Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

Last week, I told Colton that it was a good thing I learned of Dangerfield Newby’s story after C was born—otherwise, his middle name probably would’ve been Dangerfield. 

See, in my husband’s family, all firstborn males have a middle initial beginning with D; we kept with tradition for our son, putting a spin on the spelling of his grandfathers’ middle names (yes, ironically, they had the same one). 

But Dangerfield? That’s one heck of a moniker right there. So who was the Virginian from Fauquier County—and what did he do? Keep reading, and remember, I’m so glad you’re here.

A worker monitors a server inside the Jefferson Lab Data Center in Newport News, Va. (Aileen Devlin/Jefferson Lab/PDM 1.0)

By Joey Held

Here’s what you need to know: Thanks to a favorable location, strong fiber setups, and affordable land, Virginia has excelled as the Internet Capital of the World.

Fun facts: 

• Back in the 1960s, the government needed a way for the Department of Defense to connect with research institutions and universities; it tapped Virginia to tinker with fiber optic networking in the early days. Virginia still maintains the highest density of dark fiber across the entire world.

• The state was also an early provider of tax incentives for data centers. Its first exemption for developers and operators came in 2009; today, 36 states offer some kind of exemption. Virginia took this route after Apple chose Maiden, NC, as the site of a $1 billion data center in 2009.

• Ashburn is the hub of “Data Center Alley,” as about half of the state’s collection of 663 data centers resides there. The city handles over a third of all the Internet traffic in the world.

Are you for or against data centers? Virginia has the ideal setup to grow and continue to thrive alongside the Internet.

Dangerfield Newby, a Virginian born into slavery in 1815, risked everything in a desperate attempt to free his family.

Newby gained his freedom—along with his mother and siblings—when his father moved them across the Ohio River. He later saved $1,500 to buy the freedom of his wife, Harriet, and her children, but her enslaver repeatedly raised the price.

After those efforts failed, Newby joined abolitionist John Brown in the 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, where he died in the fighting. Following the raid, Harriet and her children were sold to a Louisiana slave owner.

In 1899, officials reburied Newby’s remains, along with those of nine other raiders, near John Brown’s grave in North Elba, New York.

Job: Kennel Manager Canine

Location: Roanoke County

Salary: $60,918 to $67,009/year

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent required
• Associate’s degree from accredited college or university preferred
• Significant experience working with animals and direct experience supervising the daily work of technical service staff
• Valid Virginia Driver’s License with good driving record

Job description on Indeed: “Performs responsible technical and service work in the supervision of staff providing care and maintenance of stray and owner surrendered animals at the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection (RCACP). Oversees the preparation of animals for adoption and transfer to rescue partners. Performs other duties as assigned.”

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