Miss Arkansas Pageant moves to Little Rock

The Sentinel-Record/Mara Kuhn Eleven contestants made it to the finals of the 2016 Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant Saturday night at Bank of the Ozarks Arena. They were, from left, Miss Central Arkansas Caitlyn Cook, Miss University of Central Arkansas Ashton Purtle, Miss Lights of the Delta Jennifer Ulloa, Miss South Central Arkansas Brooke Cornelius, Miss Ouachita River Samantha Hudon, Miss Heart of the Ozarks Savvy Shields, Miss University of Arkansas Savannah Skidmore, Miss Northeast Arkansas Destiny Quinn, Miss Arkansas State University Bailey Moses, Miss Arkansas Delta Maggie Benton and Miss Greater Hot Springs Stoni Butler. The pageant was still underway at presstime.
The Sentinel-Record/Mara Kuhn Eleven contestants made it to the finals of the 2016 Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant Saturday night at Bank of the Ozarks Arena. They were, from left, Miss Central Arkansas Caitlyn Cook, Miss University of Central Arkansas Ashton Purtle, Miss Lights of the Delta Jennifer Ulloa, Miss South Central Arkansas Brooke Cornelius, Miss Ouachita River Samantha Hudon, Miss Heart of the Ozarks Savvy Shields, Miss University of Arkansas Savannah Skidmore, Miss Northeast Arkansas Destiny Quinn, Miss Arkansas State University Bailey Moses, Miss Arkansas Delta Maggie Benton and Miss Greater Hot Springs Stoni Butler. The pageant was still underway at presstime.

The Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant board has announced that the annual pageant will relocate to Robinson Auditorium in Little Rock next year, after having been held for 58 years in Hot Springs.

"The decision by the Miss Arkansas Pageant Board of Directors to relocate the Miss Arkansas Pageant to Little Rock was painstakingly difficult," Kelly Bales, president of the Miss Arkansas Pageant Board of Directors, said in a statement to the newspaper.

"Hot Springs is home for many of us and a city that holds a special place in the hearts of the others, having spent many summer vacations in Hot Springs for the Miss Arkansas Pageant. It is important for us that the citizens of Hot Springs know that this has been a three-year long process in trying to move our dates back to June. Unfortunately, this was unable to happen and we felt it necessary for our program to go forward with bidding our event to other centrally located Arkansas cities that could accommodate our needs. We listened to the proposals with open minds and sifted through them with a fine toothed comb. In the end, the results were clearly defined and although we cherish the past, we must embrace the future. The board of directors is forever grateful for the support of Hot Springs since 1958 and we will treasure the wonderful memories we have shared in this beautiful city," Bales said.

"After a long and mutually beneficial relationship extending for 58 years, Hot Springs regrets that the organizers of the Miss Arkansas Pageant today decided to change the location of the pageant," Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, said Wednesday.

"The Visit Hot Springs staff worked hard to keep the pageant in the city that has been its home for more than a half century. But because of existing contracts with other customers extending for 10 years into the future we were unable to accommodate the pageant organizers’ request to change the pageant dates," Arrison said in a statement released to the newspaper.

"We understand the pageant organizers’ decision and wish the pageant continued success in its new location," he said.

"And we will work hard to get the pageant back for Hot Springs if the organizers ever decide to change their minds."

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