Illinois
$344M jackpot-winning Mega Millions lottery ticket sold in Illinois
A lucky Illinois lottery player just hit the Mega Millions jackpot.
According to the Illinois Lottery, a jackpot winning Mega Millions ticket from the drawing on Tuesday, March. 25, was sold at a Casey’s General Store, located at 70 S. Somonauk Rd. in Cortland, in far western DeKalb County.
The ticket matched all five Mega Millions numbers — 1, 5, 17, 39, 62 and 8 — plus a Megaplier to win a whopping $344 million.
According to the Mega Millions website, it was the only jackpot-winning ticket sold as part of Tuesday’s drawing. The next drawing, with an estimated jackpot of $20 million, takes place at 10 p.m. CT Friday.
The big winner comes just before major changes take place for the lottery game, with a “new version” of Mega Millions set to go into effect in April that features ticket price increases, better odds and more frequent prizes, officials said in news release.
Breaking down the big Mega Millions changes to know about
Starting with the April 8 drawing, ticket prices will increase from $2 to $5.
The game also comes with a new prize matrix, which is broken down here.
The popular, $1 “Multiplier” add-on feature is also going away, according to the release. Instead, tickets will come with a “built-in multiplier.” The “Just the Jackpot” feature that was available in some jurisdictions will also be retired under the new rules, the release said.
Other game changes, according to Mega Millions officials:
- Improved overall odds – Overall odds to win any prize will improve to 1:23 from 1:24 due to the removal of one gold Mega Ball from the game
- Improved odds to win the jackpot – Odds to win the jackpot will improve to 1:290,472,336 from 1:302,575,350 due to the removal of one gold Mega Ball from the game. The new game will feature 24 Mega Balls instead of the 25 in the current game
- Larger starting jackpots – Following a jackpot win, the starting jackpot will reset to $50 million instead of the current $20 million.
- Faster-growing jackpots and bigger jackpots more frequently – Jackpots are expected to grow faster and get to higher dollar amounts more frequently in the new game. The Mega Millions Consortium estimates that the average jackpot win in the new game will be more than $800 million vs. approximately $450 million in the current game.
- 2X-10X prize increase with built-in random multiplier – Every non-jackpot win will multiply its base prize by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X automatically. Prizes in the new game will range from $10 to $10 million vs. the $2 to $1 million in the current game.
- Win more than the cost to play – With a minimum prize of $10 on a winning ticket in the new game, every winning ticket will pay out at least double the $5 cost for each play. In the current game, the minimum prize on a winning ticket and cost to play are the same: $2.
When do the changes take effect?
According to the release, the final drawing of the current version of Mega Millions is set to take place Friday, April 4. The first drawing under the new prize structure, officials said, will be held at 10 p.m. CT Tuesday, April 8.
“Unless someone wins the jackpot on the April 4, 2025 drawing, the jackpot from the current game will roll into the new game and continue to grow with ticket sales from the new game,” the release said.
Mega Millions and its lottery counterpart Powerball are sold in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Powerball also is sold in Puerto Rico.
Powerball has said it had no plans to increase prices.
YORKTOWN, Va (WAVY) — A 31-year-old Illinois man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to exploiting a York County child online.
According to the York County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Andres Arreola pleaded guilty to enticing a minor to perform child sexual abuse acts and using a communication system to facilitate certain offenses involving a child.
The case began in April 2025 after the parent of a 9-year-old child called the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office about inappropriate messages they found from Arreola to the child on an online chat platform.
Investigators determined Arreola sent sexually explicit messages and images to the child and persuaded the child to send explicit images in return, knowing the victim was a 9-year-old.
Detectives were able to identify Arreola in Illinois, where he was taken into custody. He was then extradited him to York County where he remained behind bars without bond. Detectives also recovered electronic evidence supporting the charges.
A judge ultimately sentenced Arreola to 40 years in prison, suspending 31 years and six months, leaving him with an active prison sentence of eight years and six months.
After his release, Arreola will serve 20 years of supervised probation. He cannot have unsupervised contact with minors and will be required to register with Virginia’s Sex Offender and Crimes against Minors Registry.
“The exploitation of children—whether in person or online—will not be tolerated in York County,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Krystyn Reid in a statement.
Reid goes on to praise the investigators, prosecutors and the “the young victim and the victim’s family throughout this case. Anyone who seeks to harm a child, regardless of where they are located, should expect to be identified, brought before the court, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
A woman was taken into custody, accused of breaking into a home in Aurora, Illinois, on Saturday morning.
Aurora Police said around 9:14 a.m., officers responded to the 100 block of South Edgelawn Drive for a report of a residential burglary after a neighbor reported what they described as a suspicious person on the property.
Arriving officers found evidence of forced entry at the home and encountered a woman inside the residence who refused to come out.
Police said officers secured the area and members of the department’s negotiating team and Special Response Team responded to the scene. After more than an hour of negotiations, officers took the woman into custody without further incident and she was taken to an area hospital for evaluation.
No other individuals were inside the residence, and there were no injuries to officers or anyone in the area.
Investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
These real estate transactions, recorded the week of June 29, are compiled from information on file with Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties. They represent sales of $78,000 or more.
PEORIA COUNTY
3713 W. Pagewood Drive, Peoria: US Bank National Association to Mauricio G. Soto and Lorena Veladquez Montenegro, $92,900.
1506 N. Third St., Chillicothe: Holloway Holdings LLC to Michael Pareja Jr., $115,000.
14513 N. Grandview Drive, Chillicothe: Damien E. Wineinger to Nicholas Deaton, $116,000.
715 W. Corrington Ave., Peoria: Zachary and Jacqueline Taylor to Ellis W. Deputy and Parker M. Ross, $127,500.
1501 W. Marlene Ave., Peoria: Mary Lawless to Melissa P. Blain, $143,000.
123 SW Jefferson Ave., #E5C, Peoria: Jose Tapia to Peoria Property Management LLC, $145,000.
101 N. Hazel St., Chillicothe: Darnell S. Wilkins to Gage R. DeVries, $147,000.
420 W. Albany Ave., Peoria: Debra Yang to David Ramsey to Madelyn Brandt, $160,000.
638 N. Coolidge Court, West Peoria: Jose J.B. Garcia and Garciela C. Abascal to Gary P. Unferth, $160,500.
5133 N. Montclair Ave., Peoria Heights: Dalton A. Carlson to Carrie Randell, $164,900.
1022 S. Allen Ave., Peoria: Kenneth Gausselin to Jakob C. Uryasz, $170,000.
1405 W. Daytona Drive, Peoria: Kimberly J. McKinney to Josef L. Taylor, $170,000.
2228 W. Moss Ave., West Peoria: Lauren Deppe to Sheila White, $174,900.
918 N. Hushaw Ave., Chillicothe: Tyler and Paige George to Rissa M. Foster and Austin Laroe, $174,900.
3120 N. Biltmore Ave., Peoria: Timothy and Courtney Arnett to Nicole McClean, $180,000.
509 W. Florence Ave., Peoria: Yolanda Shuster to Grant D. Hagedorn and Paris Lucas, $185,000.
2320 W. Winnebago Drive, Peoria: Jake Ott to Megan and Michael Davis, $188,000.
123 SW Jefferson Ave.,, #E26, Peoria: Wayne G. Walker and Brenda Goodbread Walker to Frederick W. and Kathleen A. Page, $190,000.
811 N. Elbert Court, Hanna City: Andy and Tristin Anderson to George L. and Sharon L. Robertson, $192,500.
1729 E. Truitt Road, Chillicothe: Robert A. and Leah N. Santini to Austin V. Davis and Lexi M. Ludolph, $195,000.
5315 N. Isabell Ave., Peoria: Thomas and Teresa Stegall to Michelle V.R. Vargas and David Bean, $195,000.
1113 N. Maplewood Ave., Peoria: Diego A. Galindo and Katherine E. Hitchcox to Jesse S. and Rachel Mitchell, $200,000.
11217 N. Oakwood Drive, #3, Peoria: Jiyoun Kim to Christopher M. and Deangela M. Broadhurst, $215,000.
5333 N. Big Hollow Road, Peoria: Brent and Kimberlee Christians to Darin M. and Normandy Kennery, $220,000.
118 W. Merle Lane, Peoria: Josef L. and Nicole E. Taylor to Anthony Licea, $249,900.
1604 W. Devereux Drive, Peoria: Evan A. Zeddies and Jordan Barone to Timothy J. Draher, $251,000.
1320 W. Holly Hedges Drive, Peoria: Mohammed Osman and Jetlira Islami to Kristopher Lanham, $266,000.
505 W. Merle Lane, Peoria: Aaron K. and Mycah L. Amstutz to Luke D. and Alexandra Murphy, $269,900.
2407 W. Carriage Lane, Peoria: Sofia R. Beltran Dimaculangan and Michelle A. Echavez to Karen G. and Allan Pedregosa, $270,579.
1820 W. Gaylord Ave., Peoria: Michael and Alice Ardis to Robert S. and Madison Hessling, $279,900.
1255 W. Wonderview Drive, Dunlap: Cheryl and Jeremy J. Norfleet to Madalyn G. Niemann and Brandon Barnes, $288,500.
16004 N. Centerville Road, Edelstein: Lisa Leitner to Seth and Maria Leitner, $292,000.
1001 SW Adams St., Peoria: Chic Flats LLC to Michael N. and Jane M. Fielder, $299,000.
205 W. Southgate Drive, Elmwood: Dustin M. and Andrea Turner to Camden B. Jennings and Stacey J. and Sierra F. Peterson, $303,000.
2303 W. Kenfield Court, Peoria: DeTrail and Parker Davis to Dhaval M. and Prarthna D. Chaudhary, $303,090.
7125 N. Willow Bend Point, #34, Peoria: Holly Van Slyke to Beverly J. Satterfield, $320,000.
22014 N. Route 40, Edelstein: Larry D. and Vera M. Baer to Grant and Sarah Knobloch, $325,000.
12116 W. Jo Dan Court, Hanna City: Randall and Kelly Beyries to Christopher J. and Jennifer R. Rosenbohm, $337,000.
303 W. Aspen Way, Peoria: Cesar and Emily Esparza to Nicole Brusich and Joshua Vincent, $395,000.
12227 N. Wood Ridge Court, Dunlap: Jamie Borden and Zachary Bonson to Benjamin Tilly, $395,000.
2003 W. Miners Drive, Dunlap: Tyler and Alea Sheikh to Harshkumar I. Patel, $395,000.
7023 N. White Fir Drive, Edwards: Roger A. and Phyllis L. Malcolm to James and Lynne Gibbons, $400,000.
3104 W. Rosebury Lane, Dunlap: Logan and Shelby Bader to Cartus Financial Corporation, $430,000.
3104 W. Rosebury Lane, Dunlap: Cartus Financial Corporation to Ta Min Meng and Fan Yang, $430,000.
11316 N. Chesapeake Lane, Dunlap: Brian L. Williams to Sameer A. and Bhumi S. Shah, $493,500.
1205 W. Poplar Woods Court, Dunlap: Thomas and Mahliet Zimmerman to Ajay and Marli Gnanasekaran, $515,000.
14101 N. Evans Mill Road, Princeville: Bennett W. Avery to Bradley A. Cox, $525,000.
6009 W. Sunflower Drive, Peoria: Jess Burns to Ciara J. and Gregory D. White II, $533,000.
3900 N. Hawthorne Place, Peoria: Kevin M. and Molly C. Fahey to Timothy E. and Jacqueline M. Fahey, $600,000.
6410 W. Willow Oak Court, Edwards: Kevin N. and Kathy A. O’Brien to Vincent Roger and Charlotte L.E. Bozec, $633,000.
4000 W. Tangleoaks Court, Peoria: Keith and Casey Knepp to Daniel and Erica Husser, $832,000.
TAZEWELL COUNTY
434 Wesley Road, Creve Coeur: Juanita K. and Wayne E. Roberts to Travis Polston, $80,000.
1263 Sewell Lake Road, Manito: Everett F. Jr. and Janice G. Shue to Dee Ann and Tim R. Clark and Cynthia and David Sarff, $82,500.
100 Thrush Ave., Pekin: Tammy J. Crawford to Marissa Lawson, $85,000.
304 Sherwood, Pekin: Nancy S. Barnes and Luana S. Rademaker to Stanley J. Lundy, $90,000.
303 5th St., South Pekin: Edward D. Stoehr to Angela S. Johnson, $90,000.
400 Pekin Ave., East Peoria: Christopher and Tammy L. Finch to Jerry W. Deforest Jr., $108,000.
1430 Fisher St., Pekin: Dawn L. Wade to Cartus Financial Corporation, $113,000.
1430 Fisher St., Pekin: Cartus Financial Corporation to Hunter Meyers, $113,000.
106 Meadow Lane, Unit 2A, Mackinaw: Hillside Development Partners LLC to Ashley R. Douglas, $115,000.
16 Cracklewood Court, East Peoria: Pamela S. and William E. Aten to Peoria Heights Properties LLC, $120,000.
1313 Janssen St., Pekin: Phillip C. Kennedy Jr. and Bianca M. Langenbahn to Justin Lee, $120,126.
110 E. Park Ave., Deer Creek: Ivan L. and Kimberly A. Schoebein to Dillon Getz, $128,000.
305 Ehrett St., Creve Coeur: Angie L. and Brett A. Smith to Cameron Smith, $130,000.
102 Lincoln Road, Marquette Heights: Bradford R. Dunlap to Sharon K. and William R. Poston, $145,000.
1008 W. Jefferson St., Washington: Joshua K. Robinson to Colton D. and Rachel S. Sergenti, $145,000.
601 Pekin Ave., Creve Coeur: Jayson P. Couri to Andrea Miller, $149,500.
200 Anna St., East Peoria: Dawn G. Page to Rooted Beauty Company Property LLC, $150,000.
206 Kerfoot St., East Peoria: Cameron A. and Kayleigh Bush to Kylie Ellis and Brandon Pate, $150,000.
307 Camelot Drive, Washington: Ryan W. Blackorby to Jordan Schertz, $152,500.
2212 Belmont Drive, Pekin: Angela Bowden and Brett Gambetti to Alexis Hoffman and Tate Leitner, $154,900.
526 State St., Pekin: Richard A. and Theresa L. Sebelist to Karli L. Carlyle and Joshua McCree, $155,000.
301 Gem St., East Peoria: Cory B. and Hannah F. Kirwan to Gavin Whitaker, $157,500.
211 Oakdale Ave., Pekin: Anthony T. Cates and Colette L. Huskisson to Natilee C. Pitts, $160,000.
106 Ernest St., Washington: Amy J. and Christopher O. Lambert to Anchor Roots Equity LLC, $175,000.
116 Geraldine St., Green Valley: Brian M. Green to Joshua Pfanz, $177,500.
408 S. Eastern Ave., Minier: Bradley J. and Reita M. Rifner to Frank Zimmerman, $195,000.
1009 Eisenhower Drive, Pekin: Dalton Calvin to Dillon E. and Heather A.N. Pollitt, $200,000.
713 Pekin Ave., Creve Coeur: Andrea Miller to Evona S. and Michael A. Bowman, $205,000.
Parcel Number 05-05-10-300-015, Tazewell County: Alexandria Place LLC to Harris and Briarbrook LLC, $215,000.
317 Ken Ave., Morton: John M. Rellihan to Mayci Edwards and Vincent Massaglia, $245,000.
15611 Red Shale Hill Road, Pekin: Sharon L. Hundt to Brittany M. and Nicholas D. Toel, $250,000.
111 Patriot Drive, East Peoria: Terry R. Lamprecht to Debra D. and Timothy Kemp, $265,000.
102 Bittersweet Lane, East Peoria: Janet K. and John R. Ledbetter, $265,000.
Parcel Number 07-07-24-400-003, Tazewell County: Pamela S. Wiegand to Shelly R. Knapp, $269,810.
2102 Cordova Court, Pekin: John C. and Kristine S. Fordham to Angela J. Johnson and Daniel K. Prescott, $275,000.
101 N. Missouri Ave., Morton: Christopher P. Kryszak to Emma and Clayton Brown, $275,000.
206 W. Jefferson St., Morton: Scarfe Family Estates & Investments LLC to Stammtisch 2026 LLC, $275,000.
1813 Oakwood Drive, Pekin: Kirk A. and Tammy D. Zymkiewicz to Chalise M. and Matthew L. Jones, $277,000.
201 NW Washington St., Hopedale: Melody L. and Toby T. Terrell to Haley and Jacob Davis, $287,000.
410 S. Eastern Ave., Minier: Stacy Rinkenberger to Deborah L. to Mark E. Deterding, $295,000.
218 Tamarack Ave., Morton: Bryanna and Eric W. Martin to Chad and Trisha Mucciante, $317,500.
1437 Santa Fe Road, Washington: Chanda Dunston to Terry R. Lamprecht and Ellyce Polizzi, $320,000.
545 Whispering Oaks Drive, Groveland: Debra and James Williams to Christopher J. and Rebecca J. Heisler, $325,000.
29531 E. Lakeland Road, Deer Creek: Frank M. and Marianne H. Strawn to Ivan L. and Kimberly A. Schoenbein, $330,000.
203 Stonewood Drive, East Peoria: Michelle and Troy R. Miller to Brock Boeding and Megan Locknar, $360,000.
820 S. Locust St., Tremont: Joann M. and Roger D. Beutel to Julia R. and Matthew D. Stuber, $500,000.
432 Onyx Drive, Morton: Joshua P. and Laura L. Sutter to Jake T. and Jenna E. Klyber, $550,000.
2108 California Road, Pekin: Deanna J. and James S. Rowells to Ryan J. Henderson and Daniela I. Kocher, $670,000.
200 Cimmeron Drive, East Peoria: Larry F. and Susan M. Overcash to Smidt Properties LLC, $575,000.
26805 Liberty Lane, Washington: Brent A. and Sara B. Heider to Cartus Financial Corporation, $613,000.
26805 Liberty Lane, Washington: Cartus Financial Corporation to Carl M. and Lisa A. Volz, $613,000.
WOODFORD COUNTY
1327 Lakeview Ave., East Peoria: Taylor A. Riggio to Christopher M. Schmidt, $155,000.
208 Missouri St., Spring Bay: James B. and Betty A. McCarty to Ronald Nasser and Michelle L. Adams Nasser, $194,900.
1252 N. Skyview Drive, East Peoria: John and Tina Christianson to Nicholas and Ashlyn Christianson, $226,000.
901 Easy St., Roanoke: Michael A. and Yvonne M. Jenkins to Jeremiah E. and Megan E. Knapp, $259,500.
603 Manor Drive, Metamora: Ethan and Morgan Volz to Donald and Amanda Wilson, $270,000.
283 E. Lucille St., East Peoria: Kent A. and Clara J. Cook to Brett A. and Angie Smith, $285,000.
222 E. North Lakeview Drive, East Peoria: Brannon and Allison Ramsdale to Bradford Dunlap, $295,000.
1139 Willow Lake Drive, Metamora: Daniel A. and Kimberly F. Grieves to Kevin and Kendahl Grieves, $340,000.
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