around the world, good night and3 tonight's from the station thth on your side you are watching news 19 at 7:00 p.m. >> good evening now, thank you for being with us on this powerball wednesday. the jackpot is $1.5 billion and ticket sales have been tremendous across the state. retailers have seen a steady flow of customers. 81% of all possible winning ticket combinations will be sold before the 11:00 p.m. drawing. there is a 19% chance this could roll over to saturday. we talked with the lottery director. >> tonight will be the 20th draw in the run and $1.5 billion, 930 million in cash if you take the cash pay out. we have never seen sales like

so, you know, we say we have never been here before so we urge people to play responsibly, to not, you know, take your whole pay check. you only need one ticket to win. >> convenience stores sell the most powerball tickets and some sell more than others. one of those places jimmy's mart in columbia. that is where we find news 19's sonia gutierrez tonight. >> reporter: that's right. this is the shortest that we have seen today. there has been a line since 6:00 a.m. in the morning. i can tell you the retailers do get 7% of the powerball ticket sales. they said they have seen a raise in sales during the frenzy. e said they doubled it.

the owner says powerball sells helped them by 40% and we are getting new numbers. he told me this has been the busiest lottery day ever for jimmy's mart. they sold over several thousand tickets and they again the line since 6:00 a.m. in the morning, you believe that? most of -- can you believe that? most of that is foot traffic. people passed along and get the hot dog. i am here with one of the women who was -- women who was in the line for the powerball ticket. feeling lucky? >> yes, ma'am. i hope so. i normally don't play but i couldn't resist stopping by from work. i was just finishing up and when i saw the line i figured i had to stay in line to get my ticket. >> reporter: how long were you in line? >> 5 minutes or so. >> reporter: you are lucky

was wrapping around this. >> wow! amazing. i bought one today and one yesterday. >> reporter: very nice. all the sales 7% of that goes to the retail owners whoever get $50,000. we spoke to the owner and this is what he said. >> our volume of winners is good. we ever a huge amount of turnovers. i am pleased with that. we ararsearching g for the big one. maybe it is over there right now. i can't tell. that is what keeps people coming coming. >> reporter: we did speak to the south carolina association of convenience stores today who told me when it is a frenzy like this people walk in and get the ticket and walk out. it doesn't help as much as if you grabbed something from the

>> thank you so very much. the powerball drawing taking -- ball is taking place in tallahassee. >> reporter: record breaking ticket sales and it all comes down to this. good evening. are you nervous? >> seconds before air. luxe, 3, 2 -- like, 3, 2, and then the wave. >> reporter: he is the most giving person in the country. >> good luck. >> reporter: twice a week he givers out millions of dollars. [ indiscernible ] i get to give away all this money. it is exciting. i never get on air without thinking tonight i could very well change someone's life.

georgiainate whoever -- georgia native. he always had the powerball in his sights. >> i thought to myself one day i am going to be doing that. >> reporter: six years later that dream has become a reality and wednesday will be a historic day for him if he calls out the winning numbers. >> hearing everyone talk about it and feeling the excitement. i have never seen anything stimulate so much positive energy in my life. across the world people are excited about this game, this jackpot. that is incredible. >> reminder, you can only watch the drawing as it happens only one place in down to do that -- in town to do that right here just before news 19 at 11:00 p.m. now, the midlands most accurate forecast with chief meteorologist jim gandy. >> it has been a dry and cool day across the area.

at the airport. 30 in the city. warmedwarmed up to 51 in the city. temperatures 40 keys 40 -- 40 degrees and calm conditions. temperatures should drop to 28 degrees tonight. tomorrow we will see sunshine. warmer, up to 63 and tomorrow night an increase in clouds with a low temperature of 37. i will have the rest of the forecast coming up. >> thank you. today folks offered comments and concerns surrounding the state department of transportation. news 19's janae frazier explains the issues. >> there has been instability at the top. >> don't have the money to pay the contractors. >> reporter: one by one people discussed issues and concerns

during a over sight committee meeting. >> the process that is important for transparency is not required to be followed. the state chamber said this is something that needs to be required. >> reporter: issues about the need for more funding and resources were discussed but the roads were not the only topic of discussion. >> i am asking for the lower tratta of our -- strata of our population that there be consideration for pot holes and surfacing but for real transimportant to people who need to get -- transimportant who need to get -- transport who need to get services. >> reporter: they are waiting for an audit to help improve the department. she didn't address the issues brought up specifically but

listen. >> we are a very large ency. there is opportunity for improvement and i look forward to working with the committee and policy makers as we move forward. >> reporter: janae frazier, news 19 wltx. >> subcommittee members believe they will have a better way of helping to improve thanks to the public's input. roads. a group of democrats and republicans has been created to deal with the issue. however over afen the compromise is reached it would have to be discussed among the caucuses and brought to the floor for votes. the plan at this point would encompass d.o.t. reform, tax relief and a way to fund roads that could be in the form of a gas tax. >> try to comep with a -- come

hopefully the senate -- [ indiscernible ] >> we have to deal with this issue. funding issue. top of my agenda. [ indiscernible ] >> it will stay at the top of my agenda till we get it done. [ indiscernible ] >> and he says he would be ending session early tomorrow so they could get to talking out the compromise as soon as possible. 28 members of the dhec care committee met today to discuss issues they are facing. after electing a new chairman they discussed regulation changes, resident safety and kitchen training and some facilities had questions regarding medication and budget cuts and how it trickles down and effects their facilities. >> there is a lot of challenging times for us in care facilities as far as dhec has a list of guidelines and

with that don't follow the same regulations we do and there is conflict there. so we want to clean that up and see if we can make this better for both parties. it is about the care of the residents. >> they are reaching out to those other departments to bring them into the conversation and they decided to meet semi annuallies. -- annually. the sheriff apprehended a burglar suspect after a foot chase monday. deputies were searching for the 28-year-old, a suspect in two recent break ins. while in the area the sheriff says he saw him hiding behind a building. at that point he chased down the suspect all the way to the hunter ridge apartment wheres he was apprehanded by the sheriff him -- apprehanded by

-- apprehended by the sheriff himself. police are warning you to be on the look out for callers posing as law enforcement officers. somebody is targeting senior citizens by claiming to be $nt: enforcement officials or corrections officers. the scammer tells the person one of their family members has been arrested and a bond amount is required for them to be released. they tell the victim to buy a prepaid debt card and give them the code. police do not operate this way. if you get a call call law enforcement immediately. all right. still ahead, how would you like to never go ahead to the

now .

7:00 p.m. with jr berry. a company that makes products for the food service industry and food packaging industry is expanding and bringing 60 new jobs. they are investing 20 million in the plant in fountain inn. hiring will begin next summer. if you are looking for work the michelin plant is hiring, they are holding a career fair saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. at the campus at midlands tech. they delivery service shipped launched in columbia today. allows you to shop on your phone and set up a one hour time frame for your groceries to be delivered to your home. customers say it is saving them time and offering jobs to local residents who want to become

with two children it is no easiy task to go -- easy task to go grocery shopping. >> it is just -- it is stressful. and so being able to do it during nap time, put it away and have the morning or afternoon free is a very valuable service. >> the cost is $99 for a one year membership of unlimited delivery. they have partnered with publix and looking to expand to other retailers in the future. well, we had a nice day at least i thought it was a nice day, plenty of sunshine out there, jim? >> yeah. one more day of sunshine and

and now, the midlands most accurate forecast with chief meteorologist jim gandy. >> getting chilly outside. rock hilllthey are down to 32 degrees. 38 degrees in florence. charleston 47. we have clear skies at the moment. high clouds cutting across the southern part of the state. they will stay to the south. weak high pressure is in control right now and watching a weak weather system moving through the southern plains. two of them together are moving to the east and we ever milder air here, that is what we will see tomorrow. notice all the moisture that is coming up across florida right now, beginning tomorrow we will

coming out of the gulf of mexico which will bring us rain by friday. and while this is not hurricane season the first named storm of the season formed today but it was in the eastern atlantic. here is africa. portugal and spain. the canary islands and here is the system. it is a subtropical storm, alex. it won't be effecting us. it may not even reach hurricane strength but it is going to be moving to the north but it isis the first named storm of the 2016 season even though hurricane seesant doesn't -- season doesn't start till june 1. tonight clear skies. sunny tomorrow. warmer than today. tomorrow night clouds move in and on friday we will see the rain coming in during the afternoon. moving out during the evening. by the time we get to saturday it will be partly cloudy and it

tonight we are expecting low temperatures in the mid- to uppepe20s. 28 in columbia. tomorrow high temperatures in the low 60s. 63 in columbia. and then looking ahead to friday it will be cooler. 64 with rain coming through the area. moves out. partly cloudy skies on saturday. back up to 60 degrees. another front comes through on sunday. it will be windy and turning colder. the high 50 degrees. by the time we get to monday we are expecting a high of 43. we drop to 42 degrees tuesday morning with a high of 45. and we will moderate the

cloudy with a high of 50. power ball drawing is tonight at 11:00 p.m.

you can see that draw3 a number of clemson a number of clemson football players are leaving school for the nfl draft. cornerback mackensie alexander announcing today he is foregoing his final two years to enter the nfl draft. he is a red shirt sophomore and defensive end kevin dodd declared for the draft two. and defensive lineman shaq lawson is leaving. safety t.j. green and safety jayron kearse who are saying bye-bye. and usc men's basketball team taking on bama, tip-off is at 9:00 p.m. hopefully we will have highlights when you join us

we will see you then. who wants to be a billionaire? >> i need 685 quick picks. >> are you serious? >> even hillary has lot to fever. >> did you buy a powerball ticket? >> i did. >> and the mega let-down at this restaurant. >> powerball 17! >> they got every number right, so why didn't they win? >> just like that, it was gone. then, outrage over this video. american sailors forced on their knees. >> it was a mistake. that was our fault, and we apologize. >> and the young female sailor ordered to wear a head scarf. and magazine cover controversy. has kris jenner gone from this to this in just four months? and the people versus o.j. simpson.

>> why the tv movie has