Kentucky
‘I ain’t ever eating bologna again’: Father-son duo hits $1 million jackpot in Kentucky
KENTUCKY (WDKY) — A man vowed to never eat bologna again after he and his son won the top prize on a scratch-off lottery ticket earlier this month in Kentucky.
Jody and his father took home a lump sum of $700,000 after hitting the $1 million jackpot on a Casino Nights scratch-off, per the Kentucky Lottery. Jody requested not to share his last name, and his father’s name wasn’t released.
The dad had purchased the $20 ticket on June 8 at the Adairville Market, a convenience store located roughly 12 miles away from Springfield, Tennessee, where Jody lives.
After buying the ticket, Jody’s father couldn’t wait to scratch it.
“I said [to the clerk], ‘If I hit this million dollars, I ain’t ever eating bologna again,’” the dad said.
According to lottery officials, the top $1 million prize was revealed within the first couple of rows, where all three key symbols matched.
“It kind of shocked me,” the father said.
He told lottery officials that he immediately called Jody to share the exciting news.
Jody recalled his father saying, “You’ll never believe what I just did.”
“And, I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘We just won $1,000,000!’” Jody continued. “I was sitting there thinking, ‘Yeah, right, I don’t believe you!’”
Jody said his dad drove to his home to show him the ticket, and they made plans to travel to the Kentucky Lottery headquarters on June 10 to claim their prize.
The big win didn’t change Jody’s weekend plans, however. He still decided to mow the lawn.
As for what he plans to do with the money, Jody said he wants to invest it.
“Houses are paid off. Cars paid off, done. We will be bill-free probably next week,” Jody said. “You become debt free, and you don’t have any bills.”
Since they opted for the lump sum, they went home with a check for $504,000 after taxes, lottery officials said.
Kentucky
Kentucky is poised to land either Donnie Freeman or Sebastian Rancik this weekend, per report
Jones posted on Twitter that “Kentucky will have (absent a major change) either Freeman or Rancik by tomorrow,” while also noting the Wildcats still need to add another shooter and another big to round out the roster.
One of the top targets is Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound sophomore forward transferring from Syracuse. Freeman arrived in Lexington on Tuesday night and began his visit on Wednesday before leaving without a commitment. While there was concern he could land at UConn, that visit has since been canceled, leaving Kentucky and St. John’s as the top teams.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game last season, while adding nearly a block and a steal per contest. He shot 47.4% from the field but 30.2% from 3-point range across 23 games.
The other option is Sebastian Rancik, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound sophomore forward transferring from Colorado. Rancik visited Kentucky starting Wednesday through Thursday and brings a versatile skill set, averaging 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game while shooting 33.1% from 3.
Either Freeman or Rancik would provide a significant boost at the power forward position for head coach Mark Pope. Kentucky has already added guards Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the portal.
Kentucky football coach Will Stein reflects on new position
Will Stein was officially introduced to fans and media as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, replacing Mark Stoops.
LEXINGTON — Kentucky football had its first spring game under new coach Will Stein at Kroger Field on Saturday.
The offense, in blue jerseys, had its moments. So too the defense, donning white uniforms.
Ultimately, the blue squad earned a 23-18 victory in a game called just after noon because of inclement weather.
Stein admitted he “got emotional” as he charged onto the field prior to kickoff.
“I know it wasn’t a real game, but when I ran on the field, I definitely — man, I felt it,” he said. “It was like a wave running over me. And very, very, just cool.”
While it doesn’t count in the standings, Stein walked away pleased.
“I think we got a lot of really good work,” he said. “That’s the goal of spring is to improve with fundamentals and technique, learn how to practice, learn what winning edges that we need throughout spring to go into summer and fall and prepare the team for play. And we came out of the scrimmage clean. There (were) no injuries, which to me, that’s the biggest win of the day. I could (not) care less about the score.
“If we come out clean, that’s good. The Wildcats won.”
New starting QB Kenny Minchey looked about as expected, with sharp passes evened out by moments of inconsistency. Martels Carter Jr., a defensive back who is lining up at running back this spring, scored a touchdown and had several nice runs.
And the defense forced multiple three-and-outs and also picked off one Minchey pass on a two-point conversion.
This story will be updated.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
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