jackpot games, so I began adding a $30 scratch-off to my purchases,” he said in a Lottery news release.

Although the odds to win the game’s $2 million top prize are steep, the $30 game features overall odds of 1 in 2.82 to win any prize. Stephen’s first ticket won $30, allowing him to purchase another ticket. The second ticket revealed a winning number that matched the $50,000 prize.

Stephen shared news of the win with his girlfriend, co-workers and the clerks of his lucky store, located at 337 Hospital Drive in Glen Burnie. He is looking forward to kicking off a retirement full of family time and fishing and a large Lottery prize just makes the accomplishment sweeter. “This will help me make the transition to retirement,” Stephen said.

PHOTO: Glen Burnie air traffic manager Stephen Batchelder wins $50,000 just in time for his retirement. Courtesy of the Maryland Lottery