(RI Lottery)

A Portsmouth woman is $50,000 richer after hitting the top prize on a JAWS instant lottery ticket, according to the Rhode Island Lottery.

The winner, who plans to use the money for a trip to Florida, purchased the ticket at Melville Xtra Mart at 1568 West Main Road.

Players with non-winning JAWS tickets still have a shot at prizes through the lottery’s second-chance drawing. Tickets must be entered online or through the Rhode Island Lottery app by 11:59 p.m. Feb. 4. The final drawing on Feb. 5 includes a $10,000 prize and two $500 prizes with JAWS merchandise.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...