Former police chief planning next step after appeal denied

(The Stokes News) - Walnut Cove still has an interim police chief and the former police chief will not be reinstated to his job with the town.

While Town Manager Homer Dearmin said he could not comment on the contents of a letter to Barry Conaway, former police chief, following a grievance hearing two weeks ago about his termination on Jan. 7 citing personnel matters, he did say that Conaway is still no longer an employee of the town.

Sgt. James Hill remains the town’s interim police chief, Dearmin said, and the town will begin its recruitment of a new police chief soon as it is developing a job announcement and strategy for selecting the next chief. The job vacancy will be posted next Wednesday.