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The Iowa Lottery announced Friday Colfax resident and business owner George Dickerson is the winner of Saturday's $1 million Powerball jackpot. Dickerson purchased the ticket at the Kum & Go at 1200 N. Walnut St. in Colfax.
Dickerson appeared live Friday in front of reporters at the Iowa Lottery's headquarters in Clive. Dickerson co-owns the Colfax heating and cooling business Dickerson Mechanical with his wife Kathy.
Dickerson told reporters Friday he and his family held onto the ticket for several days while they met with an their accountant to formulate a plan for the winnings. Dickerson purchases all the fuel for his business at the Kum & Go off Interstate 80 where he purchased the winning numbers.
During the announcement, Dickerson recounted the process of rebuilding Dickerson Mechanical after the 2008 and 2010 floods wiped out his business facilities. He said they had the chance to leave Colfax but are happy they stuck with the small town.
He said the business will eventually be left to his son.
"It looks like we're going to have a pretty good retirement now," Dickerson said Friday.
Dickerson's winning ticket came within one number of having at least a share of Saturday’s $390.1 million jackpot, matching the first five numbers but missing the Powerball. No one matched all six numbers to win the jackpot.
The Colfax ticket was one of only three across the country that won a $1 million prize that night, with the others sold in New Hampshire and New Jersey.
Kum & Go will receive a $1,000 bonus from the lottery for selling the $1 million-winning ticket at one of its stores.
Dickerson said he plans to play for both this Saturday's estimated $450 million Mega Millions the estimated $570 million Powerball purse.
Contact Mike Mendenhall at mmendenhall@jaspercountytribune.com