Miss Wisconsin Takes Home Miss America Crown

Miss Wisconsin took home the Miss America title Saturday in Las Vegas. Laura Kaeppeler, 23, became the second Miss Wisconsin to ever win the crown, after building her platform around helping children with incarcerated parents. Soaring through the talent competition with an Opera performance, Kaeppeler also survived the swimsuit portion sporting a white bikini. Sealing her win during the Q&A round, Kaeppeler said that Miss America should not reveal her political affiliation. Just like politicians, “Miss America needs to represent all,” Kaeppeler said. The beauty queen also revealed that her father spent 18 months in prison following mail fraud charges while she was in college. She said she wants “children of incarcerated adults to feel less alone, to have mentoring and to pursue as much of a relationship with their parents as possible.”