Tennessee couple claim $1.6B lottery win

We still don’t know the names of the three lucky people who won a share of yesterday’s $1.5 billion Powerball drawing but that isn’t stopping the online rumor mill.

John and Lisa Robinson said they bought four tickets at a grocery store near their home in Munford, Tennessee.

“That’s what we’ve done all our life”.

Robinson, who works in information technology, said he would take the lump sum.

According to her Facebook page, Lisa works at a dermatology clinic and went to Munford High School.

The other two tickets were purchased in Chino Hills, California, and Melbourne Beach, Florida.

“Now I’ll be nervous because everybody knows”, Robinson told his interviewers on the “Today” show set, where he appeared with his wife, daughter and lawyer.

“Actually, (I was) a little scared because I didn’t know exactly what do to”, he said.

A nurse in Pomona believed she had the winning ticket after her son told her as a prank that a ticket purchased by her boss, Shlomo Rechnitz, had the winning numbers.

The Robinson’s ticket still has not been verified by Tennessee lottery officials. If you live in a state that taxes lottery winnings, state taxes will also be withheld from your payment. They planned to go to Tennessee lottery officials after appearing on TODAY.

Large prizes must be claimed at the Lottery’s headquarters in Lansing. My dad always said, “When I win the lottery”‘.

Crowds descended on the California store after word emerged it had sold a winning ticket, with excited customers snapping pictures and congratulating the sales associate.

“You’re talking about a check that has 9 numbers on it, it looks just absolutely insane”, said Traverso. “I don’t want it now”, she said.

Munford’s mayor, Dwayne Cole, had wished openly Thursday for an investment in the town, whose annual budget is $3.67 million. Lottery officials in those states have yet to confirm or identify the winners. The identities of the California and Florida winners are unknown at this time.

“I hope not to move”, John said of his Munford address.

But Lisa, who works at a local dermatologist’s office, is not ready to quit her job yet. The couple is in their middle 50s, neighbors said.

Most of the members said they will use the money to help pay off debt. Their neighborhood is a quiet, close-knit suburb of well-kept single family homes.

Drivers pass a billboard where the word “billion” has replaced “million” to show the correct amount of the jackpot for Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.

Rechnitz bought 18,000 tickets for his employees and residents of the dozens of nursing homes he owns in the state. When she realized there was a match, she checked three more times before alerting her husband. NBC reported that the couple plans on presenting the ticket after the show appearance.

Those winners have not been announced yet.

Tennessee Lottery executive Rebecca Hargrove made the big announcement.

Townsend wanted the Robinsons to call a national media outlet before cashing in their ticket to ensure that they could control their own story. I said I really didn’t feel like stopping that night.