Less than 24 hours after winning the crown, Miss Capital City Kristina Higgins has stepped down from her role as Miss Georgia. The first runner-up Emily Cook, Miss Cobb County, takes over.

In a press release issued by the Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant, Higgins says:

"Due to my current job responsibilities as a middle school teacher and the responsibilities and time commitment as Miss Georgia, I have decided to not fulfill the duties of Miss Georgia 2009. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been chosen as Miss Georgia and fully support the system and wish Emily Cook the best of luck."

Stay tuned to ledger-enquirer.com for more details on this story.