Powerball Frenzy Inspires Hope on Seacoast NH

Linda Verrill knows exactly what she would do if she won the $500 million Powerball jackpot Wednesday night.

The Portsmouth woman said she would "pay off all my bills and get an RV and tour the U.S."

Verrill purchased two Powerball lottery tickets at the Cabot Street Market on Wednesday afternoon for $2 after she saw some media coverage that morning about how two $1 million Powerball tickets were sold to the same person at the Cabot Street Market last summer.

"I saw a story that this was a lucky story so I wanted to try my luck," Verrill said.

Verrill is one of many Portsmouth area residents who purchased Powerball tickets since no winner was drawn on Sunday night. Joy, who works the counter at Cabot Street Market, said Powerball ticket sales have been steady since Sunday and really picked after WMUR aired its story about the two winning tickets that were sold last summer.

"It's been crazy. It's been non stop. Right now I can't wait to go home and sit down," she said.

At Portsmouth Provisions on State Street, store clerk Pat Troy said she also saw a steady stream of customers purchase Powerball tickets, including one customer who bought $100 of lottery tickets. One of those customers was Harry Boone of Epping.

"Somebody's going to win, it might as well be me," he said after purchasing $5 worth of Powerball tickets.

At Market Square News, Dianne Armeen of Bedford decided to try her luck at what could be the ultimate Christmas present for some lucky person tonight. She said just the thought that she could even have a remote chance of winning the jackpot was enough to get her to play Powerball.