Clark Palmer
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Luray, Virginia man pleaded guilty today to cyberstalking a female Army recruiter after being upset about failing his Army entrance examination.
According to court documents, Braxton Louis Danley, 26, contacted the victim, an army recruiter in Harrisonburg, Virginia, via email in February 2018 expressing his interest in joining the United States Army. In March 2018, Danley arrived at the victim’s recruiting station in Harrisonburg to take the required entrance exam. When Danley was unable to obtain a passing score, the victim and other recruiters instructed Danley to continue studying and to retake the test at a later date.
In April 2018, Danley called the victim multiple times on both her Army-issued cell phone and the recruiting station general telephone to inquire about re-taking the entrance exam. Each time, Danley was asked if he had studied for the test – which he admitted that he had not – and was advised that he would only be permitted to re-take the test after he had studied.
On May 14, 2018, Danley sent an email to the victim’s official Army email address stating, “I remember every thing you [expletive] done to me so time to settle the score.” (sic). On the same date, Danley called the recruiting station and told another recruiter he was angry and that he (Danley) needed to be arrested. In light of the email threat and phone call, the victim obtained a “no trespassing” notice and posted it at the recruiting station.
For the next few months, Danley continued to send the victim harassing texts. Eventually, the victim obtained a state Preliminary Order of Protection (PPO) against Danley.
On December 23, 2018, Danley posted a message on Facebook directed at the victim and two other Army recruiters that read, in part, “your lieing fu**ed up my life . lock and load fu**ers ima at your doorstep now .”(sic) A week later, Danley was arrested for violation of the state PPO and was convicted and sentenced to 12-months’ incarceration. He was released in June 2019.
Within a couple months of his release, Danley again posted threats against the victim on Facebook. Finally, in January 2020, Danley posted a message on Facebook that read “24 im getin locked remember j rj this is to. you im coming to get you.”(sic) Along with the message, Danley posted a link to a YouTube video that depicted, through images and lyrics, a violent home invasion and murder of the family residing in the home.
Danley pleaded guilty today cyberstalking and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 1, 2022 where he faces a sentence of up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Harrisonburg Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald M. Huber is prosecuting the case.
Photo: Glenn Youngkin Facebook
RICHMOND, VA – Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin today announced he has chosen Aimee Rogstad Guidera to serve as the next Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“Aimee will be a critical partner in restoring expectations of excellence; overseeing a record education budget to invest in teachers, facilities and special education; rolling out innovation lab and charter schools; and standing for a curriculum that prepares Virginia’s children for a dynamic future and removes politics from the classroom,” said Governor-elect Youngkin. “A nationally recognized leader, Aimee is deeply respected for her distinguished career advocating for innovation and choice, data-driven reform, and high standards, and will apply these principles in order to implement the Day One Game Plan. Most importantly, she understands that parents matter, and the best interests of students must come first. Her leadership, intellect, and talent will be tremendous assets as we ensure Virginia kids are the best prepared in the country to succeed, and that they are taught how to think, not what to think. She will help us recharge a system that has settled for too long.”
Guidera is currently the President of Guidera Strategy, and is the former founder and chief executive of the Data Quality Campaign (DQC), a leading national organization advocating for improved quality, accessibility and use of education data to increase student achievement. Before founding DQC, Guidera served as the director of the Washington, D.C., office of the National Center for Educational Achievement. She started her career working on education policy at the National Governors Association. A Maryland native, Guidera and her husband moved to Virginia in 1995 and their daughter attended Fairfax County Public Schools. She was an active supporter of her daughters’ public schools and served as a classroom volunteer, parent-teacher organization leader, and advisory committee member.
( From Roanoke County Fire and Rescue)
From Roanoke County Fire and Rescue: Roanoke County Fire and Rescue responded at approximately 5:30p.m. on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 to the 1100block of Pedigo Lane, in the Vinton area, for the report of a residential structure fire. First arriving crews from Roanoke County Station 2(Vinton)found light smoke showing from a two story, single family home and marked it a working fire. The fire was controlled in less than 15 minutes from the time of dispatch. The house was occupied by one adult and one teen at the time of the fire. They were alerted to the fire by the presence of working smoking alarms in the home and escaped unharmed. There were no other injuries. The displaced family of three will be staying with family. The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office is on scene to investigate a cause and provide a damage estimate. We appreciate the assistance of Roanoke Fire and EMS on this call. This fire shows the importance of having working smoke alarms in your home.
The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office has concluded that the cause of this fire was an unattended candle and damages are estimated at $35,000. We would like to remind everyone that December is the leading month of the year for candle related fires. Lit candles should never be left unattended. Also, for the second time in less than a week, working smoking alarms have notified occupants of a fire and allowed them to escape unharmed in Roanoke County.
Jared Ford
A suspect has been taken into custody following a standoff this morning on Main Street in Southwest Roanoke between Kerns and Welton Avenues. 29-year-old Jared Ford is facing several charges including assault and battery. All roads are back open and there is no ongoing threat to the community
( From Roanoke County Fire & Rescue Twitter)
UPDATED NEWS RELEASE: The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office reports that the fire that occurred on Lodi Lane this morning remains undetermined at this time due to the damage caused by the fire and structural instability. Damage estimates are $300,000.00.
PREVIOUS: Roanoke County Emergency crews responded to a house fire this morning in the Bent Mountain area. Investigators say two people and a dog made it out safely thanks to working smoke alarms. However, one parakeet died in the blaze.
NEWS RELEASE: (Roanoke County, VA—December 10, 2021) Roanoke County Fire and Rescue responded at approximately 5:48a.m. on Friday, December 10, 2021 to the 7000block of Lodi Lane, in the Back Creekarea, for the report of a residential structure fire. First arriving crews from Roanoke County Station 11(Back Creek) found heavy fire and smoke showing from the roof of a two story, wood sided, single family home and marked it a working fire. The house was occupied by two adults at the time of the fire. They were alerted by the presence of working smoking alarms in the home and escaped unharmed along with one dog. One parakeet did die in the fire. There were no other injuries. The house is a total loss. The displaced family will be staying with other family members who live close. The Roanoke County Fire Marshal’s Office is on scene to investigate a cause and provide a damage estimate. Units from Back Creek, Bent Mountain, Cave Spring, Clearbrook, and Mt. Pleasant all responded to this fire. This fire shows the importance of having working smoke alarms in your home.
A new book by a Roanoke College professor is analyzing LGBTQ history in Southwest Virginia and discussing how that knowledge can make our area more welcoming. WFIR’s Clark Palmer has more in this In-Depth segment.
(Photo from Angels of Assisi)
Roanoke Police have charged the owner of a dog that was found tied to a pole at a local park last month. There is no word on what the dog’s previous owner is charged with or why the dog named Luna was tied to the pole. Officials with Angels of Assisi say Luna is on antibiotics to treat Lyme disease and will undergo surgery to remove a mass on her side.
Two individuals now face 81 charges in connection to a rash of vehicle break-ins and thefts in the city. Salem Police made the arrests this week following a flurry of vehicle larcenies during the month of November. Between November 8and 13 of this year, the 911 operations center received multiple calls from various parts of the city, related to items being stolen from cars and trucks in Salem neighborhoods. As a result of the police investigation, Ryan A. Fletcher-Waldron, 21, of Roanoke was arrested. He now faces 40 charges for Petit Larceny, Grand Larceny, Theft of a Firearm, PropertyDamage and Unlawful Entry into a Vehicle. In addition, Courtney J. Ferguson, 20, of Roanoke also was arrested and charged with 41 counts related to Petit Larceny, Grand Larceny, Theft of a Firearm,Property Damage, and Unlawful Entry into a Vehicle. A total of 19 victims have been identified and the investigation remains active.Salem Police urge citizens to always keep their vehicles locked when they are not occupied.
Ryan Fletcher Waldron
Courtney Ferguson
