POST FALLS - James Pond's financial woes were mounting.

"I've gotten a letter from the IRS, my son's financial aid for school did not go through and we're behind on bills," the 47-year-old Post Falls man said.

But the numbers turned in his favor on Thursday.

Pond read in The Press that a Mega Millions lottery ticket worth $250,000 for Tuesday night's draw was sold in Post Falls.

"The numbers looked familiar to me," said Pond, who owns Affordable Lawn Care.

Sure enough, Pond was on to something.

His ticket matched the first five numbers, but not the Megaball.

"I started to cry and pray, and I let out a big 'woo hoo!'" he said.

The winning numbers were 11, 21, 44, 48, 49 and the Megaball was 23.

"My numbers were generated from a Quick Pick a couple years ago, and I still play with those," said Pond, referring to the computer-generated numbers.

It was the third Mega Millions ticket of such value or higher sold in the River City in the past year.

Pond said the win is perfect timing.

"I have a boat and camper that I'm blessed with already, but I live paycheck to paycheck," he said. "Times are tough and people are not paying their bills. This will help get me out of debt."

Pond knows the money - $168,000 after taxes - will go fast.

He plans to supply the wants of his wife, Kelly, and 20-year-old son Jimmy, along with his own.

"Jimmy wants a jet ski, I'll take Kelly on a nice vacation anywhere she wants, some place tropical, and I want a Harley," he said. "But I probably should pay the bills, then buy those things."

Pond, who has lived in Post Falls for 19 years, said he also plans to help others and apply some extra money to his house payment.

"I've still got lawns to mow," he said. "I'm not going to be one of those people who quit their job and change their phone number. I'm going to be the same old guy."

Pond said his previous largest lottery winning was $100, which was with Powerball.

For Pond, luck came in threes. Two years ago, he won fourth-place in the North Idaho College Foundation's Really Big Raffle, a $2,000 shopping spree. Last week he won tickets to Motley Crue and Poison concert in Tacoma.

He said he regularly plays the lottery and spends about $10 each week. He purchased his ticket at Ady's Convenience and Car Wash on Seltice Way, the same outlet where Mega Millions jackpot winner Holly Lahti of Rathdrum purchased hers last January.

"I started playing regularly when Holly won her prize," Pond said.

Lahti split the $380 million, the second-largest lottery jackpot in United States history, with Jim McCullar of Ephrata, Wash.

The odds of winning the $250,000 prize is 1 in 3.9 million.

In the past year, Idaho has had eight Mega Millions winners of $250,000 or higher with six of those, including Lahti, coming from the Coeur d'Alene area. Three of those six winning tickets have been sold in Post Falls.

Pond's win doesn't become official until he claims the prize at Idaho Lottery headquarters in Boise.