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‘Just in the right place’: Burke County man wins $1 million lottery prize

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — A Burke County man won a $1 million lottery prize after purchasing three scratch-off tickets.

Larry Parks said at the beginning of May, he stopped at Mel’s Superette on Old Lenoir Road in Hickory and bought two $10,000,000 Colossal Cash tickets.

Parks said he ended up going back in the store to buy a third ticket.

“I decided to go back in and buy one more for some reason,” Parks said. “I thought I wasn’t looking at it right. I just assumed I’d win my money back, you know, $30, and then I saw the $1 million. It’s pretty hard to believe still.”

Parks claimed his prize Wednesday in Raleigh.

“I was just in the right place,” said Parks. “Something told me to go in and buy another one. If I hadn’t, someone else would be sitting where I’m sitting now, so I’m thankful for that.”

Parks said he plans to buy a new home with the money he won and then will “just save the rest."