If you want to figure out whether or Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson really tried to have former sheriff’s Maj. Robert Parrish fired from his community college position just as Parrish is considering a run for sheriff, have at it. Here’s a sample of what you’re in for:

In an effort to learn what, if anything, happened, the Times-News spoke with Parrish, Tony Holland, his boss at ACC, and with Johnson and John Glenn, the sheriff’s director of personnel, training and emergency management.

Holland and Parrish say the sheriff did try to fire Parrish through Glenn.

Johnson and Glenn say they didn’t ask Holland to fire Parrish. “I did not ask anyone at ACC to fire Ron Parrish,” Johnson said.

Glenn said the message he delivered from Johnson to Holland regarding Parrish was this: “If he’s teaching, our people won’t be involved.”

Takes some brain work, eh?