newjerseynewsroom.com

BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

How many New Jersey residents like myself would like a recount or a do-over right now?

Tuesday's $380 million jackpot in the Mega millions drawing became the second-largest jackpot ever in the United States, second only to the $390 million Mega millions jackpot on March 6, 2007.

Two tickets — one sold in Idaho and the other in Washington — matched all six numbers, and will evenly split the grand prize.

According to newstimes.com, Idaho Lottery officials said Wednesday that one winner is from the northern Idaho town of Post Falls. That's just across the border from Washington, where the other winning ticket was sold at a Safeway supermarket in the town of Ephrata.

The winners have not yet come forward, and Idaho officials declined to identify the store where that state's winning ticket was sold.

CNN reported that it paid to be a fan of the TV show, "Lost." Four of the six numbers drawn in the Tuesday's Mega Millions lottery matched the numbers immortalized by the Lost character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes, who hit a $114 million jackpot off them - only to be haunted by the same numbers in later episodes.

If you played Hurley's numbers (4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42), you won $150.

According to NJ.com, Carole Hedinger, acting director of the New Jersey Lottery, appeared at the J & V Newsstand on Hudson Place in Hoboken Tuesday afternoon to announce that the $355 million jackpot was the second highest in Mega Millions history, and said she was hoping to bring home a New Jersey winner.

Three local players received some consolation. In addition to the 2 jackpot winners, 3 tickets from New Jersey matched the first 5 numbers (but not the Mega Ball number) for a $250,000 prize.

According to lotterypost.com, winners have 180 days to claim their prizes in both Idaho and Washington.