Ever had a dream that felt very real, more like a future prediction? This is what happened with a Massachusetts-based woman, Patricia Harris. In early 2023, she had a dream about winning the lottery. On September 24, 2023, her dream came true as she took home the multi-state “Lucky for Life” game’s jackpot prize worth $25,000 a year for life.  

Representative Image Source: Pexels | Karolina Grabowska
Representative Image Source: Pexels | Karolina Grabowska

She won this prize when the first five numbers selected in this drawing matched those on her Quic Pic ticket. According to a press release by Massachusetts Lottery, Patricia claimed her prize on March 14, 2024, at Massachusetts State Lottery headquarters in Dorchester. She chose to receive her prize as a one-time payment of $390,000 (before taxes).



When claiming her prize, she said that six months ago, she had a dream about winning the lottery. The subconscious mind works in miraculous ways. She had bought the winning lottery ticket at Country Farm, 429 Washington St. in Holliston. The store receives a $5,000 bonus for the sale of this ticket. She also said she plans to use her winnings to invest and to do some nice things for her family.

Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The lottery officials also confirmed that a $25,000 a year for life prize won on May 17, 2023 “Lucky for Life” drawing remains unclaimed. This winning ticket was purchased at J Convenience Store & Laundromat, on a main street in Natick. “Lucky for Life” prize winners have one year from the date of the drawing to claim prizes. And if the prize expires, it becomes part of the net profit that the Lottery returns to the Commonwealth for distribution to all 351 cities and towns, the officials wrote.


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According to its website, the Massachusetts Lottery celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. Since selling its first ticket on March 22, 1972, “the Lottery has generated over $149 billion in revenues, awarded over $105 billion in prizes, returned over $32 billion in net profit to the Commonwealth for unrestricted local aid provided to cities and towns, and paid over $8.5 billion in commissions and bonuses to its statewide network of retailers.”


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According to the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission, the “Lucky for Life” game requires players to match five numbers out of 48 to win $25,000 a year for life. Those who also match one Lucky Ball in addition to five numbers, out of 18 numbers, win $7,000 a week for life, or $364,000 a year, before taxes. The odds of matching at least one ball is 1 in 7.8.



  • Australia produces so much solar power that they’re giving three hours of it away each day for free
    Photo credit: CanvaSolar energy surpluses during the day offers Aussies free energy.

    In a time when energy costs are rising, Australia is taking a different approach. The country has acquired so much solar power that they’re giving it away. In fact, those who sign up for the program will get three free hours of energy each day.

    This comes from a government-run offer dubbed Solar Sharer. It offers a free three-hour period for those who sign up. This period runs from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. The period runs from noon to 3:00 p.m. in South Australia. 

    Free, but not unlimited, power

    While the power is free for those who are eligible and have a smart meter, there is a daily cap of 24 kilowatt-hours (kWh). Any amount above that will be charged. However, the energy cap is based on the Australian Energy Regulator’s assessment of what a five-person household uses each day. 

    While that free period each day provides a great window to use major appliances or charge electric cars, there are some catches. Solar Sharer isn’t yet available to residents outside those areas, but energy brokers are making similar offers. There is also no guarantee that electricity rates won’t get higher outside of those free periods either.

    Who benefits?

    The program is designed for those who are a part of a solar power grid. It also benefits people who work from home the most. If the people in the household are at their job or the office, they likely won’t be able to take advantage of the deal.  

    While Energy Consumers Australia supports this offer, they are concerned about how governments and retailers relay the information to customers. In short, they don’t want people to be surprised if their electricity rates are charged higher during the non-free periods. They’re also concerned that, by their measure, only three in 10 eligible people were aware of this offer.

    “We don’t want to have people signing up to these plans assuming it will decrease their bills, when in fact it could do the opposite,” the consumer advocacy group said to The Guardian.

    There is a chance that rates won’t get higher if more people are able to take advantage of Solar Sharer. Since most electricity use is during the evening when more people are home from work, changing up the usage towards daytime hours can benefit everyone. It would still be an uphill battle as electric light is mostly used in the evening and nighttime when it’s dark.

    Similar programs elsewhere

    While there are catches, this isn’t the first program of its type. There are similar successful free energy programs in other nations. Areas such as Germany and the Nordic countries create so much green energy through wind farms that they make similar free power offers. California has also offered government programs for low-income households and farmworkers housing cheap-to-free solar energy.

    While kinks definitely need to be sorted out, creating so much generated energy to the point that it can be given freely is a good problem to have.

  • Motorcyclist trapped under a 3,300 pound car saved by Australian car salesmen
    Photo credit: @ACurrentAffair9 on YouTubeA man was saved from being crushed under a car.

    Tyler Wiebe was on his way to work on his motorcycle in Brisbane, Australia. Then a car approached in the wrong way in traffic, colliding with another car that then hit Wiebe. The accident threw Wiebe off his bike and under a car. He was trapped under the 3,300-lb. vehicle, doomed until a group of salesmen and onlookers came to his rescue.

    “I was being dragged and when it stopped, my head and chest were under the car,” Wiebe said to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The crash and being pinned down under the vehicle gave Wiebe several injuries. He suffered broken ribs, a broken collarbone, and a collapsed lung.

    But that would be diagnosed later. At the time, the car’s weight was crushing Wiebe to the point that he couldn’t breathe. His heart was also unable to beat, the pressure causing his eyes, mouth, and nose to bleed.

    “Initially it was ‘can I get out?’ and then it was ‘man I am dying, this is it,’” recalled Wiebe. “[My] wife and two kids are not here, and this is it.”

    Hope comes in the form of a car salesman

    After being stuck for two minutes under the car, help arrived from the nearby Auto Request Kedron, a used car dealership.

    “I was in the office at the time, so I heard the bang [and] came running to the doors,” Mick, one of the employees, said to A Current Affair.

    “I realized there was someone trapped under the car,” fellow employee Rob added.

    They rushed into action, recruiting other coworkers to help.

    “[I] saw Rob running and he was just whistling out saying, ‘Hey, boys, hurry up,’ ” Corbin recalled. “I remember seeing him, just like two legs. They weren’t moving at that time.”

    The salesmen tried to lift the vehicle up to get Wiebe to safety, but the car wouldn’t budge.

    “We tried to lift it off. We couldn’t, and then on the second attempt, we had a couple of other good Samaritans come and help us,” said Brian, another employee of Auto Request Kedron.

    Reportedly 15 people were finally able to lift the car and free Wiebe underneath. He was rushed to the hospital where he went under emergency operations. Under hospital care, Wiebe’s condition stabilized and he survived. Had he been under that car any longer, the worst would have happened.

    Wiebe was humbled and grateful to the salesmen and others who stepped up to save him.

    “I get more time with my daughters, I get more time with my family and a second lease on life, so just thank you, thank you,” Wiebe said in his hospital bed.

    Certified legends

    When he was discharged from the hospital, Wiebe set up a reunion with the employees of the used car dealership. He was able to introduce his family to his rescuers and thank them face-to-face. Wiebe presented them with matching t-shirts, each one with a logo reading “Certified Legend” on the front and an illustration of a person lifting a car over their head on the back.

    “You guys are legends, but now you’re certified legends,” Wiebe said to his heroes.

    A father and husband was saved thanks to the alertness and quick action of the nearby community.

  • Ohio local news viewers spring into action after seeing an elderly woman threatened with jail time
    Photo credit: News 5 Cleveland on YouTube/CanvaBeverly Thomas got an outpouring of support.

    Beverly Thomas was in trouble. The 79-year-old retired nurse in Willoughby, Ohio was summoned to court due to the state of her lawn. The judge told Thomas she could possibly be jailed for failing to maintain her property. Fortunately, Thomas was saved by people she never even met.

    Thomas has arthritis and tremors, making yard work incredibly difficult for her to do. She also lives on a fixed income, unable to afford either landscaping or legal bills. She had no idea what to do.

    “I went to court and heard [the judge] say that I can be put in jail over it, making it sound like a crime, then I got nervous and had trouble sleeping at night,” Thomas said to News 5 Cleveland.

    Local news viewers reached out

    After Thomas’ plight was reported on the local news, she had a knock on her door the following day. Standing right in front of her were the two people she needed most: a lawn care professional and an attorney offering their services.

    “They said, ‘We don’t know each other, but we just showed up at the same time.’ Wow, good people at that same time, amazing and reassuring,” Thomas said.

    The lawn care professional, Norburt Sanek, came across Thomas’ story while on Facebook. Since he was nearby and could do something, he felt compelled to act. He and the attorney weren’t alone.

    Dozens of people reached out to News 5 Cleveland to see how they could help Thomas. Sanek organized volunteers to help. Some even took the day off work to drive down to Thomas’ home to cut grass, pull weeds, and haul trash.

    The assistance goes national

    While significant progress had been made on Thomas’ property, Sanek knew that Thomas still needed more help that couldn’t be accomplished through human muscle. So, he set up a GoFundMe for Thomas.

    “We are asking for $6,000 to cover the cost of removing dangerous trees, a dumpster to haul away debris, paying her fines and court costs, installing a security system and building her a small garden that reflects her love of nature,” wrote Sanek on Thomas’ GoFundMe page.

    When the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging caught wind of the story, they decided to chip in. The agency provides advocacy and assistance for senior citizens so they can live independently.

    “I know that she has a GoFundMe account going on right now and we’re actually willing to match it up to $3,000,” said Christopher Hall, the chief operating officer for the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging.

    As of this writing, Thomas’ GoFundMe is a little over $5,000 of its $6,000 goal. Many of the donations came from locals and people across the country alike. Thomas was astounded that so many strangers would show up to help her, whether it was through volunteer work or donations.

    “I didn’t know there were kind people out there willing to help like this. I’m touched,” Thomas said. “I hope God blesses them for giving of their time to help somebody who can’t do it anymore. Thank you one and all.”

    How to help the elders in your community with their lawns

    If Thomas’ story speaks to you, you may notice a neighbor’s lawn growing neglected. It might be worth it to knock on their door and offer to mow or trim hedges. 

    If you’re not comfortable doing that or lack the tools, you can still help. Search online for volunteer groups in your area that can help this person. There are also national nonprofit organizations such as I Want To Mow Your Lawn Inc. that could provide the help your neighbor needs.

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