OAK HILL — Final preparations are under way for the 9th Annual Oak Leaf Festival Pageant in Oak Hill. This year there will be 12 competing in the Teen Division and 23 competing in the Queen Division. The Miss Oak Leaf and Miss Teen Oak Leaf Festival competition will also include titles for Miss Bridge Day and Miss Teen Bridge Day, which are open to residents of Fayette County only.
The pageant will be held on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Oak Hill High School auditorium. Admission is $5 for those ages 12 and up and free for children under 12. Voting for crowd favorite will be held at the door for $1 per vote.
The pageant will be hosted by former Miss Oak Leaf and current Miss West Virginia America Summer Wyatt.
The Oak Leaf Festival has given nearly $9,000 in scholarships to contestants in the last three years. This year the festival hopes to give $4,000 in scholarships to the contestants. If you are interested in donating to the scholarship fund, contact Kristi Atha-Rader at 574-0899 or any of the Oak Leaf Festival Committee officers.
Contestants for this year’s Oak Leaf Festival Pageants are as follows:
Miss Division
Hannah Butcher — Hannah is the 16-year-old daughter of James and LaVon Butcher of Oak Hill. She is a junior at Oak Hill High School.
Amy Lauren Comer — Amy is the 17-year-old daughter of Rick and Teresa Comer of Hico. She is a senior at Midland Trail High School.
Sydney Michelle Criss — Sydney is the daughter of Joseph and Angela Criss of Mount Hope. She is a 17-year-old senior at Mount Hope High School.
Heather Lynn Crum — Heather is the 18-year-old daughter of Larry and Marketta Crum of Henderson. She is a student at Marshall University and a graduate of Point Pleasant High School.
Kari Lea Davis — Kari is the 20-year-old daughter of William and Dinah Davis of Oak Hill. She is currently a sophomore at Concord University in Athens and a 2005 graduate of Oak Hill High school.
Katrina Lynn Fitzwater — Katrina is a 19-year-old sophomore at Glenville State College and a graduate of Oak Hill High School. She is the daughter of Sophia and Ronald Fitzwater of Oak Hill.
Roseanna Hale — Roseanna is the daughter of Phyllis and Stacey Hale of Hurricane. She is a senior at Hurricane High School.
Sarah Elizabeth Hanson — Sarah is a 17-year-old student at Southern Community and Technical College and a graduate of Mountaineer Challenge Academy. She is the daughter of Lisa and Scottie Hanson of St. Albans.
Jessica Dawn Herndon — Jessica is the 19-year-old daughter of David and Cynthia Herndon of Nallen. She is currently a sophomore at West Virginia University and is a graduate of Midland Trail High School.
Cynthia Renee Huffman (not pictured) — Cynthia is a 16-year-old junior at Greenbrier East High School. She is the daughter of Michelle Knapp-Huffman of Alderson.
Brittney Nicole Jackson — Brittney is a senior at Oak Hill High School. She is the 17-year-old daughter of Daniel Jackson Sr. and Darlene Sumpter of Scarbro.
Nora Kinnison — Nora Kinnison is the 17-year-old daughter of Meg and Sean Hickey of Summersville. She is currently a junior at Nicholas County High School.
Ashleigh Nicole Legg — Ashleigh is a 16-year-old junior at Midland Trail High School. She is the daughter of Stephanie Legg of Rainelle.
Cecilia Manzo — Cecilia is the 20-year-old daughter of Kim and John Manzo of Fairmont. She is a sophomore at Fairmont State University and a graduate of North Marion High School.
Sharon-Elizabeth Brooke Myers — Brooke is a 17-year-old junior at Ripley High School. She is the daughter of Denny and Patricia Myers of Ripley.
Brielle Parker — Brielle is the 17-year-old daughter of Shawn and Tiffany Parker of Montgomery. She is a senior at Valley High School.
Marti Persinger — Marti is a sophomore at Mountain State University and is a graduate of Nicholas County High School. She is the daughter of Gary and Diana Persinger of Summersville.
Lacie Pierson — Lacie is a 21-year-old senior at Marshall University and a 2004 graduate of Clay County High School. She is the daughter of David and Janeen Pierson of Clay.
Courtney Marie Sandy — Courtney is a 17-year-old senior at Webster County High School. She is the daughter of Johnny and Kaye Sandy of Cowen.
Brandy Sharp — Brandy is a sophomore at Mountain State University and a graduate of Pocahontas County High School. She is the daughter of Michael and Denise Sharp of Marlinton.
Caitlin Staunton — Caitlin is an 18-year-old freshman at WVU Institute of Technology and a recent graduate of Valley High School. She is the daughter of Patti and Richard Bradley of Adena Village.
Lauren Riley Sundin — Lauren is an 18-year-old freshman at Marshall University and a graduate of Ravenswood High School. She is the daughter of Bonnie Sundin of Ravenswood.
Marcie Uhl — Marcie is the 17-year-old daughter of Mark and Teresa Wagner of Vienna. She is a senior at Parkersburg High School.
Teen Division
Jessica Arthur — Jessica is the 14-year-old daughter of Stephanie Loudin. She is currently a student at Poca High School.
Brittany Renee Bradley — Brittany is a freshman at Mountain View Christian School. She is the 15-year-old granddaughter of Carol and Richard Bradley of Oak Hill.
Justine Nicole Britt — Justine is the 14-year-old daughter of Allen and Cindy Richardson of Mt. Nebo. She is currently an 8th grader at Summersville Middle School.
Hannah Lea Coleman — Hannah is the 14-year-old daughter of Wilma McKnight of Oak Hill. She is a sophomore at Oak Hill High School.
Ashley Edens — Ashley is the daughter of Scott and Michelle Edens of Charleston. She is 13 years old and attends school at Sissonville High School.
Autumn Nicole Fitzwater — Autumn is a 13-year-old 8th grader at Collins Middle School in Oak Hill. Her parents are Ronald and Sophia Fitzwater of Oak Hill.
Maegan Alexandria Harler — Maegan is the daughter of Marsha and Brian Miller of Mount Hope. She is 15 years old and is a junior at Mount Hope High School.
Morgan Kesecker — Morgan is the 13-year-old daughter of Jeff and Angela Kesecker of Summersville. She is an 8th grader at Summersville Middle School.
Mary Morghan Mullins — Morghan is the 14-year-old daughter of Tim and Sandy Mullins of Point Pleasant. She is a freshman at Point Pleasant High School.
Kiona Rayne Norvell — Kiona is the daughter of Steven and Charlotte Norvell of Leon. She is a 14-year-old 9th grader at Point Pleasant High School.
Alexander Nicole Richardson — Alex is the 15-year-old daughter of Keith and Tammi Richardson of Oak Hill. She is a junior at Mountain View Christian School.
Misty Rose Walsh — Misty is a student at Westwood Middle School in Westover. She is the granddaughter of Rose Marie Walsh.
Kelsey Danielle Ward (not pictured) — Kelsey is a 14-year-old freshman at James Monroe High School. She is the daughter of Robin Ward of Alderson.
Local News
9th Annual Oak Leaf Festival Pageant set for Saturday at Oak Hill High School
- Local News
-
-
Wall of Honor will be unveiled Friday
Who will be part of the Wall of Honor, a new feature to be unveiled June 21 at the Fayette County Courthouse?
-
Chamber supports school improvement
The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce has offered its support to the county Board of Education for improving schools, citing the negative economic impacts of an underperforming school system.
-
CODA schedules number of concerts
Upcoming summer evenings in Fayetteville will be sweetened by the strains of professional and student musical offerings in a series of free public concerts from Coda Mountain Academy.
-
Happy birthday, West Virginia!
-
MHES continues well-received project
Late in the school year, Mount Hope Elementary School continued a program that has made inroads into the overall health and well-being of the students and the community.
-
Fayette County flag, seal, Wall of Honor slated to be unveiled
Fayette County will celebrate West Virginia’s sesquicentennial year by unveiling its new county seal and county flag in a ceremony Saturday.
-
DEP studies discharge at Lochgelly well site
A new round of water tests near the Underground Injection Control (UIC) well at Lochgelly provide evidence that oil and gas drilling waste could be discharging into the headwaters of Wolf Creek.
-
Mount Hope council votes to have second public hearing on plan
Concerned that not enough townspeople had access to the city’s draft comprehensive plan before it went to council for vote, the Mount Hope Planning Commission has chosen to hold another public hearing about the document.
-
National Park Service moving forward with trail development
The National Park Service (NPS) is moving forward with development of several new trails in the New River Gorge National River after a recent environmental assessment failed to turn up any significant negative impact.
-
NPS announces schedule of events
Have you had a glimpse of the New River Gorge from Grandview yet this season? Now is a good time to see one of the most spectacular vistas in the region at New River Gorge National River as a ranger-guided programs bring the area's rich heritage into focus.
- More Local News Headlines
-

