Knox County represented at Miss Kentucky pageant

Five local ladies are ready to compete in the Miss Kentucky Pageant, which is set to kick off on Thursday evening with preliminary events beginning at 7 p.m.

Participants in this year’s Miss Kentucky Pageant include title holders from both 2019 and 2020 as some pageants, such as Miss NIBROC in Corbin, canceled their 2020 contests because of COVID-19.

One part of the pageant is popular vote. Community members can vote online at https://misskentucky.org/ for their favorite contestant to help them secure a place in the top 12. Votes cost $1.

Preliminary events kick off Thursday with more preliminary events on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Finals will begin on Saturday at 6 p.m.

The event can be viewed via livestream or in-person at the Convention Center in downtown Louisville.

Meet Miss Heart of Central Kentucky:

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Lauren Bohl, the current Miss Heart of Central Kentucky, is no stranger to the Miss Kentucky Organization.

Bohl, of Barbourville, was the 2012 Miss Kentucky’s Outstanding Teen, which is the little sister program to Miss Kentucky.

Bohl graduated from Barbourville High School in 2014 before receiving her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Union College in 2019. She has taught 5th grade at Jesse D. Lay Elementary School in Knox County for two years. She has also completed her Master of Arts in Education from the University of the Cumberlands and has a Literacy Specialist Certification.

Bohl’s social impact initiative is “The Need to Read.”

“Throughout my experiences in education, long before becoming a teacher, I witnessed many students have the ability but lack the resources,” said Bohl. “The Need to Read is focused on ways to improve literacy and provide the appropriate resources to build the strong foundation a child needs.”

This will be Bohl’s second year competing in the Miss Kentucky pageant.

“If I were to win, I look forward to meeting people across every county in Kentucky. I know how sweet and genuine the people are in Southeastern Kentucky. I want to hear the stories in each county about what makes them who they are today,” Bohl said.