Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 25, 1995 TAG: 9505250063
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
According to the officers, Wells stood up to be recognized as a retiring sheriff at a meeting of the Virginia Sheriffs Association last month in Virginia Beach.
Retiring sheriffs were asked to stand at one point in the meeting. After a moment's hesitation, Wells stood, the officers say.
An association representative said the event was an informal, impromptu recognition of retirees. A formal ceremony to recognize retiring sheriffs with lifetime association memberships will be held in July.
Wells had no comment when asked if he had stood with the retirees. "I'm not answering that," he said. "When I get ready to say what I'm going to do, you'll know, and everybody will know."
Insiders have said Wells plans to announce his retirement publicly June 13, the deadline to file candidacy papers.
Wells opened the possibility of a battle for sheriff last year when he waged war against the Board of Supervisors over $15,000 in interest he had accumulated from depositing Sheriff's Office payroll funds into his personal bank account.
Though not illegal at the time he did it, the practice since has been outlawed. Wells settled out of court and paid the county $2,000.
So far, five candidates have announced they will run for sheriff: Mike Brown, an international security consultant; Sgt. Dave Cooper, who oversees road deputies for the Sheriff's Office; Lt. Vernon Goode, who runs the county jail annex and who many say will receive support from Wells; Doug Maynard, an investigator for the Bedford and Roanoke public defenders' offices; and Deputy Chuck Reid, a former investigator who worked on the Derek and Nancy Haysom murder case.
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.