Region Digest: $3 million prize claimed in Georgia

Thursday, April 7, 2011

ROCKY FACE, Ga.

$3 million prize claimed in Georgia

A Rocky Face, Ga., man has claimed a $3 million winning lottery ticket sold at a Dalton, Ga., convenience store, according to a news release from the Georgia Lottery Corp.

The winner, Daniel Griffin, of Rocky Face, claimed his prize March 30.

The winning Taxes Paid instant ticket was sold at the Tibbs Road Convenience Store, located at 813 N. Tibbs Road in Dalton.

Dilip Patel, co-owner of the convenience store, said he's happy to have sold a lottery ticket with a prize of that size.

"It's going to make a huge difference," Patel said. "Customers are going to come in to our store."

DALTON, Ga.

Fatality reported in Whitfield wreck

One person was killed Wednesday morning in a wreck on Lower Dawnville Road in Whitfield County, according to a Georgia State Patrol dispatcher.

The incident happened about 6:25 a.m.

The dispatcher declined to release information about the vehicles involved, how many people were injured or the name of the person killed.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.

NASA cutting up to 300 jobs

NASA is eliminating as many as 300 contractor jobs at its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

Center spokesman Dominic Amatore told The Huntsville Times on Wednesday that a combination of factors led to the layoffs.

Amatore cited the lack of a federal budget for this year, continued funding by stopgap measures and cuts in this year's budget including nearly $300 million removed from the line-item that funds general operations at all of NASA's centers.

Marshall estimates the cuts at between 150 and 300 people who will be laid off by the end of May.

Marshall lost hundreds more contractor jobs last year when NASA shut down the Constellation rocket program, which was one of the center's major projects.

Marshall is NASA's primary rocket propulsion center.

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn.

Horse museum seeks new home

The board of directors of the Tennessee Walking Horse Museum in Lynchburg is looking for a new home for the attraction.

According to the Shelbyville Times-Gazette, the museum is now in a building owned by Jack Daniel's Distillery, which needs the space for commercial use.

Doyle Meadows, CEO of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, said proposals are being reviewed from Lewisburg, Wartrace, Shelbyville and others.

The museum, formerly in Shelbyville, features exhibits on the history of the breed, including the formation of the breed registry, bloodlines, World Grand Champions and other topics.