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Woman hits jackpot on first try
Winner takes home $1.4M after taxes
NC EDUCATION LOTTERY
Donna Gray plans to invest her winnings.
NC EDUCATION LOTTERY
RALEIGH — Donna Gray of Mount Pleasant played a Digital Instant game for the first time and won a $1,939,727 jackpot.
"I've bought scratch-offs over the years but this was the first time trying this," she said.
Gray played for $1 on Aug. 1 and won the jackpot in the PowerMax Cash game. The odds of that win were 1 in 150 million.
"It started rolling and just kept rolling," she recalled. "I thought it would be like $100 or something."
Gray told her husband as soon as she could.
"I said, 'I won big,' but he didn't believe me," Gray laughed. "It took us both a couple days to believe it."
She claimed her prize Tuesday at lottery headquarters and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $1,396,798.
Gray plans to invest her winnings.
In the PowerMax Cash Digital Instant game, a player can play from 50 cents to $50. The current jackpot as of Thursday morning stands at over $337,000.
Digital instant games are played exclusively online on the lottery's website or on the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. Eighty-nine different games are available to play online now.
Education programs in Cabarrus County received $16 million in support from lottery funds last year. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina's 100 counties, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the "Impact" section of the lottery's website.
Government-politics
Top StorySpotlight
Spencer receives 2026 Region of Excellence Award for town park project
Town of Spencer
Updated
Spencer’s Board of Aldermen, pictured with Special Projects
Planner Joe Morris, third from left, received Centralina’s award in
October.
Town of Spencer photo
Town Manager Peter Franzese announced that the town of Spencer has received a 2026 Region of Excellence Award from Centralina Regional Council, recognizing outstanding achievements that improve and strengthen communities across the greater region.
Presented annually, the Region of Excellence Awards honor individuals, local governments, and organizations whose innovative work exemplifies Centralina’s mission to expand opportunity and improve quality of life throughout its nine-county region.
Spencer received the Improving Quality of Life – Small Community award, recognizing Spencer Town Park as a community effort that transformed parking lot space into a vibrant gathering place for recreation, events, and connection. During the award presentation to the Spencer Board of Aldermen on Oct. 8, Centralina staff member Kasia Thompson described the project as an outstanding example of how vision, partnership, and community commitment can create lasting impact. She highlighted the town’s success in creating a public destination that promotes recreation, health, social connection, and economic vitality while serving residents and visitors of all ages.
“While the town was honored to receive this recognition, the award truly belongs to the many people who helped make the project possible,” said Franzese. “Elected officials, staff, volunteers, community members, funding partners, and our project team came together to turn a long-standing vision into a community asset that makes a positive impact on a daily basis.”
More than 30 nominations were submitted for the 2026 Region of Excellence Awards, representing innovative projects, partnerships, and leadership efforts from across the Centralina region.
“These award recipients represent the very best of our region,” said Michelle Nance, interim executive director of Centralina Regional Council. “From advancing sustainability and accessibility to fostering collaboration and public service, each honoree has made a meaningful impact on the communities they serve.”
The Greater Cabarrus Foundation announced that President and CEO Cam Cruickshank, Ph.D., has decided to step down at the end of 2026 to begin his next professional chapter and spend more time with family in the Midwest and North Carolina, according to a news release.
"Dr. Cruickshank played a leading role in establishing the Greater Cabarrus Foundation. He listened to our vision and helped turn our dream into a working organization, building our governance structures, operations, community partnerships, nonprofit support programs, and philanthropic services from the ground up. In less than two years the Foundation grew to more than $6 million in charitable assets across more than 50 funds," said Bob Bratton, chair of the Greater Cabarrus Foundation board of directors. "He invested a great deal of himself in this community. We are grateful for his leadership and confident in the Foundation's ability to grow and deepen its impact on the quality of life in Cabarrus County."
"It has been one of the greatest honors and privileges of my life to help build the Greater Cabarrus Foundation from its inception," said Cruickshank. "I am deeply grateful to our board of directors, staff, volunteers, nonprofit partners, community investors, and civic leaders for believing in this mission and helping create an organization focused on strengthening Cabarrus County for generations to come. As my parents grow older and our children build lives of their own, my wife and I are entering a new stage of family life, one in which being close to loved ones is increasingly important. Becoming a grandfather this summer has reinforced my desire to be present for the everyday moments that matter most."
The Greater Cabarrus Foundation emphasized that its mission and operations will continue uninterrupted throughout the leadership transition, the release said.
"The mission of the Greater Cabarrus Foundation remains unchanged," said Bratton. "We remain fully committed to growing charitable funds, supporting nonprofit organizations through grantmaking, and delivering nonprofit capacity-building services through Support Cabarrus."
The board of directors has adopted a leadership transition plan designed to ensure organizational continuity and stability. Cruickshank will remain president and CEO through Dec. 31 and is working with Foundation staff to transition his responsibilities before then. The board will share interim leadership arrangements in the coming weeks and will begin its search for the Foundation's next president and CEO in early 2027.
"The Greater Cabarrus Foundation is well-positioned for continued growth and community impact," said Bratton. "We are excited about the future and deeply appreciative of the ongoing support from investors, donors, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and community partners throughout Cabarrus County."
About the Greater Cabarrus Foundation
The Greater Cabarrus Foundation is the community foundation for Cabarrus county, connecting local generosity to the long-term sustainability of nonprofit organizations and the community they serve. Learn more about the Greater Cabarrus Foundation at greaterCabarrusfoundation.org.
About Support Cabarrus
Support Cabarrus is the capacity-building division of the Greater Cabarrus Foundation, providing affordable professional services, training, and resources that help nonprofits strengthen their operations, leadership, and long-term impact. Learn more about Support Cabarrus at supportCabarrus.org.
CORRECTIONS
CORRECTIONS: The Independent tribune wants to promptly correct any erroneous or inaccurate information published. email corrections to news@independenttribune.com.
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