| Saturday, October 8, 2005 |  |
| New Orleans hurricane victim hits the jackpot | 0 comments |
| 8 Oct 2005 @ 01:03 New Orleans hurricane victim hits the jackpot Thu Oct 6, 1:46 PM ET A New Orleans storm victim shelled out $4.25 in quarters and won a $1.6 million jackpot at a Louisiana casino where she had stopped to play the slot machines on her way to shop at a Wal-Mart discount store. "I am a casino fanatic, it relaxes my nerves," said Jacquelyn Sherman, a 57-year-old retired librarian whose fortune changed on Tuesday. "I like winning but I never expected to win like this." Sherman has been sleeping on her sister's floor in Opelousas, Louisiana, since the storm ravaged her house and killed hundreds of New Orleans residents in late August. Sherman said she is determined to find a new, comfortable home back in New Orleans. The casino where she got lucky with the slot machine was Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino in Opelousas, near Lafayette where many victims of Katrina and later Hurricane Rita sought shelter. With regard to Wal-Mart, Sherman said: "We haven't gotten there yet." |