Melissa Pitchford, executive director of the Miss Ohio USA organization told the media Monday at the Scioto County Welcome Center that Portsmouth will host the Miss Ohio USA and Miss Teen Ohio USA pageants this year.

Pitchford showed great enthusiasm in making the announcement the pageant would continue to be here locally.

“We are very excited, it's a pinnacle point for us to be back in Portsmouth with the Miss Ohio USA and Miss Ohio Teen USA program,” she said. “Everything in Portsmouth, since we started coming here, is getting stronger and better, and the support is getting stronger and better, and I can tell you there is not another theater in the state of Ohio like the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts.”

Pitchford said one of the signs of growth in the Portsmouth area is the limited hotel/venue availability today compared to the first pageant some seven years ago.

She also said some of the areas the committee passed over to select Portsmouth were Sharonville, Cincinnati and Lima.

Mayor Jim Kalb told Pitchford, “We are honored that you would consider Portsmouth to host your pageant.”

The dates for the Miss Ohio USA and the Miss Ohio Teen USA pageant will be Nov. 29, 30 and Dec. 1.