Chapel Tinius was Miss Kentucky 2024, a title she earned on June 15, 2024, at the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center (SKyPAC) in Bowling Green, Kentucky. A Bowling Green native and a graduate of Belmont University, where she earned dual degrees in Musical Theatre & Corporate Communications in 2022. ​

Community Service Initiative: Tinius’s community service initiative, “Operation Gratitude: For the Fallen, For the Fighting, For the Veterans,” is deeply personal. She is the granddaughter of two World War II veterans—her maternal grandfather, Dr. Lawrence Emberton, a Navy veteran and lifelong doctor in Metcalfe County, & her paternal grandfather, George Tinius, an Army veteran and triple amputee due to a landmine explosion. Her grandfather entrusted her with his Purple Heart medal when she was 6, a gesture that profoundly influenced her commitment to honoring veterans. ​

Over the years, Tinius has organized numerous initiatives to support veterans, including running over 25 half marathons @ three full marathons to raise funds for the Honor Flight Network. She also founded the “Run to Fly” series, completing ten 10 Ks across Kentucky to support Honor Flight Kentucky in ten days. Additionally, she has partnered with organizations like Carry The Load and created a violin/harp CD titled “Gratitude,” which she gifts to veterans as a music therapy tool. ​

Role as Miss KY: As Miss Kentucky, Tinius is the spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Kentucky Proud initiative, promoting locally grown & produced products. She has made 189 appearances across 72 countries & aims to visit all 120 countries during her tenure. Her outreach includes educational programs in schools, where she uses her musical talents to engage students & teach them about agriculture. ​ Tinius also works with the KY Department of Agriculture’s Mobile Science Activity Centers and the Raising Hope program, which focuses on the mental and physical well-being of Kentucky’s farmers and their families. Her efforts aim to raise awareness about the challenges the agricultural community faces and promote healthy living. ​

Personal Background/Education:

Raised on a small horse farm in Bowling Green, Tinius has been actively involved in the arts from a young age. She performed in musicals & plays in south-central Kentucky, played the harp at various events, and was a member of the Red River Fiddlers Band for 12 years.

Step into the world of a true master of illusion, Lance Burton, a magician widely considered by his peers to be the greatest of the last century. As magic historian Mike Caveney famously stated, “Take every Magician in the world, line them up and give them each twelve minutes…Lance Wins!” His journey began in Kentucky, where a childhood fascination with a magic trick, "The Miser's Dream," sparked a lifelong passion. This early interest quickly evolved into a prodigious talent, leading him to win the "Gold Medal for Excellence" from the International Brotherhood of Magicians in 1980.

Burton's career skyrocketed when he burst onto the national scene with his first appearance on *The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson*. So impressed was Carson that he gave the young magician an unprecedented 12-minute routine. This was just the beginning of a storied television career with numerous specials and late-night appearances. In 1982, Burton made history by becoming the first American and the youngest person to win the Grand Prix award at the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (FISM), often called the Olympics of magic, solidifying his status as a world champion.

His incredible talent found its ultimate home in Las Vegas, where he became a legendary headliner. After a record-breaking nine-year run in "Folies Bergère," he launched his own shows. In 1996, he signed a historic 13-year contract with the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, where the custom-built, 1,274-seat Lance Burton Theatre was constructed specifically for his act. Over his career, he performed an astounding 15,000 shows for more than 5 million fans, becoming a cornerstone of Las Vegas entertainment and earning the title of "Best Magician" from the Las Vegas Review-Journal for 18 consecutive years.

After concluding his long-running Vegas residency in 2010, Burton didn't simply vanish. He returned to his home state of Kentucky, dedicating time to mentoring young magicians, supporting various charities, and even directing a feature film, *Billy Topit Master Magician*. While he has retired from the grueling schedule of a nightly headliner, he continues to share his craft with the world. Today, he tours with his acclaimed show, "Lance Burton & Friends," bringing a family-friendly mix of grand illusions, masterful sleight-of-hand, and special guest performers to audiences across the country, proving that his ability to inspire wonder remains as powerful as ever.