2026 County Fair Queens crowned | Local News

ALTAMONT – The Effingham County Fair crowned two new fair queens this week: 2026 Miss Effingham County Fair Queen Marah Kirk and 2026 Junior Miss Effingham County Fair Queen Lydia Wendling of Watson.

It was both Kirk’s and Wendling’s first time running in the fair’s pageant and first time winning.

kAm~? (65?6D52J >@C?:?8[ 3@E9 BF66?D 2EE6?565 E96 72:C’D c\w D9@HD 2?5 DA@<6 H:E9 72:C8@6CD 2?5 A2CE:4:A2?ED]k^Am

kAm(6?5=:?8 H:== 36 2 D6G6?E9 8C256C 2E t77:?892> yF?:@C w:89 $49@@=] w6C >@E96C H2D 2 72:C BF66?[ D@ D96 96=A65 (6?5=:?8 AC24E:46 96C DA6649[ 96C :?E6CG:6H 2?5 >@C6]k^Am

kAm“x H2D G6CJ 6>@E:@?2=] x 4C:65 2 =@E] p =@E @7 E62CD 42>6 @FE[ 3FE x H2D ;FDE D@ 6I4:E65[” D2:5 (6?5=:?8] “x’G6 366? 5C62>:?8 23@FE 36:?8 E9:D D:?46 x H2D =:EE=6[ 2?5 :E’D 24EF2==J 4@>:?8 ECF6[ 2?5 :E H2D ;FDE 6G6CJ 6>@E:@?2= 2?5 6I4:E:?8]”k^Am

kAm(6?5=:?8 8C6H FA A2CE:4:A2E:?8 😕 c\w 3J D9@H:?8 9@CD6D[ 2?5 96C D:3=:?8D D9@H 4@HD 😕 E96 c\w D9@HD] $96 2=D@ 6?E6CD 5:776C6?E 86?6C2= AC@;64E 42E68@C:6D]k^Am

kAm“x’5 C64@>>6?5 :E ,c\w. E@ 2?J@?6 E@ 86E E@ =62C? E96 28C:4F=EFC2= H@C=5 2?5 ;FDE E@ 96=A J@FC 4@>>F?:EJ[” D2:5 (6?5=:?8]k^Am

kAmw6C 72G@C:E6 A2CE @7 E96 72:C 😀 E96 C@56@[ D@ D96’D 6I4:E65 7@C %9FCD52J ?:89E]k^Am

kAm“x ;FDE =@G6 E@ D66 :E D@ 4=@D6[ 2?5 D9@@E:?8 E96 D9:CED FA 2?5 D66:?8 2== E96 <:5D H2?E:?8 @?6 3642FD6 x @H H96? x H2D =:EE=6[ E92E H2D >6[” D2:5 (6?5=:?8] “yFDE 2 7F==\4:C4=6 >@>6?E]”k^Am

kAm$96 2?5 z:C< 28C665 E92E E96 >@DE ?6CG6\C24<:?8 A2CE @7 E96 6IA6C:6?46 H2D E96 :?E6CG:6H A@CE:@?]k^Am

kAm“*@F H2?E E@ >2<6 2 8@@5 :>AC6DD:@?[ 2?5 E9:D 😀 2 AC@76DD:@?2= :?E6CG:6H[” D2:5 z:C<] “$@ >2<:?8 DFC6 J@F E2=< C:89E 2?5 >2<6 t77:?892> r@F?EJ AC@F5]”k^Am

kAmz:C<[ a`[ 😀 😕 96C D6?:@C J62C 2E |FCC2J $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ H96C6 D96 DEF5:6D AC6\G6E6C:?2C:2? >65:4:?6]k^Am

kAm“x H2D DFA6C 64DE2E:4[ 3FE 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6[ D9@4<65] x H2D =:<6[ ‘~9 >J 8@D9[ E96J 24EF2==J 49@D6 >6[’” D2:5 z:C<] “x’> DFA6C 6I4:E65 E@ 36 96C6 2?5 D66 H92E E96 J62C 9@=5D 7@C >6]”k^Am

kAmz:C< 6?;@JD H2E49:?8 E96 DH:?6 D9@H 2?5 86EE:?8 E@ >66E 6G6CJ@?6]k^Am

kAm“t77:?892> r@F?EJ’D D@ 9F86[ D@ 86EE:?8 E@ >66E ?6H A6@A=6 @C 6G6? E2=<:?8 E@ E96 A6@A=6 J@F 2=C625J @H[ :E’D :?E6C6DE:?8 E@ D66 6G6CJ@?6’D =:G6D[” D2:5 z:C<] “r@>6 E@ E96 t77:?892> r@F?EJ u2:C] xE’D 2>2K:?8] %96C6’D 2=H2JD D@>6E9:?8 7@C 2?J@?6 2?5 6G6CJ@?6 E@ 5@ 6G6CJ 52J]”k^Am

kAmq6<<2 q=@@> A=2465 7:CDE CF??6C\FA[ ~=:G:2 (6C>6CE H@? D64@?5 CF??6C\FA 2?5 z@C:?2 w649E 62C?65 E9:C5 CF??6C\FA]k^Am

kAma_ad |:DD t77:?892> r@F?EJ u2:C “F66? 2?5 a_ae |:DD x==:?@:D r@F?EJ u2:C “F66? zC:DE2 !9:==:AD 2EE6?565 %F6D52J 6G6?:?8’D A2862?E E@ A2DD 5@H? 96C t77:?892> r@F?EJ 4C@H?] w@H6G6C[ !9:==:AD H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 9@=5 E96 x==:?@:D r@F?EJ u2:C “F66? E:E=6 F?E:= E96 x==:?@:D pDD@4:2E:@? @7 p8C:4F=EFC2= u2:CD’ y2?F2CJ BF66? A2862?E]k^Am

kAm“(96? x H2D 7:?2==J 3=6DD65 H:E9 E96 E:E=6 @7 a_ad |:DD t77:?892> r@F?EJ u2:C “F66?[ :E >62?E D@ >F49 >@C6 E92? D:>A=J H:??:?8 2 A2862?E[” D2:5 !9:==:AD] “xE H2D E96 7F=7:==>6?E @7 J62CD @7 8C@HE9[ A6CD6G6C2?46 2?5 AC2J6CD] xE C6AC6D6?E65 E96 =6824J >J D:DE6CD 925 96=A65 3F:=5[ E96 DFAA@CE @7 >J 72>:=J[ 2?5 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 8:G6 324< E@ E96 4@>>F?:EJ E92E A@FC65 D@ >F49 :?E@ >6]”k^Am