Lightning doesn’t strike twice. That’s what they tell you, right? Well, tell that to Jennifer Kleinendorst.
For most people in Johnston County, the lottery is a "maybe one day" daydream you indulge in while grabbing a Bojangles' biscuit or filling up the tank. But for Kleinendorst, a resident of the Willow Spring community, the North Carolina Education Lottery became a recurring reality in 2025. It wasn't just a single lucky ticket; it was a sequence of wins that felt almost statisticaly impossible.
Honestly, the Johnston County woman lottery win that took place in August 2025 left even the most seasoned lottery officials in Raleigh doing a double-take.
The $2 Million Surprise in Fuquay-Varina
In early August 2025, Kleinendorst walked into the Hill Top convenience store on North Main Street in Fuquay-Varina. She wasn't chasing a massive Powerball jackpot. Instead, she spent $20 on a "100X The Cash" scratch-off.
She won. Big.
The ticket revealed a $2 million top prize.
Now, if that was the end of the story, it would still be front-page news in Smithfield and across the county. But here’s the kicker: she had already been to lottery headquarters just two months earlier.
Why lightning struck twice
Back in June 2025, Kleinendorst won a $250,000 grand prize in the "Multiply The Cash" Second Chance drawing. That particular win came from a pool of over 23 million entries. Basically, she beat astronomical odds just to get her foot in the door at the Raleigh headquarters the first time.
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Then, sixty-some days later, she's back.
When she arrived to claim her $2 million prize on Monday, August 4, she had a choice to make. You’ve likely heard about the "annuity vs. lump sum" debate. She could take $100,000 a year for 20 years, or take the cash right then.
She chose the lump sum of $1.2 million.
After the government took its share—Uncle Sam and the state of North Carolina don't work for free—she walked away with $861,006. Combined with her $179,375 take-home from the June win, her summer was, quite literally, one for the record books.
A String of Luck Across Johnston County
Jennifer isn't the only one making waves in the JoCo lottery scene. It’s been a weirdly lucky year for the area.
Take Schuprell Hinnant from Kenly. In October 2025, she grabbed a $30 MAX-A-MILLION ticket from Papa Jacks Store on N.C. 42 West. She ended up winning $100,000. Her first thought? Her mom. She’s using the money to build her mother a screened-in porch. It’s those kinds of stories that make the local news cycle feel a bit more human.
And then there was Julie Barham.
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She was literally lying on her bed in December 2025, scratching a $5 "Peppermint Payout" ticket. She won $150,000. She told officials she started screaming so loud her kids came sprinting up the stairs thinking something was wrong.
"I just started screaming. I was so excited... and it smells like peppermint!" — Julie Barham
The Math and the Reality Check
Look, we have to talk about the "double-dip" people complain about in the comments sections of news sites. When a headline says "Johnston County Woman Wins $2 Million," people get annoyed when they see the final check is under a million.
It’s the way the math works.
- The Annuity Value: That $2 million headline is based on a 20-year payout.
- The Cash Option: If you want the money today, the lottery calculates the "present value," which in this case was $1.2 million.
- The Tax Man: North Carolina takes a 4.75% cut, and the IRS takes 24% off the top (and often more when you file your year-end returns).
It’s still a life-changing amount of money. But it’s not $2 million in the bank.
Where does the money actually go?
The North Carolina Education Lottery isn't just about making people in Willow Spring or Smithfield rich. Last year alone, Johnston County received about $14.6 million in lottery funds to support local education programs.
This money helps with:
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- School construction and repairs.
- Salary support for office assistants and custodians.
- Pre-K programs for at-risk four-year-olds.
- Scholarships and grants for students attending state universities and community colleges.
What to do if you actually win
If you find yourself holding a winning ticket from a store in Selma or Clayton, don't just run to Raleigh immediately.
Sign the back of the ticket. Seriously. It’s a "bearer instrument," meaning whoever holds a signed ticket owns it. If you lose an unsigned winning ticket, you're out of luck.
Talk to a pro. Before claiming a six or seven-figure prize, find a financial advisor who understands windfall taxes. Jennifer Kleinendorst’s decision to take the lump sum was likely a calculated one—perhaps to invest or pay off debt immediately—but everyone's situation is different.
Check the "Second Chance" drawings. Jennifer's first big win wasn't even from a winning scratch-off; it was from a "Second Chance" entry. If you have a losing ticket, don't toss it in the trash at the gas station. Scan it into the NC Lottery app. You never know.
Actionable Steps for Players
- Set a budget: Only play what you can afford to lose. The odds are always against you.
- Use the app: The NC Lottery Official Mobile App allows you to check tickets and enter those second-chance drawings without keeping stacks of paper in your car.
- Stay Anonymous (if possible): In North Carolina, you can't really stay fully anonymous for big wins, but you can limit your public footprint by not doing the big "check photo" if you don't want the attention.
- Plan the tax hit: Remember that the initial withholding usually doesn't cover the full tax bill for high-income earners.
The story of the Johnston County woman lottery win is a reminder that while the odds are long, someone eventually beats them. For Jennifer Kleinendorst, it just happened to be her turn—twice.
To verify current winning numbers or check the remaining prizes in games like "100X The Cash," you can visit the North Carolina Education Lottery official site.