Nearly three months since Union High School football coach Travis Turner went missing, News 5 has confirmed he is still receiving a paycheck. That’s despite warrants for his arrest on five counts of possession of child porn and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor. When asked why Turner was still getting paid, Wise County schools superintendent Mike Goforth said the school board dismissed Turner at its February 9 meeting. “Payroll records may reflect compensation issued after board action due to standard payroll processing timelines, contractual obligations, statutory requirements, or the payout of accrued leave. Such records do not indicate continued employment status,” Goforth said. … The documents obtained by News 5 through a Freedom of Information Act request include not just Turner’s total salary of $63,440. News 5 also obtained two lists with actual check numbers and pay dates. … When News 5 requested the three PDFs by email, the school system billed $150 and said the price reflects “the actual costs” in supplying the records.

Connie Clay wasn’t removed from her Richmond City Hall post for wrongdoing or for being bad at her job, according to Petula Burks, who fired her. In a September deposition, a transcript of which was recently filed in Richmond Circuit Court, Burks — the former city spokesperson who in 2024 relieved Clay of her duties as City Hall’s FOIA officer — conceded that Clay had shown “dogged persistence” in the role, had been a “competent” employee, had “helped a lot” with instituting transparent practices and had not handled FOIA requests inappropriately. And she was not formally reprimanded or dismissed for misconduct, Burks said. So why was she let go? “People (were) feeling as if all they’re kind of getting communication-wise from her is disrespect — for lack of a better word, sort of a bitchiness type of attitude, right?” … Former finance department Director Sheila White, for example, “complained because she felt as if Ms. Clay was harassing her,” according to Burks. And technology department Director Charles Todd once placed an “irate” phone call to Burks to complain that Clay had “assigned work” to one of his employees, Burks said. Former utilities department Director April Bingham, meanwhile, “questioned Clay’s motive when reviewing her emails” to fulfill a FOIA request from Mike Sarahan, a former city attorney seeking documents related to a Confederate marker on city property. … “As much as people wanted to give (records) to Ms. Clay, you know, people also want to hold onto it,” Burks explained. “And so it’s a struggle. She’s wanting to take it from you … But what happens if you give it all away?” Clay also clashed with officials over what she felt were “cost-prohibitive” quotes for fulfilling FOIA requests, Burks said.

A bill by Del. John McAuliff (D-30) that would extend conflict of interest laws for elected officials past their terms of employment was finalized by the House on Monday morning. A vote is expected Tuesday. Under current law, public employees serving as representatives on county boards, city and town councils of the jurisdictions that employee them are prohibited from voting on issues related their employment. The latest version of McAuliff’s bill would extend that restriction two years past the end of someone’s employment with the governing body. The goal is to create “ample space and time” between direct employment and holding office, McAuliff said. HB 505 was introduced in the aftermath of a year of turmoil in Purcellville partly centered around Vice Mayor Carl “Ben” Nett who was employed as a town police officer prior to taking office. He was fired from the department a few months after taking office and subsequently supported a motion to eliminate the town’s police department.