Miss Dogwood Festival Melanie Grace Rush, and Miss Country Sunshine Maria Shephard will be among the 36 young ladies competing for the title of Miss Tennessee in Jackson. Pageant competitions begin June 19 and run through June 22 when the new queen will be crowned by reigning Miss Tennessee, and Tullahoma native Chandler Lawson. Shephard hails from Spring City, and holds the local title of Miss Country Sunshine.