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Roger Shue of Star said his dream of retirement can finally happen after a $30 scratch-off ticket turned into a $1 million prize.

“It couldn’t have come at a better time,” Shue said. “I was hoping to retire soon, but now I can retire early.”

Shue, a 64-year-old boiler operator, said he went to the gas station and only intended to buy one ticket, but he made a last-second decision not to fill up his tank all the way so that he could buy one additional scratch-off.

“I scratched the first one and nothing,” Shue said. “It was the second one I bought that hit the million.”

Shue bought his $10,000,000 Colossal Cash ticket from the Mex on South Main Street in Star. He said it took a while for the win to sink in.

“It really didn’t hit me for a couple hours,” Shue said. “Then I just started shaking.”

When Shue arrived at lottery headquarters Wednesday, he had a decision to make. He could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. He chose the lump-sum amount of $600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $426,069.

Shue said he is going to pay some bills, remodel his house and share his winnings with his four sons.

Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $900 million per year for education. For details on how money raised by the lottery made a difference in Montgomery County in 2020, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section.