Idaho woman claims $190M Mega jackpot

RATHDRUM, Idaho - A northern Idaho woman has claimed the remaining half of a $380 million Mega Millions jackpot, Idaho Lottery officials said yesterday.

Holly Lahti, who is apparently from the small town of Rathdrum, will split the second-largest lottery jackpot in history with Jim and Carolyn McCullar of Ephrata, Wash.

Jim, 68, and Carolyn, 63, McCullar appeared at a news conference last Thursday to announce they'd won half the jackpot, or $190 million.

Lahti wasn't on hand for yesterday's announcement in Boise.

"She's requested that the media respect her privacy and not attempt to contact her until she's prepared to speak to you," Lottery director Jeff Anderson said at a news conference.

He referred to Lahti as a "delightful young lady" and said he tried to persuade her to go public because there are "a lot of curious people out there." But he said she has a lot to get in order first. "We expect she'll be coming forward shortly," Anderson said.

Lahti's age and hometown were not immediately released, but public records show she and her mother, Elaine C. Alford, live in Rathdrum, a town of about 7,000 people.

Nobody was home at Alford's residence, but neighbor Eric Miller said Holly Lahti visits her mother almost daily.

Miller, 19, said he had no idea Lahti was the winner of the huge Mega Millions prize until he was told by a reporter.

"I want to go over there and be her friend now," Miller said laughing. "But she's really nice, very friendly."

The two winning tickets were purchased by people living in small towns just 125 miles apart in the Inland Northwest. Ephrata, Wash., has about 7,500 people.

The drawing was held Jan. 4, and residents began buzzing when they found out one of the winning tickets was sold in Post Falls, a suburban community of housing developments, big box stores and fast-food restaurants.

The winners had to match five numbers plus the "Mega ball." The numbers were 4, 8, 15, 25 and 47, and 42 was the Mega ball.

The McCullars had played some combination of those numbers for years because they're based on the couple's birthdays.

Anderson said Lahti let the computer pick her numbers.