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LOTTERY

Tennesse powerball winner verified

Lottery officials verified Friday that a longtime resident of the small town of Munford, Tenn., bought one of three tickets winning the world-record $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot.

Tennessee Lottery executive Rebecca Hargrove made the announcement.

John Robinson of Munford, just north of Memphis, said he quickly reached out to his brother and others to assemble a team of lawyers and financial planners.

What could one person possibly do with all that money?

Robinson said in an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show that he and his wife, Lisa, want to help out certain friends, give to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, and donate to their church.

“I’m a firm believer in tithing to my church,” Robinson said.

The three jackpot winners can leave their winnings to be invested and thereby collect 30 annual payments totaling an estimated $533 million, or take their third of $983.5 million in cash all at once. Robinson said he would take the lump sum.

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He carried the precious slip of paper to the "Today" show in New York City and back before delivering the ticket Friday to lottery officials in Nashville.

The other tickets were sold in Melbourne Beach, Fla., and Chino Hills, Calif., each one overcoming odds of 1 in 292.2 million to land on all the numbers. Lottery officials in those states have yet to confirm or identify the winners.

— Associated Press

MICHIGAN

Federal disaster funds sought for Flint

The needs of Flint, Mich., “far exceed the state’s capability,” Gov. Rick Snyder said in a request for a federal disaster declaration and millions of dollars that could pay for clean water, filters and cartridges for residents whose water system has been contaminated by lead.

Snyder’s letter to President Obama paints a bleak picture of the troubled city, describing Flint as an “impoverished area” that has been overwhelmed by the release of lead from old pipes — the result of using the Flint River as the city’s drinking water for 18 months. Nearly 60 percent of residents get food stamps, and the median household income is 50 percent less than the statewide figure, Snyder’s letter said.

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The application seeks help from all available federal programs. Snyder (R) said 90 days of clean drinking water could cost $10.3 million, and home filters, filter cartridges and testing kits could cost $31 million over a year.

— Associated Press

Astronauts abort spacewalk: Two astronauts aborted their spacewalk Friday and hurried back into the International Space Station after water leaked into one of the men's helmets in a scary repeat of a near-drowning 2½ years ago. The trouble cropped up after the astronauts — including Britain's 1st spacewalker — successfully restored power to the station.

Rutgers professor gets 12 years in assault: Rutgers University professor Anna Stubblefield was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison for the sexual assault of a disabled man who she said had consented to the relationship by communicating on a keyboard. Stubblefield was chairman of the philosophy department.

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Calif. man indicted on terrorism-related charge: Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayb, an Iraqi-born man living in Sacramento, swore that "America will not isolate me from my Islamic duty" as he used a social-media account associated with the Islamic State to plot a return to Syria, according to court documents made public Friday. He was indicted Thursday on a federal charge that he lied to investigators about traveling to Syria to fight against the government.

— From news services

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