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No recent story printed in this paper has generated
as much feedback as the one about Joe
and Sue Claffy, the Flint Hill couple who won the Mega Millions Lottery to the tune of $19 million on May 15.
Letter writers and comments to the news staff here have said that including Mr. Claffy’s past was “malicious,” “tacky,” that it was unnecessary and why couldn’t we just leave him alone. Some threatened to cancel their subscriptions.
We called Mr. Claffy several times, reaching him only once to be told that he didn’t want to comment. He said he was buying some property and didn’t want the potential seller to find out it was he who was buying it for fear the price would go up.
Yes, we were going to ask how his life had changed since that horrible collision seven and a half years ago. We wanted to sit down with him and see how he was coping with his reversal of fortune. Mr. Claffy indicated he would prefer not to talk about it.
But for two key factors that led us to print the story as we did, we would agree.
First, is winning $19 million. The Claffys very publicly accepted a check from Virginia Lottery officials at the Martin’s Food Market where Mr. Claffy bought the ticket. He could have asked the lottery officials that he remain anonymous as has been done elsewhere.
Second, there’s the fact that, whatever sympathies one may have for Mr. Claffy, his actions took the life of another person: a son, a father, a groom to be. *
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