It seems like we always hear about Oregon Lottery winners, and they are everywhere but right here on the North Coast. Well, at last it’s someone local, according to a story in The Oregonian. 

And, the winner is … Aaron Bendickson of Warrenton, who won a $1 million Powerball prize. 

Life hasn’t always been lucky for him, as he was medically retired from the Army after a skin cancer diagnosis at age 23; since then, he’s also battled brain cancer. 

However, on the bright side, he quit smoking in 2022, and used the money that would have gone up in smoke to buy scratch-its and quick-pick tickets. His favorite spot to buy his tickets is at Warrenton’s Main Street Market, 191 S. Main Ave., so he, and the market, were in for a big surprise when he went back to scan his whopping ticket. 

The Oregonian says his plans include buying a new home and paying off his son’s car loan. And, hopefully, hiring a financial planner.

What are the odds? According to the Powerball website, to win the $1 million prize, the odds are one in 11,688,053.52. (Photo: Oregon Lottery/The Oregonian)