FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         CONTACT: David Workman

September 11, 2006                                                                                                   (208) 334-2600

 

Rexburg Man Wins $150,000 on Birthday

 

Boise – “The Lord has blessed me,” exclaimed Duane Hutson when he was handed his $150,000 winning check at Lottery Headquarters in Boise early Monday afternoon.

 

Hutson walked into Horkley’s Self Service on Salem Road in Rexburg last Thursday with one thing on his mind. “I usually play lower priced scratch tickets, but it was my birthday and I wanted to treat myself.  I only had $16 in my pocket, so I got a $15 Double Action ticket.”

 

And what a birthday present it turned out to be.  Hutson will take home $100,800 after taxes. “This has really put my mind at ease,” said a grateful Hutson. “We purchased a new home in Rexburg about a year ago and I was worried we were going to have to sell it.”

 

Last November, Hutson and his wife Dorothy fell on hard times when Duane, 62, was hospitalized with stomach ulcer clusters and organ failure.  He nearly died.  The 22-year veteran truck driver for Walter’s Ready Mix in Rexburg was returning on a haul from Portland and made it to Idaho Falls where he was immediately hospitalized. “They operated on me a half-an-hour after I walked through the emergency room door,” he said. “If I had waited another day, the doctors told me I would have died.”

 

Hutson missed a lot of work due to his recovery but has returned to his duties. By winning, a lot of their financial difficulties will be eliminated. “I still have to go to work every day, but now I won’t have to worry about my house payment.  And if something does happen to me, then my wife won’t have to worry either,” he said proudly.

 

In addition to paying off his house by the end of the week, Hutson mentioned he was planning a special birthday present for his wife in October. “Dorothy has always wanted to go to Hawaii, so I’m hoping there’ll be a little extra left over for that, too,” he said with a wink and a grin.

 

For their part in selling the winning ticket, Horkley’s will receive a $15,000 bonus check from the Idaho Lottery.

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