Real Estate Photographer in Fredericksburg, TX

Melanie Carter, manager of Big’s 103 convenience store in Fredericksburg, thought the group text early Sunday morning was a joke.

The 5:30 a.m. message read: “Hey, our store sold a winning Powerball ticket!”

She thought her staff was pranking her — until an hour later when her boss called.

“Sorry to wake you,” he said, “but your store sold the winning Powerball ticket.”

Carter and her staff are still reeling from the news their store sold the ticket for the largest jackpot prize in the history of the Texas Lottery. The convenience store is at 11905 E. U.S. 290 in Fredericksburg, 70 miles northwest of San Antonio.

“I was just mind blown, in shock,” Carter said. “You don’t ever think it will happen at your store. It was definitely exciting news.”

Adding to the surprise is that Big’s 103 is a new store in town; it opened at the end of February.

“You would never think that it’s a brand-new store that sells the second-largest jackpot in (U.S. lottery and Powerball) history” Carter said. “It’s amazing to be part of that.”

The Texas winner will share the grand prize with someone in Missouri who also matched all the numbers correctly. The Texas winner chose the cash value option when purchasing their lottery ticket, so they will win $410.3 million before taxes, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.

The Texas winner hasn't yet come forward to claim the prize. They have 180 days from the date the prize was drawn to claim the winnings.

Courtney Arbour, executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, said state officials look forward to congratulating the winner and celebrating with the retailer that sold the winning ticket. For selling the winning jackpot ticket, Big’s 103 is eligible to receive a $250,000 retailer bonus.

Carter said after the July 4 floods that devastated parts of the Hill Country, she hoped the prize went to someone who truly needed help, who may have lost everything. If the winner wasn’t affected by the flood, she said she hopes they’d use some of their winnings to help those in need.

“Whoever got it is blessed 100%,” Carter said.

She said there’s been an influx of shoppers buying Powerball tickets as the jackpot grew in recent weeks.

Carter said jokingly that her husband was a little upset she hadn’t bought a lottery ticket at her own store. She said people told her it was bad luck to buy tickets from the store where you worked.

“But guess what, lesson learned,” Carter said. “I won’t ever buy at another store other than mine again.”

Vincent T. Davis covers the people and life stories of San Antonio. He can be reached at vtdavis@express-news.net.

An Air Force veteran, he started at the San Antonio Express-News in 1999 as a part-time editorial assistant working nights and weekends while attending San Antonio College and working on the staff of the campus newspaper, The Ranger. He completed a 3-month fellowship from the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University in 2003 and holds a bachelor's degree in communication design from Texas State University in 2006.

In case you woke up hoping for some good news, I hope I'm the person who is sharing it with you. After nearly three-months of no winners, on Saturday, September 6, the Powerball drawing for what is known as the third-largest jackpot in its history was held. And now, it looks like there are two winners of the historic $1.8 billion prize. One of those winning tickets was bought in Missouri, while another of those winning tickets was purchased in the San Antonio-area.

Here's everything to know about the Powerball drawing that just made history.

What were the Powerball numbers last night?

The winning Powerball numbers from the September 7 drawing were 11-23-44-61-62 with the Red Powerball number of 17. The power play number was 2.

Where in Texas was the Powerball won?

The winning Powerball ticket was purchased at Big's Convenience Store, located at 103 11905 E. US Highway 290, Fredericksburg, TX, 78624. And no, the winning ticket was not a quick pick.

Where is Fredericksburg, Texas?

The home of Texas Wine Country, also in the Hill Country, is located about 70 miles Northwest of San Antonio. If you've got an affinity for wine, peaches and more, this is the place for most in the State of Texas.

Where in Missouri was the Powerball ticket sold?

The sold winning ticket location will not be revealed until 72 hours after the drawing, in accordance with Missouri law.

Will the $1.8B Powerball Jackpot be split?

The Powerball jackpot will indeed be split, according to a release from the Powerball Lottery. "Each ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $893.5 million or a lump sum payment of $410.3 million," Powerball officials said. "Both prize options are before taxes. If a winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year."

More Texas lottery winners from the $1.8B Powerball Drawing

Powerball officials revealed about 9.9 million tickets won cash prizes in the latest drawing. However, only 18 tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million prizes, while two tickets hit the Power Play to score a $2 million win; one of which was also sold in Texas.

A Super Food Mart located at 2431 Ese Loop 323, Tyler, TX 75701 sold the $2 million wining ticket. A Murphy USA store located at 100 Walton Way, Midlothian, TX 76065 and a 7-Eleven convenience store located at 10207 Lake Creek Pkwy, Austin, TX 78729 both sold the other $1 million tickets.

The state of Texas practically was turned on its head last week after nearly three-months of no winners, on the Powerball drawing hit its third-largest jackpot amount in history. Folks raced to convenience stores for a chance at newfound wealth. And on Saturday, September 6 not one — but two — people's lives changed.

One of those lucky players hailed from Missouri, while the other purchased their ticket here in the San Antonio-area. Here in the Lone Star State, the winning card was purchased at a Big's Convenience Store, located at 103 11905 E. US Highway 290, Fredericksburg, TX, 78624.

Rumors have been swirling that the customer, who snagged the ticket to a new lifestyle just an hour away from the Alamo City, is none other than a University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) student. An Instagram post from the official affiliate of media company Barstool Sports voiced the claim in on Sunday, September 8, and included a screenshot of an iPhone with five of the winning figures on display. MySA could not independently confirm the photos authenticity.

The numbers from the September 7 drawing were 11-23-44-61-62 with the Red Powerball number of 17. The power play number was 2. In the Instagram screenshot published by Barstool Longhorn, all numbers except the power play amount appear clear as day.

"What are you buying first with 1.8 Billion?" the affiliate captioned the post, alongside a video of UT Austin students screaming, cheering and jumping for joy, allegedly at the sight of the winning ticket. It all feels very Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Folks weren't as supportive of their glee in the comments.

"Telling all those people was his first mistake," Wisconsin native Michael Schafer wrote below the post.

The Texas Lottery has not said which city the citizen who won the ticket is from, but it typically does in the days after a grand prize-bearing lottery ticket is verified. The most recent news release from the company says the local winner has not yet come forward to claim the prize. They have 180 days to do so.

However, the commission's website also notes that Powerball cards worth over $1 million were sold at retailers in Austin ($1 million), Tyler ($1 million), Midlothian (42 million), and, of course Fredericksburg ($1.8 billion), so it is possible the Longhorn student may have gotten their hands on it.

MySA contacted UT Austin to confirm whether a student had won the Powerball. A university spokesperson responded that they "would not have firsthand knowledge of anything like that." If the college attendee did win a prize, they likely did not the get the full jackpot amount. This is because the winner did not do a "quick-pick," they chose the numbers themselves, a company news release confirms.

"Each ticket holder will have the choice between an annuitized prize of $893.5 million or a lump sum payment of $410.3 million," Powerball officials said in a news release. "Both prize options are before taxes. If a winner selects the annuity option, they will receive one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5-percent each year."

To many, the multi-million dollar difference doesn't really matter. It's still a major payout that could get you through the upcoming holidays, not to mention the rest of your years.

"This makes me hate UT (Austin) more," Oklahoma native Ayla Fetters commented on the Instagram post.

"Bro better sign that ticket immediately before it comes up missing," another warned.

Where in Texas was the winning Powerball ticket sold?

The winning Powerball ticket in Texas was purchased at a Big's Convenience Store, located at 103 11905 E. US Highway 290, Fredericksburg, TX, 78624.

Fredericksburg is approximately 70 miles north of San Antonio in the Texas Hill Country.

The jackpot-winning ticket in Texas was sold at a convenience store off Highway 290 in Fredericksburg.

FREDERICKSBURG, Texas — Powerball players who bought tickets in Missouri and Texas will split Saturday's estimated $1.8 billion jackpot, overcoming astronomical odds to end the lottery game’s three-month drought without a big winner.

The winning numbers were 11-23-44-61-62 and Powerball 17.

The prize, which was the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot in history, followed 41 consecutive drawings in which no one matched all six numbers. The last drawing with a jackpot winner happened May 31.

Where was the winning ticket in Texas sold?

The jackpot-winning ticket in Texas was sold at the Big's convenience store in Fredericksburg, located off Highway 290.

There were three other winning tickets sold in Texas in the drawing. Those tickets matched all five numbers without the Powerball to take home a big payday.

A ticket sold at a Super Food Mart on Loop 323 in Tyler was worth $2 million. A ticket sold at a 7-Eleven on Lake Creek Parkway in Austin was worth $1 million and another $1 million-winning ticket was sold at a Murphy USA on Walton Way in Midlothian, a suburb south of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Before Saturday's drawing, there had been more than 40 drawings without a jackpot winner since May.

With a new winner, the jackpot drops back down to an estimated $20 million for the next drawing on Monday.

What are the odds of winning the Powerball?

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are one in 292.2 million. The odds of matching all five white balls and winning the $1 million prize are 1 in 11,688,053. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.87. There are three drawings a week.

What are the largest Powerball jackpots?

The top 6 largest Powerball wins have all surpassed $1 billion. Powerball lottery games have potentially huge jackpots because they are played in multiple states.

The payout

The estimated $1.8 billion jackpot would go to a winner who opts to receive 30 payments over 29 years through an annuity. Winners almost always choose the game’s cash option, which for Saturday night’s drawing would be an estimated $826.4 million.

Powerball tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Two tickets matched all six winning numbers in Saturday's Powerball drawing, and one of those tickets was purchased in Fredericksburg.

FREDERICKSBURG, Texas — If you had a wish, what would it be? Or rather, what if you – by chance – won an extraordinary sum of money?

Two tickets matched all six numbers in Saturday's Powerball drawing: one in Missouri and one in Texas. Lottery officials say the winning Texas ticket was sold in Fredericksburg, at the Big's 103 Gas Station on Highway 290.

Courtney Arbour, the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation – the new manager of the Texas Lottery – said the winner has not yet come forward.

"We highly recommend you seek legal and financial advice on how to handle this large sum of money," Arbour said.

Powerball is a 50/50 game and costs $2 a ticket. One dollar goes to the prize, while the other goes to the cost of the lottery.

"So, this winner will be eligible to receive $410.3 million," Arbour said.

When it comes to the winning store, Arbour said the retailer is eligible for a bonus of $250,000.

"There's been a lot of devastation here in the Hill Country this summer, and I really hope it goes to somebody who truly needs it," said Melanie Carter, the store manager of Big's 103. "I do hope that luck will rub off on everybody. It's a blessing to whoever won."

The Big's 103 in Fredericksburg is proudly advertising that the winning Powerball ticket was sold at the store. KVUE met some customers on Sunday who said they were visiting the store out of pure curiosity.

One question we wanted to know: What would they do if they won that amount of money?

"I might get a new pick-up truck, maybe a new tractor too," said Michael Klein, a sixth-generation Gillespie County resident.

Klein also expressed interest in buying more land.

"Build like a big venue, music studio, maybe film production company, you know, a nonprofit to support the ministry and Christian artists, Christian filmmakers and so on and so forth," Aaron Lovins, a San Antonio resident, said.

"Buy land or something. Go hunting at Kansas or Colorado or places like that," Corey Jenschke said.

Fredericksburg is known as a gem in the Hill Country. Now, community members are celebrating this victory with the mindset of a winner.

"Don't ever expect anything, but always hope for the best," Carter said.

The winner has within 180 days to make an in-person appointment and collect their winnings.