I’ll bet this guy has a lot of new ‘best’ friends… John Darnell, a retired heavy equipment operator from Jefferson, “quick picked” his way to $200,000 in the June 9 Powerball drawing by matching all five white balls but not the Power Ball. He told the Jefferson Post that he realized he had won the next day when he checked his numbers at his local retailer.  Darnell plans to use a portion of his winnings, worth $136,000 after taxes, to take a cross-country train vacation. The ticket was purchased at Blue Ridge Tobacco & Candle on Main Street in Jefferson.