7 of 29 Miss Louisiana contestants attend host university

MONROE, La. (AP) — Nearly one-quarter of this year's Miss Louisiana contestants are students at the school that's hosting the competition this week.

The University of Louisiana at Monroe says there are 29 young women trying for the crown, and seven of them are ULM students.

Only one is from Monroe. She's Miss Heart of Dixie Allison Newton, a vocal performance major. Miss Crescent City New Orleans is Alexa Madron of Ponchatoula, north of Lake Pontchartrain. She's a pre-pharmacy major at Louisiana-Monroe.

The contest runs Thursday through Saturday at Monroe Civic Center's Jack Howard Theatre.