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Jan Boston Sellers All eyes are on Lisa Tollett A group of locals left early Friday morning
on a charter bus bound for Gary, which is about 35 miles southeast
of Chicago. Lisa's family left last Sunday morning for the pageant,
which included some preliminary competitions earlier this week. Since arriving in Indiana on Valentines Day,
Lisa has had to deal with a horrible cold, and the death of NASCAR
driver Dale Earnhardt. Lisa, who dates fellow NASCAR racer Elliot
Sadler, knew Earnhardt personally. As a matter of fact, twin
sister Lori actually dated Dale Jr., also a NASCAR driver. But, as of press time, Lisa was feeling better
and ready for this weekend's event. She said she is thrilled
that she will have more than 50 friends and family members in
the audience when she takes the stage Friday night. If she wins
the Miss USA crown, Lisa will live in New York City for a year
in an apartment with Miss Universe and Miss Teen USA. Friday night's event features William Shatner
as the host. The judges' panel includes actors Daniel Baldwin,
Karen Duffy and Ernie Hudson; boxer Roy Jones Jr.; MTV's Anada
Lewis; Dr. Drew Pinsky; Broadway actress Doris Roberts; and Martha
Stewart. Entertainment will be provided by rhythm and blues singer
Sisqo and country music group The Warren Brothers. Lisa will be competing in three areas for
the title. They include evening gown and swimsuit competition
and an interview with the judges. There is no talent competition
in the Miss USA pageant. Lisa won a Miss America preliminary here several
years ago, clog-dancing as her talent. Lisa is a graduate of Cumberland County High
School and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She and
her sister Lori are the official spokeswomen for the WB Network
in Knoxville. If you want to check out Lisa and the other
50 contestants, get on your computer and log on to Miss USA.
Then, make sure your television sets are on CBS Friday night
for the Miss USA Pageant broadcast. *** First runner-up was Katherine Hill, Cumberland
County's Fairest of the Fair. Katherine Miller, 17, of Knoxville, won the
Miss Upper Cumberland title. She performed a lyrical ballet during
the talent contest. She, too, gets to compete in the Miss Tennessee
pageant come June. First runner-up for Miss Upper Cumberland
was Frannie Hathaway of Elizabethton. Perhaps one of the most
poignant moments of the evening was when emcee Ken Deadmon crowned
Lovie Jean Smith, a Miss Crossville from the 1940s. She is the
only other Miss Crossville ever crowned. She lost her crown during
the war years, and the Miss Crossville/Miss Upper Cumberland
Pageant Committee members replaced it. Lovie Jean is 82 years
old now and still looks like a queen! *** The winners in each division now advance to the state finals, to be held in Hendersonville in March. |