Search on in Tipton for owners of winning Powerball tickets

Is Tipton the most forgetful place in Iowa?

That was a question Iowa Lottery officials asked this morning in a news conference to plug two missing winning Powerball tickets.

One Powerball player bought a ticket at a convenience store near Interstate 80 last November that was worth $1 million. At exactly the six-month mark, that prize is still unclaimed.

Another buyer at the Family Foods store in Tipton bought a winning $10,000 ticket in January. That prize is also unclaimed.

Mary Neubauer, lottery spokeswoman, said the largest lottery prize that's ever gone unclaimed in Iowa is $200,000. Neubauer said the Lottery wanted to publicize the unclaimed prizes to get everyone in Tipton to check their pockets once again.

'It's unusual to see one big unclaimed prize in a community, and Tipton has two,” Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said. 'Maybe there's something in the water, but I hope not in the trash.”

Powerball winners have one year from the date of purchase to claim prizes. That means the $1 million winner must come forward by Nov. 17 to claim that prize.

During this morning's news conference, lottery officials said there was some potential breaking news about the big prize. After initial publicity, someone has contacted the Lottery this week with a description that might match when the winning $1 million ticket was purchased. However, that big prize remains unclaimed.