Florida

Lucky Florida? State had a hot streak with 17 Powerball, Mega Millions wins − in 3 months

Published

2 years ago

May 24, 2024

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Lucky Florida? State had a hot streak with 17 Powerball, Mega Millions wins − in 3 months

As Florida sees Powerball and Mega Millions winning streak, the California Lottery said it’s been a lucky May for 6 players.

When it comes to lottery wins, Florida is on a hot streak.

In three months, Florida had 17 lottery prize winners in Powerball and Mega Millions − with ticketholders becoming a millionaire overnight. Some of those wins were from back-to-back drawings. Adding to the hot streak? One ticket from Florida matched all five numbers plus the Powerball to win the $214 million jackpot earlier this month.

And it all starts with a $2 lottery ticket.

As they say in the lottery business, “it could happen to you.”

TL;DR Powerball and Mega Millions lottery wins in Florida

Tuesday, May 14, 2024: Mega Millions, $1 million
Tuesday, May 7, 2024: Mega Millions, $1 million
Monday, May 6, 2024: Powerball, $214 million grand prize
Tuesday, April 23, 2024: Mega Millions, two tickets won $1 million each
Friday, April 19, 2024: Mega Millions, $1 million
Saturday, April 6, 2024: Powerball, $1 million
Friday, April 5, 2024: Mega Millions, $1 million
Monday, April 1, 2024: Powerball, $1 million
Tuesday, March 26, 2024: Mega Millions, two tickets won $1 million each
Monday, March 25, 2024: Powerball, $1 million
Saturday, March 23, 2024: Powerball, $1 million
Friday, March 22, 2024: Mega Millions, $1 million
Monday, March 18, 2024: Powerball, $1 million
Saturday, March 9, 2024: Powerball, $1 million
Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024: Mega Millions, $1 million

In 3 months, Florida had 17 lottery wins for Powerball and Mega Millions. Here’s where winning tickets were bought

Here’s the list of winners and where the winning Mega Millions and Powerball lottery tickets were purchased from February to May, according to the Florida Lottery.

A Tuesday, May 14, 2024, Mega Millions ticket worth $1 million was a Quick Pick ticket purchased from Publix, No. 1742, 30841 Mirada Blvd., San Antonio.
In the Tuesday, May 7, 2024, Mega Millions lottery drawing, a secondary winner matched five to win $1 million. That ticket was a Quick Pick purchased at 7-Eleven, No. 34151, 24651 S Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs.
In the Tuesday, April 23, 2024, Mega Millions lottery drawing, there were two secondary winners that scored $1 million for matching five numbers, according to the Florida Lottery. One was a Quick Pick ticket purchased at Presidente Supermarket, No. 23, 2199 N.W. 36th St., Miami, and one from Circle K, No. 1205, 101 Buena Ventura Blvd., Kissimmee.
In the Friday, April 19, 2024, Mega Millions lottery drawing, a secondary winner gets $1 million for matching five numbers. It was a Quick Pick ticket from Publix, No. 0777, 9300 W Commercial Blvd., Sunrise.
In the Friday, April 5, 2024, Mega Millions lottery drawing, a secondary winner gets $1 million for matching five numbers. This Quick Pick ticket was purchased at Publix, No. 1719, 8160 Wiles Road, Coral Springs.
The Tuesday, March 26, 2024, Mega Millions lottery drawing produced two secondary winners for $1 million each. A Quick Pick ticket was purchased at Murphy USA, No. 7338, 29 Mike Stewart Drive, Crawfordville, and another ticket came from Publix, No. 631, 4495 Roosevelt Blvd., Suite E-1, Jacksonville.
In the Friday, March 22, 2024, Mega Millions lottery drawing, a Quick Pick ticket from Publix, No. 0785, 4141 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, matched five numbers to win $1 million.
In the Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, Mega Millions lottery drawing, one Quick Pick ticket matched five numbers to win $1 million. That ticket came from 7-Eleven, No. 32624, 1651 S.W. St. Lucie West Blvd., Port St. Lucie.

Some other notable Powerball lottery wins in Florida:

Powerball jackpot dropped back down to $20 million again, when one ticket in Florida matched all five numbers and the Powerball in the drawing on Monday, May 6, 2024, to win the $214 million grand prize.
In Oregon, Cheng Saephan, 46, his wife Duanpen Saephan, 37, and friend Liza Chao, 55, matched all five numbers plus the Powerball to win the record $1.3 billion jackpot with a cash option of $608.9 million on Saturday, April 6, 2024. It was the fourth highest Powerball jackpot of all time and the eighth-highest lottery jackpot of all time. There was a secondary win in Florida for that April 6 Powerball drawing that resulted in a $1 million prize for whomever purchased a Quick Pick ticket from Circle K, No. 9802, 5025 Tampa Road, Oldsmar.
No joke: Someone matched five numbers to win $1 million in the Monday, April 1, 2024, Powerball lottery drawing. The Quick Pick ticket came from Sedano’s Supermarket, No. 40, 12981 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando.
In the Monday, March 25, 2024, Powerball lottery drawing, someone won $1 million for matching five numbers. That Quick Pick ticket came from 7-Eleven, No. 39998, 331 W. Silver Star Road, Ocoee.
In the Saturday, March 23, 2024, Powerball lottery drawing, a Quick Pick ticket from Publix, No. 1142, 7830 Land O’Lakes Blvd, Land O’Lakes, matched five numbers to win $1 million.
In the Monday, March 18, 2024, Powerball lottery drawing, someone won $1 million for matching five numbers. The ticket was purchased at Stop & Save Food Store, 4801 Clewis Ave., Tampa.
In the Saturday, March 9, 2024, Powerball lottery drawing, a Quick Pick ticket from City Food Mart, 21 N. 7th St., Haines City, was worth $1 million for matching five numbers.

How long do you have to cash in a winning Florida Lottery ticket?

Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.

Are other states as lucky as Florida when it comes to Powerball and Mega Millions lottery? Is California a lucky lottery state?

While Florida has had 17 lottery winners in three months for Powerball and Mega Millions, the California Lottery said it’s been a lucky May for six players taking home lottery prizes of all sizes.

Grace Chu won $10 million from a California 200X scratch-off ticket from 7-Eleven, 5724 Thorton Ave., Newark.
Daniel Fissaha won $5 million from a 100X Scratchers ticket that was purchased at Tip Top Liquors in San Jose, California.
Deloria Cooper won $5 million from a Lucky 7’s Scratchers ticket purchased from a 7-Eleven on Via Las Rosas in Oceanside, California.
Lucy Sansosti won $5 million from a 2024 Scratchers ticket sold at ARCO in Newport Beach, California.
Arturo Saludes won $2 million on an Instant Prize Crossword Scratchers ticket, purchased from the A-1 Valley Market Deli in Lake Elsinore, California.
Christopher Powers won $1 million playing an Xtreme Multiplier Scratchers ticket that was purchased at EZ Foodmart in Bakersfield, California.

What are the Top 10 largest lottery jackpots in U.S. history?

The following Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots are the Top 10 biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history, as of May 24, 2024. This list shows many billion-dollar lottery winners from California and at least two from Florida.

10. $1.08 billion Powerball drawing — July 19, 2023; California
9. $1.13 billion Mega Millions drawing — Tuesday, March 26, 2024; New Jersey
8. $1.3 billion Powerball drawing — April 6, 2024; Oregon
7. $1.337 billion Mega Millions drawing — July 29, 2022; Illinois
6. $1.35 billion Mega Millions drawing — Jan. 13, 2023; Maine
5. $1.537 billion Mega Millions drawing — Oct. 23, 2018; South Carolina
4. $1.58 billion Mega Millions drawing — Aug. 8, 2023; Florida
3. $1.586 billion Powerball drawing — Jan. 13, 2016; California, Florida and Tennessee
2. $1.765 billion Powerball drawing — Oct. 11, 2023; California
1. $2.04 billion Powerball drawing — Nov. 7, 2022; California

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

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Florida

House ethics panel finds Florida congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick committed 25 violations

Published

6 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

House ethics panel finds Florida congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick committed 25 violations

WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee found Friday that Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida had committed numerous violations of House rules and ethics standards, a ruling that could add weight to Republicans’ push to expel her from Congress.

After meeting for over seven hours Thursday night, an ethics panel composed of four Democrats and four Republicans found that Cherfilus-McCormick had committed 25 ethics violations. The panel said it would recommend a punishment in the coming weeks.

The allegations center around her receipt of millions of dollars from her family’s health care business after the state of Florida made an overpayment of roughly $5 million in disaster relief funds. Cherfilus-McCormick is accused of using that money to fund her 2022 congressional campaign through a network of businesses and family members.

The congresswoman, who is running for a fourth term representing a southeastern Florida district, has denied wrongdoing, and her attorney stridently criticized Thursday’s public hearing — the first open proceeding in nearly 15 years. But the ruling from the Ethics Committee could fuel a potential vote on her expulsion and divide a Democratic Caucus that is trying to make a comeback to power in the November elections.

Cherfilus-McCormick also faces federal charges for allegedly stealing the $5 million in COVID-19 disaster relief funds and using it for purchases like a 3-carat yellow diamond ring. Her brother, former chief of staff and accountant were also charged in the alleged scheme. She pleaded not guilty to those charges, and her attorney indicated Thursday that the trial is expected to start in the coming months.

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Florida

Driver arrested after allegedly plowing onto Florida airport tarmac

Published

18 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Driver arrested after allegedly plowing onto Florida airport tarmac

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Florida

Audubon Florida leader has built reputation for working across party lines | The Invading Sea

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Audubon Florida leader has built reputation for working across party lines | The Invading Sea

By Issabella Gutierrez

As a child growing up in rural Florida, Julie Wraithmell once stood at the foot of a tall pine tree and watched a woman climb 50 feet into the air to occupy an abandoned eagle’s nest. The woman, Doris Mager, stayed there for a week to raise money for raptor rehabilitation. For young Julie, the “nest-in” became a blueprint for a life in conservation.

In Florida’s often unpredictable environmental policy landscape, Wraithmell has built a reputation for working across party lines.

Audubon Florida Executive Director Julie Wraithmell at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (Photo courtesy of Audubon Florida)

Today, as the vice president and executive director of Audubon Florida, the state office of the National Audubon Society, she leads the organization’s statewide science and advocacy efforts from her office in Tallahassee. She spends the legislative session in committee hearings and meetings with lawmakers, agency officials and conservation leaders.

Over two decades, she has evolved from a field biologist and self-described “bird nerd” into an influential environmental leader in Florida, navigating a political landscape that can be as unpredictable as any treetop.

A native Floridian, Wraithmell earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Duke University and a master’s degree in science from Florida State University.

She began her career in 1997 as a biologist at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, where she worked for eight years and helped launch the Great Florida Birding Trail, a 2,000-mile network connecting more than 500 wildlife-viewing sites.

Wraithmell now oversees 80 Audubon Florida staff members and 45 chapters statewide. Beyond lobbying, she directs habitat restoration strategies and coordinates policy teams focused on land conservation and water quality.

Renée Wilson, a senior communications coordinator at Audubon Florida, described Wraithmell as a “getter-donner” who remains “cool as a cucumber” even when tension runs high in the Capitol.

“She’s not a micromanager,” Wilson said. “She gives you the direction you need, and she’s there if you need a course correction, but she really empowers the staff to follow their passions.”

A great blue heron at Jonathan Dickinson State Park, where the state proposed to build golf courses before public outcry scuttled the plan. (Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Her leadership was tested in 2024 and 2025, when proposals surfaced to add golf courses to state parks and to swap protected land at the Guana River Wildlife Management Area for development. Audubon Florida helped generate tens of thousands of public comments and coordinated bipartisan opposition that led to the withdrawal of both proposals.

Elizabeth Alvi, senior director of policy for Audubon Florida, said Wraithmell’s leadership in these sensitive moments is defined by a refusal to be pulled off course by short-term pressure. She added that Wraithmell is widely respected by lawmakers across the aisle.

“People know that when she speaks, it is grounded in science and aligned with a clear organizational priority, not opportunistic positioning,” Alvi said. “That discipline earns respect in the Capitol because it’s consistent and thoughtful.”

Wraithmell often quotes a mentor who told her that advocacy requires “weaving back and forth across the political aisle like sloppy drunks.”

“You might find yourself fighting a legislator over a road project one year, but you have to be ready to partner with that same person on a land conservation bill the next,” Wraithmell said. Holding onto professional grudges, she said, is a luxury the environment cannot afford.

That pragmatism shapes her push for stable funding for Florida Forever, the state’s land acquisition program that has preserved more than 1 million acres. While funding has fluctuated in recent years, she said unstable funding could impede critical habitat purchases as development pressures increase.

Heavily oiled brown pelicans waiting to be cleaned following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. (International Bird Rescue Research Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

In 2010, Wraithmell led Audubon’s response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, advocating for restoration settlement funds to be directed toward coastal bird habitat recovery. Her efforts earned her the Charles H. Callison Award in 2015, the highest honor from the National Audubon Society.

Wraithmell does not shy away from the topic of climate change.

“The ocean is coming for us,” Wraithmell said. “Whether you call it climate change, sea-level rise or flooding, we are seeing the impacts on our shorebirds and our coastal communities right now.”

Under her leadership, Audubon Florida has expanded coastal resilience efforts, including protecting nesting grounds threatened by rising sea levels and promoting nature-based solutions such as wetland restoration and living shorelines. Alvi said many people underestimate how difficult it is to align science, policy timing and organizational reputation simultaneously.

“The most significant win will likely be institutional strength: a conservation movement in Florida that is more strategic, more science-driven and more disciplined in its public engagement,” Alvi said.

When asked to summarize Florida’s environmental story in a single place, Wraithmell pointed to the Everglades. She described it as an ecosystem shaped by historical “screw-ups,” from ditching and draining to the exploitation of birds.

“It’s a site of people coming together and saying, ‘Whoop, we screwed up. Now what are we going to do about it?’” Wraithmell said. “With billions of dollars in investment, we are seeing results.”

Despite the rapid pace of development across Florida, Wraithmell remains optimistic about the future, pointing to volunteers, students, and local advocates who make up the Audubon Florida network.

“Watching kind of the creative magic that they get up to together,” Wraithmell said. “That is what gives me hope for the next decade.”

The little girl watching from the ground is gone. Now, Julie Wraithmell is the one in the treetop, asking young Floridians to climb with her and protect wild Florida.

Issabella M. Gutierrez is a junior majoring in multimedia journalism at Florida Atlantic University. Banner photo: A great egret flies over the Florida Everglades (iStock image).

Sign up for The Invading Sea newsletter by visiting here. To support The Invading Sea, click here to make a donation. If you are interested in submitting an opinion piece to The Invading Sea, email Editor Nathan Crabbe.

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