Miss America contestants take the stage for the second night of preliminary competition in Atlantic City N.J. on Thursday Sept. 7, 2017. The next Miss America will be crowned Sunday night. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)
September 07, 2017 - 6:58 PM
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - The Latest on the Miss America competition (all times local):
9:55 p.m.
Contestants from Louisiana and Minnesota have won preliminary competitions on the second night of the Miss America contest in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Miss Louisiana Laryssa Bonacquisti won the swimsuit competition Thursday. Miss Minnesota Brianna Drevlow won the talent competition with a classical piano recital.
They join the winners from the first night of preliminary competition Wednesday, Miss Texas and Miss Utah.
The third night of preliminaries will be held Friday. The next Miss America will be crowned in Sunday night's nationally televised finale.
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2:25 p.m.
Mothers whose sons were killed while serving in the military will be honoured this weekend as part of the Miss America competition.
The Miss America Organization, the Got Your Back Network, Caesars Entertainment and others will host nine Gold Star Mothers as honorary Miss Americas on Sunday in Atlantic City. Three others also will be honoured in absentia.
The moms will be put up and pampered at casinos, will meet with Pentagon officials and will be honoured onstage at Boardwalk Hall before the nationally televised finale begins.
Among them will be Eileen Daly, of Brick, New Jersey, whose son Sgt. Ronald Kubik was killed in Afghanistan in 2010 and who posthumously was awarded the Silver Star.
She says she's gratified to know their families' sacrifices haven't been forgotten.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017