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Kentucky VA agency appoints former Miss America

By WTOP Staff

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A veterans advocate and former Miss America has been appointed commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs.

Gov. Steve Beshear announced Heather French Henry’s appointment Friday.

A few months after she was named Miss America in September 1999, French started the Heather French Foundation for Veterans, which works with other organizations to help veterans.

She is married to former Lt. Gov. Steve Henry. On July 1, she’ll replace current veterans affairs director and former U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas. Beshear said Lucas will oversee construction of a veterans nursing home in Radcliff, Kentucky.

Beshear spokesman Terry Sebastian says the change at the state agency is unrelated to the resignation of federal Veterans Affairs chief Eric Shinseki. Shinseki stepped down Friday amid widespread problems with veterans’ health care.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

By WTOP Staff
WASHINGTON — Do you know what you'd do if an emergency hits? What if you're at work, your spouse is stuck in traffic and your children are in school? There's no way to plan for every emergency, but you can make sure you're prepared for different scenarios, including making a plan for your family and building a kit of emergency supplies.
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