A $980 million Mega Millions jackpot was won in Newnan, with the winning ticket purchased at a Publix on US Highway 29. Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen says the jackpot, which is the eighth largest in Mega Millions history, has sparked excitement and curiosity.

The 40th time was the charm, apparently, when a Georgia ticket won the Mega Millions $980 million jackpot in a record prize for the state, closing out the longest non-jackpot dry spell in the game’s 2...