American Scene: Ample petitions secured for Washington marriage measure

PENNSYLVANIA

Beauty contestant resigns, claiming pageant rigged

PITTSBURGH — Pennsylvania’s representative at the Miss USA pageant is stepping down because she says the contest was rigged, while pageant officials counter she just disagrees with the organization’s decision to allow transgender contestants.

A posting on Sheena Monnin’s Facebook page dated Monday says she’s resigned. In another post, Miss Monnin claims another contestant saw the list of top 5 contenders on Sunday morning, hours before the show was broadcast.

Pageant organizers confirm Miss Monnin has resigned, but not for the reason she claims. A statement from the organization includes text from an email it says Miss Monnin sent, citing the decision to allow natural-born males into the competition as the reason she’s resigning.

Miss Monnin, of Cranberry, did not immediately respond to a Facebook message from the Associated Press.

ALASKA

Seasonal bore tide draws surfers, viewers

GIRDWOOD — Mother Nature put on a show near Anchorage, and it had nothing to do with Venus and the sun.

The largest bore tide of the summer arrived in Turnagain Arm on Tuesday evening, drawing hundreds of people to highway pullouts south of Anchorage.

It also drew a few surfers and kayakers hoping to take advantage of a real wave in Alaska.

One of those was surfer Sue Ives of Anchorage. She says it was a “pretty great ride.”

The bore tide is a true tidal wave, caused by the tide and the gravitational influence of the sun and moon. All those aligned Tuesday night in Turnagain Arm, just south of Anchorage, for a pretty impressive show.

KTUU reported three men looking for a better viewing perch got stuck on rocks when the tide came in. The Anchorage Fire Department had to deploy a boat to rescue them.

• From wire dispatches and staff reports