Oregon
Oregon winner of $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot is an immigrant from Laos who has cancer
Cheng “Charlie” Saephan laughs while speaking during a press conference after it was revealed that he was one of the winners of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot at the Oregon Lottery headquarters on Monday, April 29, 2024, in Salem, Ore.
Jenny Kane / AP
One of the winners of a $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot last month is an immigrant from Laos who has had cancer for eight years and had his latest chemotherapy treatment last week.
Cheng “Charlie” Saephan, 46, of Portland, told a news conference held by the Oregon Lottery on Monday that he and his 37-year-old wife, Duanpen, would split the prize evenly with a friend. Laiza Chao, 55, of the Portland suburb of Milwaukie, had chipped in $100 to buy a batch of tickets with them. They are taking a lump sum payment, $422 million after taxes.
“I will be able to provide for my family and my health,” he said, adding that he’d “find a good doctor for myself.”
Saephan, who has two young children, said that as a cancer patient, he wondered, “How am I going to have time to spend all of this money? How long will I live?”
After they bought the shared tickets, Chao sent a photo of the tickets to Saephan and said, “We’re billionaires.” It was a joke before the actual drawing, he said, but the next day it came true.
Lottery winner Cheng “Charlie” Saephan wrote down all the possible lottery numbers on a sheet of paper, put it under his pillow, then prayed for inspiration. Photo from Salem press event, April 29, 2024.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Saephan said he was born in Laos and moved to Thailand in 1987, before immigrating to the U.S. in 1994. He wore a sash at the news conference identifying himself as Iu Mien, a southeast Asian ethnic group with roots in southern China. Many Iu Mein were subsistence farmers and assisted American forces during the Vietnam war; after the conflict, thousands of Iu Mien families fled to Thailand to avoid retribution and eventually settled in the U.S., especially along the West Coast.
Saephan graduated from high school in 1996 and has lived in Portland for 30 years. He worked as a machinist for an aerospace company.
In the weeks leading up to the drawing, he wrote out numbers for the game on a piece of paper and slept with it under his pillow, he said. He prayed that he would win, saying, “I need some help — I don’t want to die yet unless I have done something for my family first.”
The winning Powerball ticket was sold in early April at a Plaid Pantry convenience store in Portland, ending a winless streak that had stretched more than three months. The Oregon Lottery said it had to go through a security and vetting process before announcing the identity of the person who came forward to claim the prize.
Powerball Lottery winner, Cheng ‘Charlie’ Saephan, celebrates his big win at the Oregon Lottery offices in Salem, Ore., on April 29, 2024.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Under Oregon law, with few exceptions, lottery players cannot remain anonymous. Winners have a year to claim the top prize.
The jackpot had a cash value of $621 million before taxes if the winner chose to take a lump sum rather than an annuity paid over 30 years, with an immediate payout followed by 29 annual installments. The prize is subject to federal taxes and state taxes in Oregon.
The $1.3 billion prize is the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in history, and the eighth largest among U.S. jackpot games, according to the Oregon Lottery.
The biggest U.S. lottery jackpot won was $2.04 billion in California in 2022.
Ehis Etute scored a career-high 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Oregon scored the last 14 points to beat No. 21 Southern California 71-66 on Tuesday night.
Oregon (14-3, 2-2 Big Ten) scored the first 12 points of the fourth quarter but USC answered with a 8-0 spurt and led 66-57 with 4:46 to play. Etute scored the next three points and Ari Long then hit three straight 3s. Katie Fiso capped the scoring with a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left. Londynn Jones missed a 3-pointer for the Trojans to end it.
Long and Fiso combined for 17 fourth-quarter points and Etute added seven points to go with five boards.
Fiso finished with 14 points. Long and Mia Jacobs chipped in with 11 apiece for the Ducks.
Kara Dunn scored 21 points for USC (10-5, 2-2). Jazzy Davidson added 14 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
Dunn scored 12 points with a pair of 3s in the first quarter as the Trojans jumped out to a 23-9 lead and led 37-21 at the break.
Up next
Oregon: Hosts No. 15 Michigan State on Sunday.
USC: At Minnesota on Sunday.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The 100 Oregon National Guard troops who were federalized under Title 10, have begun demobilization activities, according to Governor Kotek’s office and U.S. Northern Command.
CONTINUING COVERAGE | Oregon National Guard troops deployed under Title 10 orders
“All Title 10 troops in Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago are conducting demobilizing activities. They will return to their home units once their demobilization is complete,” U.S. Northern Command stated on their website.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek released a statement reading in part, “The citizen-soldiers of the Oregon National Guard are our neighbors, friends, and family. These courageous Oregonians deserve certainty and respect. While I am relieved that all our troops will finally return home, it does not make up for the personal sacrifices of more than 100 days, including holidays, spent in limbo.”
The troops will travel to Fort Bliss, Texas to finish their demobilization before returning home to Oregon.
Oregon troops spent a majority of their time training at Camp Rilea on the Oregon Coast.
Read Governor Kotek’s full statement below:
“The citizen-soldiers of the Oregon National Guard are our neighbors, friends, and family. These courageous Oregonians deserve certainty and respect. While I am relieved that all our troops will finally return home, it does not make up for the personal sacrifices of more than 100 days, including holidays, spent in limbo.
“During this crisis, Oregonians stood united against the unwanted, unneeded, unconstitutional military intervention in our state, with thousands peacefully voicing their opposition to the Trump Administration’s abuse of power.
“President Trump’s disregard for the facts on the ground revealed that he is more focused on provoking a fight in cities and states that don’t share his politics than serving the American people. I remain committed to defending our values and the rule of law.”
The court injunction that prevents guard deployment in Oregon remains in effect and on appeal in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
(UPDATE: added videos and quotes from Todd Mcgee, Owner of Powderhouse)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — With snow already piling onto the mountains, more people are flocking to Central Oregon. With businesses seeing more people now than ever before this season.
Todd Mcgee, owner of Powderhouse told KTVZ News, “It’s a lot more in the fact if you think about it, was Christmas break where we should be slammed? we’re as busy or even busier then on a Monday than we were on christmas, you know, weekend. so it’s a huge, significant amount.”
Ski and snowboard rentals tell you much about how busy of a time it is.
The busier the rental shops, the busier the mountains are.
“A ton more season leases. and the nice thing about our rentals, when they’re coming back, they’re looking in good shape,” Mcgee told KTVZ News. “We’re not having to stay late and tune them and P-TEX them and get them all back looking nice.”
Powderhouse still has its day and a half turnaround to have equipment ready to go.
Iif you’re still looking to rent equipment, now’s the time to do it.
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