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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 22, 2005 A bicyclist pedals past the media gathered on Maple Park Drive across the street from the Wests� home. Medford police were called to the house when someone inside complained that media representatives were preventing teenagers from leaving to go to schoo Mail Tribune / Jim Craven In the Spotlight Powerball winners all but silent as media wait in vain outside their Medford house By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Media crews camped outside Steve West’s Medford home and followed his daughter to high school Friday, two days after the self-employed landscaper apparently won a record $340 million Powerball jackpot. West, 48, spoke briefly to ABC News Radio before retreating from the swarm of cameras, notebooks and microphones trained on his modest 50-year-old home on Maple Park Drive. He told ABC that he plans to invest the money after buying a sports car and taking a vacation. "I still don’t really believe that it’s true," he said. "It just hasn’t really sunk in well. I’m told by everybody else that this is a life-changing situation, and I didn’t plan on wanting to change that much. I mean, the money always sounded great, but I didn’t want to change my lifestyle to go along with it." Oregon Lottery spokesman Chuck Baumann couldn’t confirm whether West and his wife, Carolyn, 47, were winners of the record prize. No one had called or come to the Salem lottery office to validate the winning ticket, he said. Advertisement Winners have a year to claim their bounty, but once they do, Oregon law requires the commission to identify them, Baumann added. West previously had told the Mail Tribune he wouldn’t discuss his lottery fortune until after Tuesday, when he has an appointment with a lawyer. News crews waited in vain for hours Friday for sign of the family. Medford police Lt. Tim George said officers were called to the Halloween-decorated house when someone inside complained that media representatives were preventing teenagers from leaving to go to school. Daughter Meagan, a freshman cheerleader at North Medford High School, performed briefly at a homecoming pep rally, but was whisked away by school security. West and his wife, who works for Laidlaw Transit Co., have four children, friends said Friday. They include another North High student, daughter Erin, 17, and two older sons. Those familiar with the Wests described them as a down-to-earth family who would make good use of lottery winnings. "I’ve just gotten to know them this year and I think they’re a neat family," said Candi Galbreath of Medford, whose daughters, Silver and Tiffany, are also on the cheerleading squad. "I have four kids and I know how excited we would be." West told ABC he knew he had the winning ticket after family members checked numbers online. The family did not watch the Powerball drawing on TV, he said. "We got a call from other family members saying, ‘I can’t believe it, some of these numbers are matching.’ And then she (a relative) started saying, ‘All these numbers are matching.’ And we thought, ‘Wow.’" It was the first time the Wests had played Powerball. They bought $40 worth of tickets after the jackpot for the multistate game reached a record $340 million. No one has yet confirmed where in nearby Jacksonville the ticket was purchased, but Randy Lewis, manager of Ray’s Food Place, said Steve West called him early Friday. "He sounded kind of worn out," Lewis said. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail In the Spotlight ">[email protected] . The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s