By Phoebe Donald Robinson / Community Columnist

COLUMBIANA – Amanda Ford of Helena was crowned Miss Shelby County 2015 and Tiara Pennington won the title of Miss Shelby County Outstanding Teen at the Miss Shelby County Pageant Friday night, July 18, at Shelby County High School.

Miss Alabama 2014 Caitlin Brunell emceed the event assisted by Miss Shelby County 2014 Holland Brown.

The GFWC-Alabama Vignette Club of Shelby County has produced the Miss Shelby County pageant for the last 27 years which is a preliminary pageant of the Miss Alabama/Miss America Organization.

Diane Moore, president of the Vignette Club, welcomed the audience. The theme was “Dances through the Decades” as Brunell, Brown and Miss Shelby County Outstanding Teen 2014 Mikaylah Dugans danced to music of different decades. Judges were Ken Brewer (head); Aubrey Miller (novice); John Windom; Rob Drinkard; and Shannon Chandler.

Ford also won the swimsuit competition and the Sonya Lefkovits Community Service Award, a $500 scholarship given by Marsha Lefkovits and Gen. Richard Quick in memory of her late mother and community leader, Sonya Lefkovits. She is a student at Troy University, where she is majoring in broadcast journalism.

“I am thrilled to be Miss Shelby County,” said Ford. “This is my last year to compete as I will age out and I am so excited to represent my home county. “

Other Miss Shelby County winners were: first runner up and talent winner, Cassidy Jacks; second runner up, Ellen Hardy; third runner up, Lacey Gossett; and fourth runner up, Shiann Harper.

Pennington, a student at Helena High School, won the talent competition of the teen pageant with her vocal rendition of “The Prayer,” written by Foster and Sager. Last year she won Miss Tennessee Valley and was second runner up at Miss Alabama Outstanding Teen where she also won the talent competition. Other teen winners were first runner up, Olivia Kurosaka; second runner up, Emma Wright; and third runner up, Reagan Handley.

“I was open-minded as I prayed before the pageant,” said Pennington. “ I am so happy that this is God’s plan for me, to represent my home county.”