It wasn’t the big jackpot, but it was apparently big enough for James Keown to decide he had enough of driving buses for a living.
Keown, a school bus driver in Louisville, Kentucky, won $100,000 on the Aug. 19 Powerball drawing by matching four white ball numbers and the Powerball, and then doubling his prize with the Power Play option, lottery officials said.
After confirming his winnings, Keown first picked up the phone to call his wife, Monta.
“I panicked thinking something was wrong,” Monta told Kentucky Lottery officials. “He told me, ‘I just paid off my bills.’ I said, ‘You did what?’” ‘I just paid off my bills. I just won $100,000!’”
James’ next call was to work.
“I called my boss on Sunday, and I told him, ‘I hit the lottery and I’m not coming back.’… I loved my job, but I’d been thinking about retiring for a while,” Keown said.
He had worked as a school bus driver for 11 years.
Keown and his wife claimed the prize the Monday after the drawing. He walked away with a check for $71,500 after taxes, the Kentucky Lottery said.
The couple told lottery officials they have a weakness for disabled cats and plan to support their local kitten and cat rescue shelters.
