Monticello, Arkansas – After taking a short break from her daily lottery habit, a Drew County woman found herself holding a life-changing ticket. S. Johnson claimed a $200,000 prize from the July 22 Natural State Jackpot (NSJ) drawing, making her the latest Arkansas Lottery success story.
The winning Quick Pick ticket, which matched all five numbers—17, 23, 29, 35, and 39—was sold at Smoker Friendly #1124, located at 460 US Highway N. in Monticello. Johnson officially claimed her prize at the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery Claim Center on July 24.
A Pause Turns Into Pure Fortune
Johnson told lottery officials she had “actually stopped playing for a while” despite being a regular NSJ participant. However, she decided to buy a few tickets ahead of the July 22 drawing. She never imagined one of them would deliver the jackpot she had long dreamed of.
The day after the drawing, she drove to the retailer’s drive-through, quickly signed three tickets, and handed them over to the clerk for scanning. What happened next left her nearly speechless.
“You’re going to Little Rock!” the clerk exclaimed while jumping and clapping with joy.
Johnson said the news nearly overwhelmed her.
“I almost passed out!” she recalled.
Still in disbelief, she called her husband to share the news. Together, they checked the winning numbers online. To her amazement, every number matched.
“You are the winner of the jackpot,” her husband told her, confirming what she could hardly believe.
Plans for the Future
Johnson said she plans to save a portion of her winnings and also make donations, hoping to spread her good fortune.
The Natural State Jackpot continues to grow, with tonight’s drawing offering a prize of $80,000. For Johnson, her decision to return to her lottery routine proved to be the turning point she had been waiting for.
