The 2012 Miss Ohio USA and Miss Ohio Teen USA pageants are set to take place this weekend at the Vern Riffe Center For the Arts in Portsmouth. This is the 11th consecutive year the pageants have been in Portsmouth.

“We are standing at 110 contestants,” said Kim Bauer, local pageant director.

Bauer said a number of local girls will be competing for the titles this weekend.

“We’ve been fortunate enough that they want to bring the pageants to Portsmouth every year, even though there are other cities that contact Melissa (Pitchford, Executive State Director) and offer their facilities,” Bauer said. “They prefer Portsmouth to host the pageant because of the way the community takes care of the family and friends that are visiting the area, while the ladies are getting ready for the pageant.”

Bauer estimates 500 people will visit Portsmouth over the weekend for orientation.

“Right now we’re using two of the local hotels. That means all the other family and friends scrambling to find hotel rooms,” Bauer said.

“While the ladies are getting ready for the pageant, that frees up family and friends to tour the area,” Bauer said. “This year we are happy the Korn Karnival will be going on in Boneyfiddle. We’re hoping a lot of the people will visit the Karnival.”

In September, the 2012 Miss Ohio USA and Miss Ohio Teen USA orientation was held in Portsmouth.

Morgan Smigel, Miss Ohio Teen USA 2011, was at the orientation. “This has been an amazing journey,” she said. “I’ve been able to meet so many incredible people along the way. This has definitely been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Ashley Caldwell is the current Miss Ohio USA 2011. She is also a recent graduate of Shawnee State University.

“This past year went by really fast. I feel like just yesterday I was here just being crowned. It’s been a wild and fast journey and I would love to do it over again but I can’t,” Caldwell said. “I graduated from Shawnee State right before I went to Vegas for the Miss USA pageant. I had to put in many hours in the library. Other girls were working out and preparing for Miss USA and I had to prepare for graduation; you can’t have a Miss Ohio drop out of college,” Caldwell said.

Local girls competing in this year’s pageants for the title of Miss Ohio USA 2012 is Miss Wheelersburg Katelyn Staker, Miss Scioto County Allie Wagner and Miss West Portsmouth Morgan Lack.

Local teens competing for the title of Miss Ohio Teen USA 2012 is Miss Teen Glenwood Miranda Litz, Miss Teen Clay High Shay Walker, Miss Teen Lucasville Staci Reffit, Miss Teen Wheelersburg Kara Wagner and Miss Teen Scioto County Julianna Logan.

The presentation show for both the Miss Ohio USA and Miss Ohio Teen USA pageants will start at 8 p.m. Friday with the final show for both the Miss Ohio USA and Miss Ohio Teen USA Pageants starting at 4 p.m. Saturday.

For more information and ticket information for the 2012 Miss Ohio USA and Miss Ohio Teen USA pageants, visit ticketmaster.com or the McKinley Box Office inside the VRCFA.

WAYNE ALLEN may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 208, or wallen@heartlandpublications.com.