BY KAREN BOSSICK

Most people are quick to claim a million-dollar lottery ticket.

Not Mike Lloyd. The Ketchum man waited 168 days to claim his winnings, despite periodic stories in the news alerting Idaho residents that someone had bought a winning ticket at Base Camp gas station at Ketchum’s south end.

And—whew!—he had just 12 days left in which he could make good on the ticket when he did finally claim it.

Lloyd, who claimed his winnings on June 15, said he did not check his ticket for a while after purchasing the ticket in October 2021 on his way to work. When he realized he was the winner three months ago, he took some times to put his financial affairs in order.

And where do you put a winning million-dollar ticket for safe keeping? It was simply on the counter of his house.

Lloyd told the lottery commission he does not plan on quitting his job selling upscale windows in the Magic Valley. He also spends evenings during winter grooming ski trails.

Lloyd told the Idaho Lottery Commission he planned to use his winnings on groceries. He might use  a few dollars to ski Bogus Basin and other Idaho ski areas. Oh, and he might purchase a few more Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle tickets.

Base Camp will receive a $20,000 bonus from the Idaho Lottery for selling the ticket.