Metro East Sun

On Jan. 30 Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Vandalia) congratulated Paige Van Dyke of Clay County for being named the 63rd Miss Illinois County Fair Queen.

“You all know I love celebrating the successes of the young people of our state,” Plummer wrote on Facebook. “It was always a point of pride for me to highlight champions in sport, academics, art, and more from throughout the 54th State Senate District. Well, I am pleased to say that the new 55th State Senate District, which I am humbled to now represent, is home to Illinois' 63rd Miss Illinois County Fair Queen, Paige Van Dyke of Clay County! Paige was crowned the 2023 Miss Illinois County Fair Queen at the 112th annual convention of the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield.”

According to the Central Illinois Farm Network, Van Dyke, 21, lives in Lewisville and represented Clay County at the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs Convention that took place on Jan. 29. She attends Oklahoma State University with a major in agricultural communications and a minor in special education. Van Dyke will work at the Department of Agriculture over the summer, and will attend 30 county fairs. She will be the official hostess of the Illinois State Fair in Springfield and the DuQuoin State Fair.

Agrinews reported that she takes the reins from 2022 Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Addisyn Calloni. In 2022 at the time of her win, Calloni was preparing to be a junior at Southern Illinois University. Calloni is a Royalton resident, but since Franklin County does not have its own fair, Calloni competed in the Perry County Fair.

Plummer has been a member of the Illinois Senate since 2019 when he was elected to represent the 54th Senate District, according to his website. He is the vice president of R.P. Lumber and R.P. Home and Harvest, which is a family owned and operated business with 100 locations throughout Illinois and six other states.