Wayne County Outlook

Posted December 18, 2012 at 8:16 pm

A local woman was arrested last week and charged in connection with a home invasion, and police are seeking two other suspects at this time.

According to the Monticello Police Department, Victoria R. Young, 20, was arrested on Thursday, December 6 and charged with first degree robbery.

The arrest came several hours after the Monticello Police Department responded to a “home invasion” style robbery on West Evelyn Avenue. The robbery was reported at 2:34 a.m. No injuries were reported in the incident, according to Monticello Police Detective Derek Lester.

Lester stated that members of the family at the residence were awakened by a female knocking on the door. Both parents who live in the home do not speak English, so Lester indicated that their 11-year-old daughter was brought to the door to interpret.

The female said she needed help, according to Lester. The father, through his daughter, told the woman that they could not help her at that time of night. A few minutes later, Lester said there was another knock at the door and the female was joined by two other individuals, a man and a woman who were both wearing masks. The male had a gun and they entered the residence.

Items, including electronics, and cash were taken from the home, according to the detective. He said the suspects were in the home only a short time.

Young was arrested at 7:38 a.m. and she was lodged in the Wayne County Detention Center.

Lester said investigators do have some persons of interest in the investigation. He asked that anyone with information about the robbery contact the Monticello Police Department at (606) 348-9313.

Lester cautioned all local residents to be wary about opening the door to strangers late at night. He advised that if someone knocks on the door seeking help, it would be best to call the police department and an officer can respond to the area.

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The Kentucky Board of Education approved Education Commissioner Terry Holliday’s recommendation to implement state assistance to the Monticello Independent School District, during a meeting held in Frankfort on Wednesday, December 5.

In accordance with state law KRS 158.785, if the commissioner determines that a management audit of a school district establishes an existing pattern of a significant lack of effectiveness and efficiency, and state assistance or state management is necessary to correct the inefficiencies and ineffectiveness, the commissioner shall place a recommendation to declare a district “state assisted” or “state managed” before the board.

A management audit conducted in November at Monticello Independent School indicated the existence of a pattern of inefficiency and ineffectiveness primarily in the district’s governance, finance and personnel operations.

KDE will provide management assistance to the district to develop and implement a plan to correct deficiencies found in the management audit. KDE will monitor the development and implementation of the corrective plan to improve the governance or administration of a school district.

If Commissioner Holliday determines that the plan is being inadequately developed or implemented, he will make a recommendation to the Kentucky Board of Education to declare the district be state-managed.

Monticello Independent School will be under state assistance until at least February 2013, at which time the district’s progress will be reviewed to determine if the designation should continue.

Also during Wednesday’s meeting, the state board of education approved Holliday’s recommendation to implement state management of the Breathitt County School District.

This action means that all administrative, operational, financial, personnel and instructional aspects of management formerly exercised by the Breathitt County Board of Education will now be done by Holliday or his designee.

The commissioner will likely designate a state manager to act on his behalf in the district.

These are the first instances in many years that districts have been formally designated as “state managed” or “state assisted” under KRS 158.785.

The most recent designation of state assistance was in 2000, with the Covington Independent School District.

The most recent designated state management occurred in 1997, with the Floyd County School District.