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8A Daily News – Thursday, December 19, 2013 Ga. woman has 1 of 2 winning lottery tickets ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia woman who bought just one ticket and used family birthdays and lucky No. 7 to choose her numbers was one of two winners of the $636 million Mega Millions jackpot, the second largest in U.S. history. Lottery officials in Georgia identified the winner as Ira Curry, of Stone Mountain, which is east of Atlanta. Curry will take a lump sum of about $120 million after taxes, Georgia Lottery chief executive Debbie Alford said. ''She has not decided how she'll spend those winnings,'' Alford said at a news conference that Curry did not attend. The other winning ticket was sold at a gift shop in San Jose, Calif. The winner there has one year to come forward. Curry was driving to work Wednesday when an announcer on the radio talked about the Mega Ball being 7. Curry knew that was her Mega Ball number, so she called her daughter to check the ticket. ''Between joyful tears and laughter on the daughter's part, she relayed to her mother that her mother had won the lottery,'' Alford said. AP photo Owner Young Soolee basks in the attention at her small Alliance Center office bulding newsstand on Wednesday, in Atlanta, after lottery officials said one of two winning Mega Millions lottery tickets were purchased from her store in Tuesday's $636 million drawing. Alford wouldn't say where Curry worked or how old she was. A person who answered the phone at a listing for Curry said, ''We are not interested in any publicity, thank you for calling'' and then hung up. Curry, her husband and other family members came to the lottery headquarters to claim the prize, surprising lottery officials who thought the winner may take some time to get their affairs in order before coming forward. Alford said the news didn't hit home for Curry until lottery officials told her congratulations. ''She said she was just in a state of disbelief,'' Alford said. The winning ticket in Georgia was sold at a newsstand in Buckhead, a financial center of Atlanta about 10 miles from Stone Mountain Park. The park features an 825-foot-tall mountain that covers about 1 square mile. There are golf courses, camping, bike and walking trails there as well as a carving depicting Confederate heroes of the Civil War, including Gen. Robert E. Lee. Curry's house is just a few miles from the park. A man who answered the door in a neighborhood of brick and stucco houses with manicured lawns said the family did not want to speak publicly. The twostory home had a two-car garage and a basketball hoop. Neighbor Kaliah Ladler, 18, said the Curry family was humble. ''Some people get big headed but I don't think they'll get big headed. They will probably use it for good,'' she said. Francis Boudreaux, who lives across the street from the Currys, said he was happy for the family but sad because they will probably move now. ''I think they will start doing a whole lot of traveling,'' he said. The ticket was sold at the Gateway Newsstand in the Alliance Center building, which is home to a variety of offices, including lawyers, financial services professionals and even the Brazilian Consulate General. The newsstand is a small, narrow shop with one register. It can hold about 10 people at a time and it is located near the lobby. Young Soo Lee owns the store with her husband, Young Lee. She grinned as she arrived Wednesday morning. ''I'm so excited and so happy now,'' Young Soo Lee said. ''I love my store and the customer.'' Earlier media reports indicated the couple would receive a bonus for selling a winning ticket, but Georgia Lottery spokeswoman Tandi Reddick clarified that's not the case. ''They do have the distinction of being known as the lucky store now, and that's always great news for them,'' Reddick said. The California store owner — Thuy Nguyen of Jennifer's Gift Shop in San Jose — will get $1 million, lottery officials there said. ''When people hear jackpot winner was sold here, everybody want to come here,'' said Thuy Nguyen, the owner of Jenny's Gift and Kids Wear shop. ''They call my shop lucky Buddha.'' Nguyen sells a variety of items, including Buddha statues, Vietnamese DVDs, clocks and flip flops. The former hairstylist took over the shop four months ago after emigrating from Vietnam in the early 1990s. Hero guide dog assured good home after NY rescue NEW YORK (AP) — The guide dog that leaped onto subway tracks after his blind owner lost consciousness and fell off a station platform is assured a loving home after his retirement. Cecil Williams, who has been recovering at a hospital with Orlando still by his side, had been slated to get another working dog in January or February to replace the 11-year-old black Lab. Now, he would ideally like to have two dogs — one working and one retired as a pet — if logistics, physical abilities and finances allow. If that's not possible, the family that raised Orlando as a puppy says it will be ''absolutely thrilled to have him back,'' said Guiding Eyes for the Blind spokeswoman Michelle Brier. ''They're very thrilled their little baby has made such a big difference.'' Williams told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he couldn't pay for a nonworking dog, so he was planning to look for a good home for Orlando. Guiding Eyes, based in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., provides working dogs for free but cannot cover retired dogs' expenses. After the AP published its interview and pho- JUST MOVE IT Part of a national campaign to promote physical activity for American Indians and Alaskan Natives FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20 TH 11:30 - 12:30 Registration and Start Psycho Fitness & MMA 1450 Schwab St., Red Bluff AP photo Cecil Williams pets his guide dog, Orlando, in his hospital bed following a fall onto subway tracks from the platform, Tuesday, in New York. tographs of Williams with Orlando in his hospital room, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center has been fielding queries from wellwishers offering money and other assistance. Guiding Eyes has ''graciously stepped forward to handle those inquiries,'' said hospital spokesman Jim Mandler. Williams said that if he does decide he's able to care for two dogs, he'd need help paying for the Lab's care. ''We don't know yet what Cecil will choose to do,'' said Brier. ''He's in a tough place right now. ... It's an incredibly emotional, dramatic time.'' The organization was setting up a fund and planned to post information on its website. If it turns out Williams doesn't need the money, it will be used for other guide dogs, according to Brier. Also Wednesday, The Animal Medical Center, which already provides veterinary care to Orlando and other guide dogs, said in a statement it will treat Orlando for free after he retires. Williams, 61, and Orlando both escaped serious injury Tuesday when they were bumped by a train passing over them — a miraculous end to a harrowing ordeal that began when Williams felt faint on his way to the dentist. Witnesses said Orlando barked frantically and tried to stop Williams from tumbling off the platform. Matthew Martin told the New York Post that Orlando leaped onto the tracks as the train approached and kissed Williams to entice him to move. Williams said Wednesday that he's ''feeling a little bit better'' but wasn't sure how long he'd be hospitalized. ''My head is still a little sore where they put the staples in. There are bruises on my body,'' he said. ''They've still got to run the tests, trying to find out what caused it.'' Court says trooper should not be fired over hat RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — An appeals court in North Carolina says a state trooper should not have been fired for changing his story about what became of his wide-brimmed hat. The three-judge panel determined the 2009 dismissal of Trooper Thomas Wetherington did not match the level of his offense. Wetherington initially told his immediate supervisor his hat blew off on a windy day during a traffic stop in Craven County along the coast. But court documents say the hat was returned a few weeks later in good condition by one of the people he had pulled over the day he lost it. The Highway Patrol determined he violated its truthfulness policy. 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