Miley Worker is 2021 Miss Fayette County Fair

BY CARISSA SITKI

The Fayette County Fair has a new queen for the first time in two years after Miley Worker was crowned the 2021 Queen on Monday evening, July 12.

Worker succeeds the 2019 Queen, Marlee Nolen. Nolen was the longest reigning queen in the fair’s history due to the COVID-19 pandemic that prevented the 2020 pageant from taking place.

This is not Worker’s first time being crowned Fayette County Fair Royalty. She was named 2015 Junior Miss when she was 12-years-old and Little Miss when she was five-years-old. Worker told the News Banner that she feels honored to serve the county for her third time. “I’ve been a Junior Miss and a Little Miss, so I know how amazing it feels to be able to represent Fayette County,” Worker said. “It definitely means so much that I’m able to represent it for a third time.”

Worker is a recent graduate of Vandalia High School and plans to attend Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville where she will study to become a Radiologist.

Anna Kramer was named Miss First Runner-Up and Brenna Hayes was named Miss Second Runner-Up. Other Miss winners were: Reagan Walker, People’s Choice; Kramer, Congeniality; and Worker, Photogenic.

Also on Monday evening, St. Elmo’s Mabry Booher was crowned the 2021 Little Miss Fayette County Fair Queen. Booher succeeds the 2019 Little Miss Brylie Schmid who was the longest running Little Miss in the fair’s history due to the pandemic. Andi Schmid received the Little Miss First Runner-Up title and Laekyn Worker was named Little Miss Second Runner-Up. Sloan Durbin was voted Little Miss People’s Choice.

Dark clouds threatened the 2021 Miss and Little Miss Pageants, but the weather remained clear for the entirety of the contest. There were eight Miss Contestants and 25 Little Miss Contestants, in total, competing for the titles.

The 2021 Miss Contestants were: Worker, 18, of Vandalia; Miriam Blomberg, 20, of Farina; Addison Eddy, 18, of Ramsey; Walker, 18, of St. Elmo; Hayes, 18, of Ramsey; Kramer, 18, of Farina; Mandy Koehler, 19, of Brownstown; and Santandrea, 16, of Ramsey.

The 2021 Little Miss Contestants were: Ariella Sachan, 5, of Vandalia; Nora Carroll, 6, of Brownstown; Harper Davison, 6, of Brownstown; Layla McFarland, 7, Vandalia; Johanna Bergmann, 8; Emery Spencer, 6, of Vandalia; Parker Haslett, 7, of St. Elmo; Durbin, 8, of Vandalia; Summer Carpenter, 8, of Vandalia; Rylin Pruett, 7, of Brownstown; Mailee Cloe, 6, of St. Peter; Emersyn Sanders, 7, of St. Elmo; Gentry Carbaugh, 8, of Patoka; Anna-Grace Heselton, 6, of Vandalia; Schmid, 6, of Vandalia; Hallie Calliham, 7, of Vandalia; Addie Robbins, 6, of Vandalia; Reese Carbaugh, 5, of Patoka; Booher, 6, of St. Elmo; Annley Schaub, 6, of Brownstown; Ellis Lewis, 6, of Patoka; Lillian Reeder, 5, of Vandalia; Worker, 6, of Vandalia; Davie-Ellen Givens, 5, of Vandalia; Madyson Boggs, 5, of St. Elmo.

Shayla Stock emceed the pageants and the three judges were Stacey Jones of Du Quoin; and Bonnie and Chuck Ross, both of Waverly.

Results of the Tuesday, July 13, Junior Miss and Future Miss Pageants were not available at the time of this paper’s print date. Winners will be published in next week’s edition.