Around The Nation

Florida Lesbian Couples Wins Big & Then Some

Cary Tullos & Tara Tuttle
Photo Courtesy of The Florida Lottery

CORAL SPRINGS, FL -- When 35 year old Tara Tuttle found out that her partner of seven years, Cary Tullos, did not have breast cancer after anxiously awaiting the test results, she was happy and relieved. But life got better for her and Tullos the day she received word that cancer wasn't going to be a problem for the couple. In an interview with the Miami Herald, Tuttle said that evening, they visited a local Publix supermarket and while she was waiting on her partner to pick-up some hair conditioner, she bought a Billion Dollar Blockbuster scratch-off ticket.

The next day she found out that she had won a prize worth $10 million dollars. “That was the best day of my life,” she said.

Last Friday she and Tullos, who are domestic partners, and their two children drove to the Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee Friday to claim the $6.5 million lump sum.

“You not having breast cancer means far more to me than this,” Tuttle remembers saying to Tullos, whom she considers her wife. “This is just a gift.”

She told the Florida Lottery officals that she wants to use some of the winnings to help people affected with cancer adding “I’m the girl that always gives money in the grocery line,” she said. “Feed whoever you need to feed.”

Tuttle said that she has always been a big believer in positive thinking. In fact, she had bought another scratch-off ticket earlier and didn’t win, but carried it around with her for a month and a half and occasionally joked around with her family about what would happen if they won.

The Seattle Times: Ref. 74: Join our 'I do' social media campaign to support same-sex marriage

SEATTLE, WA -- In an unprecedented move Monday, the editorial board of the Seattle Times newspaper declared their support for same-sex marriage:

Do you support same-sex marriage? Join The Seattle Times editorial board's social media campaign to approve Referendum 74 on the Nov. 6 ballot.

If you didn't get the sign In your Seattle Times newspaper on Sept. 16, click on the image below to print one out:

Take a photo of you, your partner or your family holding this sign and share it on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #IDo74. You can also email the photo to ido@seattletimes.com. Please include names of the people in the photo. By sharing your photo, you give The Seattle Times permission to publish the photo in print and online.

See more photos at seati.ms/ido74.

Want to show your support on Facebook? Go to our Seattle Times Opinion Facebook page and download a cover and profile picture to show your support on your Facebook page.

Here is our editorial board showing its support. Pictured: Publisher Frank Blethen, holding sign, and editorial board members, left to right, Thanh Tan, Kate Riley, Lynne K. Varner, Lance Dickie, Bruce Ramsey and Sharon Pian Chan. (Photo by Ellen Banner for The Seattle Times)