Local royalty off to Miss Minnesota pageant

Miss Morris, Katie Huot, and Miss Midwest Kacy Nehowig, will be competing in the Miss Minnesota Scholarship Pageant June 14-16.

Nehowig has already been named one of six finalists for the Tracie Joy McBride Family 2012 Quality of Life award. The award was established by the McBride family in honor of their sister and daughter, Tracie, who was abducted and murdered in 1995. The family says it is in her spirit of commitment to community service and living a life of integrity that they've established the award and $1,000 prize.

Nehowig will be performing a gymnastics routine for her talent.

Her platform is: One Community - A Community for All: Including special needs individuals in your community.

Nehowig is a Paynesville native and a student at the University of Minnesota, Morris.

Huot will also be performing a gymnastics routine during the pageant.

Her platform is: Finding Your Niche in your Community through Community Service.

Huot is a Morris Area High School graduate and is attending the University of North Dakota.

There are 22 contestants vying for the title of Miss Minnesota 2012. The contestants will arrive in Eden Prairie on Sunday for a full week of public appearances and pageant rehearsals.

There will be two nights of preliminary competition, Thursday and Friday, and the pageant finals will be held Saturday, June 16 at 7 p.m. at the Eden Prairie High School Performing Arts Center.