Chattanoogan takes third in world Hooters pageant

photo Top 5 winners in the 2014 Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant are, from left, Ashley Dill, third runner-up; Rachel Mundwiller, first runner-up; Janet Layug, winner; Meagan Pastorchik, second runner-up; and Sable Robbert, fourth runner-up.

Dill takes third in Hooters pageant

Chattanoogan Ashley Dill, 23, placed third runner-up out of 100 Hooters Girl contestants from around the world at the 18th annual Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant in Las Vegas. Overall winner of the contest was Janet Layug of Lakeland, Fla., who finished third runner-up in the 2013 competition.

Winners were chosen by a panel of celebrity judges, including retired UFC light heavyweight fighter and Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar, "Deadliest Catch" reality star Capt. Sig Hansen, competitive eater Joey Chestnut (who set the world record by eating 103 Krystal burgers in eight minutes in the 2007 Krystal Square Off in Chattanooga) and professional model Rachel Mortenson, a former Hooters Dream Girl.


MacDowell Club honors students

The MacDowell Music Club recently presented its Mae Temple Award to two outstanding teen musicians: vocalist Thomas West and oboe player Justin Smith. The scholarships were presented to them during the club's officer installation luncheon, held at Cumberland Presbyterian Church on North Moore Road.

New officers are Dolores Harvey, president; Mary Catherine Gang, historian; Pauline Martin, corresponding secretary; Martha King, vice president; Margaret Ann Randolph, program chairman; Jim Martin, Mae Temple Award committee chairman.

Also, Lynda Shenefield, parliamentarian; Norm Oien, luncheon chairman; Bobbie Howell, membership chairman; and Dr. Ralph Altman, treasurer.


Williams chosen for scholarship

Aurelia Williams, 16, a student at Calhoun High School, has received a scholarship from the U.S. Department of State, the first person from Georgia to be selected. Aurelia was one of 65 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad program scholarship winners.

The YES scholarship is a competitive, merit-based award that covers the full cost of an academic year abroad. Aurelia will live with a host family in Ghana for a year, attending a local high school.

The Kennedy-Lugar YES program was first authorized by Congress in the aftermath of 9/11 as an effort to increase dialogue and mutual understanding between people of the United States and people of countries with significant Muslim populations. Initially created as a program for international high school students to live and study in the United States, the YES program expanded in 2007 to include YES Abroad for American high school students.

For more information about YES or how to apply for the 2015-16 academic year, visit www.yes-abroad.org.


ArtsBuild receives $91,400

ArtsBuild (formerly Allied Arts) has received $91,400 in grant funding from the Tennessee Arts Commission.

TAC awarded three grants to ArtsBuild: Major Cultural Institutions grant of $68,500, Arts Build Communities grant of $15,900 and Arts Education: Teacher Training grant of $7,000.

"The Tennessee Arts Commission's continued funding is vital to ArtsBuild's sustainability and to the fulfillment of our mission to build a stronger community through the arts," said Dan Bowers, president of ArtsBuild. "The TAC is the backbone of the arts in this state, and their ongoing support of ArtsBuild is validation that Chattanooga is a leader in utilizing the arts to strengthen our community."

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