Greenwood’s Ronald Weaver looks over the number while vying for a $1 million jackpot on “Hoosier Millionaire” in December 1998.
Daily Journal Archives
News from around Johnson County as reported on Dec. 28 in the pages of the Daily Journal and the Franklin Evening Star from the last 111 years.
On this day in 1998, the main story on the front page of the Daily Journal was about a local man going for the gold.
Ronald Weaver had a hard time falling asleep a week prior with all the vision dancing around his head.
But unlike the visions of sugar plums alluded to in “The Nightmare” before Christmas, the 53-year-old Greenwood man had visions of dollar signs. It was, after all, the night before the “Hoosier Millionaire” show, where Weaver appeared on Dec. 26, 1998.
At show time, Weaver seemed calm. As he sat waiting for his makeup to be done, he wasn’t sure if he’d join the 137 millionaires who had walked off the show’s set since the show began nine years earlier.
All he was sure about was his game plan.
An avid lottery player, Weaver said he had a lot of time to think about being on the show. With an eye on his competition — five other contestants — Weaver slyly held his hand to the side and made the number six.
“That will be my first number if someone doesn’t take it,” he said.
As contestant No. 2, the odds were pretty good Weaver would get his first pick.
But as for winning big, Weaver was doubtful. He thought his lucky streak was running out after he won several gift certificates and his entry ticket for the show.
Weaver ultimately won $6,000. A man from Michigan made it to the millionaire round, but he took the $100,000 the lottery offered.
Weaver said he would have gone for a try at the $1 million. But he’d take his $6,000.
“This was fun, and it’s better than nothing,” he said.
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Other memorable Johnson County stories from this day
2019
Thirteen months after the biggest drug raid in state history, most of those arrested were serving time.
2006
Four adults were arrested at a Franklin party where a 17-year-old girl had a blood alcohol level of .25. The legal limit for an adult to drive is .08.
2002
Two men suspected in a series of arsons in White River Township were caught on tape buying lighter fluid the night of one of the fires.
