USA Update

POWERBALL players have been urged to double-check their tickets as a $200,000 prize has not yet been claimed.

Illinois Lottery revealed the winning slip was bought at Dolton Express Citgo, Illinois, 60419.

2013 Getty Images

A Powerball prize worth $200,000 remains up for grabs[/caption]

The ticket was bought before the November 30 draw.

The lucky gambler will be able to take home a whopping $200,000 ticket – if they claim it in time.

The clock has started to tick as they have until November 30 2025 to come forward and claim their winnings.

POWERBALL POWERS ON

Powerball is hugely popular across the country and is played in 48 US lottery jurisdictions.

How long players have to claim prizes varies by state, from 90 days up to a full year – as is the case in Michigan.

Tickets cost $2 and can be entered into draws held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Players choose five numbers on the white balls between 1 and 69, then one number for the red Powerball, between 1 and 26.

In Powerball, the jackpot increases until it’s won, so some winners win more money than others, depending on how long the prize pot has been growing.

The biggest jackpot to date is $2.04 billion won in California in 2022, according to the Powerball website.

Winners of the top prize can choose to receive their money as a lump sum or as an annuity over 29 years.

This latest Illinois lottery winner isn’t alone in not claiming their prize.

Another $1 million is currently unclaimed in Missouri from a Mega Millions draw in November.

While in Florida a Mega Millions winner is set to become $5 million richer when they claim their prize from the December 10 draw.

Responsible gambling 

Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
• National Council on Problem Gambling – https://www.ncpgambling.org/
• Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 1-800-522-4700 or go to ncpgambling.org/chat

RESIDENTS in a major city are facing an increase in parking fines in the New Year – for the first time since 2011.

Drivers in Seattle will now need to be extra careful where they leave their vehicle, or face fines that are going to be as high as $73.

Getty

Seattle is set to raise fines for nearly all of its parking violations for the first time since 2011[/caption]

Getty

Currently, the smallest fine is just $29, but now it could be as high as $73[/caption]

According to Komo News, the Seattle Municipal Court is introducing a rise in fines for most parking violations across the city, starting from January 1.

Currently, most parking fines range from $29 to $53, depending on the violation.

But these will be increased to $43 through to $73.

Most violations currently cost drivers an amount of $47, but this will go up to $69 from New Year’s day.

It appears the largest fine currently is $250, which can be given for violations such as illegally parking in a marked disabled bay or with an invalid placard.

Indeed, the $250 fine is the only amount that won’t be increasing in 2025.

Seattle isn’t the only city that’s introducing a hefty change to parking laws.

The police department in Washington, Iowa, are to get more serious on residents breaking local parking laws  – with officers to seek out offenders instead of issuing parking tickets in response to complaints.

Police on patrol routes across the city will spend the next several weeks issuing written warnings to cars that are caught violating commonly broken parking laws.

City Police Chief Jim Lester said: “We just felt that, you know, maybe it’s time we spend a little more time addressing these issues while we’re on patrol.

“Rather than being a little more complaint-based, being a little more proactive in our approach.”

To this end, officers will likely ramp up their efforts by the start of 2025, with $25 fines to be handed out that can rise to $50 during snow emergencies.

Elsewhere, a driver has revealed his shock to find a $92 fine on his car after parking on a regular-looking street.

Jason McLaren thought he’d simply found a great parking spot outside an Italian restaurant in Cherry Creek, a neighborhood in Denver, Colorado.

As his wife uses a disabled parking placard, McLaren assumed the spot would be free – so he decided against paying the meter.

But when he returned to his vehicle, he found a $92 ticket from LAZ Parking – a private company that manages the area.

Thinking they simply made a mistake, McLaren contacted LAZ but, to his shock, was told he’d parked in a private lot and owed the fine.

McLaren told 9 News: “I reached out to LAZ and said you must be mistaken.

“And they said, no, you parked in one of our lots and you owe us money.”

The meters, located on Clayton Street, where he’d parked, between 1st and 2nd Avenue, are placed on private property.

However, to the untrained eye, they resemble public city meters.

Getty

Most violations currently cost drivers an amount of $47[/caption]

SHAWSHANK Redemption star William Sadler has announced the death of his wife Marni Joan Bakst after 46 years of marriage.

Sadler, 74, shared the news to his Facebook, alongside a heartwarming photo of him and Bakst on the morning of their wedding in 1978.

Getty

Actor William Sadler and wife Marni Joan Bakst[/caption]

Facebook

The Shawshank Redemption star William Sadler is mourning the death of his beloved wife[/caption]

In the image, the couple are pictured in their bathrobes at a breakfast table before getting married later that day.

In the message accompanied with the photo, Sadler said Bakst tragically died on Wednesday after a two year battle with cancer.

Sadler added on Facebook: “Early yesterday morning, my wife, Marni Bakst, finally lost her two year battle with cancer.

“After what has been an amazing forty five years of marriage I don’t think I can fathom or put into words much of this yet.

“Maybe with time and a little distance I’ll find it easier to describe this extraordinary artist, feminist, wife, and mother, but for now I want to thank you all for your patience and kind words.”

Sadler and Bakst welcomed a daughter together during their marriage called Sadler Colley Bakst, 38.

Sadler previously posted the same picture in a heartwarming tribute to his wife on their anniversary last year.

He wrote alongside the photo last May: “This picture was taken the morning of our wedding, exactly forty five years ago today.

“The extraordinary looking young woman with the huge eyes is Ms. Marni Bakst. The lucky young man is me.

“All these years later I still bring her coffee, she still has those beautiful eyes, and I’m still the luckiest man on this, or any other planet. Happy Anniversary Marni!”

Bakst was with Sadler throughout his acting career – before he made his Broadway debut in Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues in 1985.

Sadler’s most famous role is playing the character Heywood in the acclaimed 1994 drama The Shawshank Redemption.

Based on the Stephen King novel, the movie starred Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman and is labelled as one of the best motion pictures ever made.

Sadler is also in movies like the 1990 Die Hard 2 and the 2013 Marvel movie Iron Man 3.

This year he could be seen in the Max horror movie dubbed ‘Salem’s Lot’ – another Stephen King adaptation.

This is to refer back to The Shawshank Redemption.

Facebook

The Shawshank Redemption star William Sadler with his late wife Marni Joan Bakst[/caption]

Thousands flocked to Stonehenge on Saturday to greet sunrise at the ancient British monument on the northern hemisphere's shortest day of the year.

After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Cheng Chen discovered the benefits of weight training, which helped improve her posture.

If you allow a drug addict to smoke crack in a children’s playground with no consequences, they will do it. Why can't big-city leaders see this?

They starred in "It Ends With Us," but their legal battle is only just beginning.

Influencer Sophie Greene said Uber unexpectedly billed her $321 for a 3.4-mile ride from Midtown to Weehawken, more than triple the quoted price of $89.

The platform will exclusively stream the 2027 & 2031 games.

Scotto, who retired from the NYPD in 2006, said the drone had white, red, and green flashing lights, and moved slowly -- "no faster than 20 miles an hour."