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Now it's Heather French Henry's turn.

The former Miss America has joined a list of half a dozen party activists or leaders waiting for Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes to decide whether she'll run in 2014 against Mitch McConnell for his U.S. Senate seat.

If Grimes run, she's likely to get enough support to clear out the field. Otherwise, the Democrats have potential candidates known within political circles, but who may be not instantly recognizable with the majority of voters—former state Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gorman or environmental activist Tom FitzGerald, for example.

Without Grimes, Democrats may find themselves with a crowded primary—and that would cause problems in a bid to unseat McConnell, who polls suggest is vulnerable, says Dewey Clayton, a political scientist for the University of Louisville.

Former Miss America Heather French Henry is the latest Democrat to consider a challenge to U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell next year.

French Henry, a Louisville clothing designer, said Wednesday that she's being encouraged to run, but that she has made no decision.

McConnell is seeking a sixth term in Washington in 2014.

A magazine says Kentucky is #1 when it comes to whitetail deer hunting. The latest edition of "Outdoor Life" ranks the Bluegrass state as the top whitetail trophy state in the country.

The publication says western Kentucky was especially noteworthy for producing a relatively high number of trophy bucks.

In tallying the scores, Kentucky ranked second in the number of record-book bucks. But the state reached the top of the rankings due to a low hunter density, relatively low costs for guided hunts and hunter-friendly laws and regulations.

Eastern Kentucky University says it's giving the buyouts to 127 workers who applied for them and were accepted.

The school's executive director of human resources, Gary Barksdale, says most people who chose the buyout are rank-and-file staff workers. The program was not made available to faculty or vice presidents.

Buyout packages were calculated based on an employee's years of service. They include a $1,500 payment for health insurance costs.

Governor Steve Beshear has named a longtime tourism veteran to oversee the part of his cabinet dealing with travel and the arts.

Bob Stewart is a familiar face in state government, having worked for 11 years as commissioner of travel from 1992 to 2003.

And now, he'll be the new Tourism Secretary, having been appointed by Beshear to fill the post vacated by Marcheta Sparrow, who’s retiring.

Stewart is starting work for his fourth governor, having previously served under Brereton Jones, Martha Layne Collins and Julian Carroll. He's either played roles in tourism or worked as an executive assistant for those governors.

Stewart begins June 1.