Butler County’s Junior Miss, Lacey Norrell, arrived at the Alcazar Shrine Temple last Friday to begin preparations for the state finals on February 17 and 18.

Norrell, a Fort Dale Academy senior, along with her fellow candidates from across the state, will vie for over $50,000 in cash tuition scholarships and more than $2.2 million in college-granted scholarships.

The winner will go on to represent Alabama at the 49th Annual America’s Junior Miss National Finals in Mobile on June 30.

The categories in which each contestant will be evaluated are scholastics (20 percent), interview (25 percent), talent (25 percent), fitness (15 percent) and self-expression (15 percent).

Norrell was chosen by her fellow county contestants as recipient of &uot;The Spirit of Junior Miss&uot; Award. She swept all the category awards with the exception of scholastics in the Butler County program last fall.

The Camellia City Junior Women’s Club sponsors the annual county Junior Miss program.

Many of the club’s members plan to be on hand to cheer on the teenager at the two preliminaries and final program this weekend at Garrett Coliseum.

&uot;Lacey is a very sweet, wonderful girl and we know she will represent us well at state,&uot; April Smith, club member, said.