CHICAGO -- Last month's Chicago-area garbage strike is smelling pretty sweet to two weekly lottery players -- who threw out their ticket without checking the numbers.
After siblings Ezekiel and Karen Garnett tossed out the ticket they bought in a Chicago suburb for the Oct. 4 drawing, their mother heard that a winning ticket had been sold there. She wanted to check the numbers -- and thanks to the garbage strike, the ticket remained in a garbage bag waiting to be picked up.
Illinois lottery officials say the ticket is worth $10.5 million. They presented the Garnetts with a commemorative check Wednesday.
Ezekiel Garnett said he expects to live comfortably on the money, though he'll keep working at United Parcel Service. His sister said she'll buy a house, pay some bills -- and travel to Hawaii.