Miss USA pageant stays in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- The Miss Universe Organization Tuesday said its 2006 Miss USA pageant would be conducted in Baltimore for the second consecutive year.

Tourism officials said pageant guests spent as much as $3 million during the last competition and the broadcast provided about $6.5 million in free advertising for the region, the Baltimore Sun reported.

The pageant usually changes location each year. But Baltimore stepped up to the plate and began wooing the organization minutes after the 2005 pageant ended, the newspaper noted.

Miss USA is co-owned by NBC and Donald Trump.