Police and officials showed up at a Mrs Nevada beauty contest on Sunday, though it was not their appreciation for beauty that drove them there, but rather an order to shut down the event due to the presence of more than 50 people.
The contest was held at the Ahern Hotel’s convention center Sunday evening. The event featured local beauties, their families and friends and other spectators seated in the ballroom.
The pageant was apparently already underway when members of the Las Vegas Department of Business Licensing arrived, accompanied by police. When a voice via a loudspeaker notified attendees of the officials’ presence, the unsuspecting audience erupted in applause, which was short-lived, however, after the goal of the surprise visit was announced.
VIDEO: The moment @CityOfLasVegas business licensing shut down tonight’s Mrs. Nevada pageant. (Video: Abingdon Mullin) | Story: https://t.co/joboY4xnPypic.twitter.com/uqLnH1jbbO
Officials said that the event could not continue in that form because it was in violation of Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s coronavirus guidelines that prohibits gatherings of more than 50 people, according to the event organizers.
Alright friends and family. The governor just shut down the pageant for spectators. The show is going to go on but without an audience. It will be streamed On Instagram live @mrsnevadaamerica You are all welcome to jump on and show your support for my wife, @emily.cress .
The Las Vegas Review Journal reported that there were about 200 people in attendance at the time. To salvage the pageant, the organizer asked all guests that were not participants or directly involved with the organization to leave.
Please join us in congratulating, Dianna Klein, a Wife, Mother, USAF Veteran, Airline Pilot, and Forever Tomboy, for being recognized as our 2020 very first Mrs. Nevada American! ?
Though the decision was met with ‘boos’ from the crowd, after the spectators complied with the order, the event resumed behind closed doors, with Ashley Tesoro emerging as the winner.
Congratulations to the new Nevada Queens! ??? Mrs Nevada America @ashleytesoro Mrs Nevada American @mrsdiannaklein Miss Nevada for America @theparisregan
While the city said that they “attempted to notify the Ahern Hotel that the pageant would violate the governor’s directives” earlier in the week, and claimed that their “licensing officer was escorted off [the] property by hotel security,” some of those involved with pageant organizers argued that the raid was bitter revenge for the hotel previously hosting an ‘Evangelicals for Trump’ event.
“This is punishment for hosting the Evangelicals for Trump event because last night’s slap on the wrist made no sense,” Amy Tarkanian, a judge at the pageant, fumed.
Im still in a foul mood over this BS from last night. This is punishment for hosting the evangelicals for Trump event because last nights slap on the wrist made no sense. We crowned our winners but without the originally agreed upon sized audience. Rock it ladies! Whatever…. pic.twitter.com/H7ZOtfAWuq
Kari Deike, a tabulator at the event, echoed Tarkanian, telling News 3 that contestants were “just unfortunate victims” of the governor’s “direct retaliation” for the previous Trump rally.
The hotel was slapped with a $250 fine for hosting the pro-Trump event last week, drawing ire from Sisolak, who tweeted that he was “dismayed” to see “the callous and dangerous behavior displayed” by the attendees of the Trump rally that took place several days before the doomed pageant.
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