Published: November 07, 2007 09:50 pm            

Local girl wins $20K Gold Star on ‘Kid Nation’

NEW YORK — Kennedy Womack was in the spotlight of “Kid Nation” on Wednesday night.

Womack, a 12-year-old from Russell and one of two Kentuckians on the CBS reality television show, was awarded the prestigious Gold Star worth $20,000 at the conclusion of last night’s episode.

The new and somewhat controversial reality show put 40 kids in an abandoned mining town in Bonanza City, N.M., so they could form their own village without the presence of adults.

Each week the Town Council, also made up of kids, gives one of the TownKids the Gold Star for hard work, good deeds and good attitude at the end of each episode.

Womack had been shown only briefly on previous episodes but burst into the spotlight on this one. She and 10-year-old Savannah, the other Kentuckian, fixed a Kentucky dinner that the TownKids gushed over.

Savannah, who is from Partridge in southeastern Kentucky, was hinting she wanted to go home. Kennedy was one of several TownKids who persuaded her to stay following a talent show. Kennedy performed a novel dance routine that had a comedic twist to it and the TownKids sang her praises to the Town Council.

The final vote for the Gold Star was a close one between Kennedy and Olivia, a 12-year-old from Indiana who did a stand-up comedy routine as her talent. Both girls were popular with the TownKids but the council went with Kennedy for the prized Gold Star.

As an additional part of the prize, Kennedy was able to call her mother Tammie in Russell. It was a tear-filled reunion for mother and daughter.

Nobody is voted off the show but contestants are free to leave at any time for any reason.

On its Web page, CBS’ description of the show reads: “They will tackle grown up issues while coping with the classic childhood emotions of homesickness, peer pressure and the urge to break every rule they’ve ever known.”

Womack, a seventh-grader at Russell Middle School, said in an earlier interview with The Independent that although the experience was “tough” it was the best of her life. The show was filmed over 40 days in April and May of this year. During that time, Womack had no communication with family and friends.

“Kid Nation” airs every Wednesday at 8 p.m. Last night was the eighth episode of the season.

        

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