Verona Daniels Danieley died Friday

By Joe Bruno

Verona Daniels Danieley, 87, passed away Friday at Moses Cone Hospital after a brief illness.

Verona was the wife of president emeritus Dr. James Earl Danieley and will be remembered as being an enduring and prominent presence in Elon.

For Verona, life at Elon began in 1940 after being awarded a partial scholarship to attend school. After completing a secretarial course, she was hired as former President Leon Smith’s Secretary and drew attention from a recently hired faculty member- James Earl Danieley.

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Verona and James Earl married in 1948. Shortly after, they moved to Chapel Hill, where she served as secretary to UNC’s business manager of athletics while James pursued his doctorate.

In 1953 she returned to Elon and was inducted First Lady in 1957 when her husband became the sixth president of Elon College.

Verona has been recognized for providing leadership based service to organizations including the Elon Community Church and the southern conference of the United Church of Christ.

To recognize her dedication to Elon University, the board of trustees unanimously voted in 2004 to name a lake on East Campus, “Lake Verona.”

She is survived by her husband, president emeritus James Earl Danieley; her three children and their spouses, and seven grandchildren.

“Whenever I have the opportunity, I always say what a difference Elon has made in my life,” Verona Danieley once wrote of the university’s importance to her family. “Elon has been good to us, and we hope we have been good for Elon.”

A funeral service will be held at 3 p.m., Monday, June 27, at the Elon Community Church, with burial immediately following at Magnolia Cemetery in Elon. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Lowe Funeral Home, 2205 South Church St., Burlington, N.C.

Sympathy cards to the Danieley family can be mailed to Elon University, c/o Office of the President, 2185 Campus Box, Elon, NC 27244.

Arrest made in connection with Elon burglaries

By Joe Bruno

Elon police have charged and arrested a man in connection with several robberies in the town of Elon.

Jonathan Michael Moore

Jonathan Michael Moore, 21, was arrested for his part in eight burglaries.

Police believe Moore is homeless.

During the month of June, Elon experienced many burglaries in off campus student housing including West Trollinger, West Lebanon, Lee, College and West Summerbell.

According to a press release emailed to Phoenix14News, items taken include electronic devices, food and alcohol.

Fingerprints from the crime scenes allowed Alamance County Sheriff’s Department to use the automated fingerprint identification system to tentatively identify a subject.

On Tuesday, Alamance County Sheriff’s Department interviewed a suspect and believed he may be connected to the robberies in Elon. The ACSD contacted Elon police department and officers conducted a subsequent interview, receiving information to identify Moore as a potential subject.

While EPD was investigating a reported burglary, Moore arrived at the scene on foot. After a brief foot chase, Moore was arrested. In addition to burglary charges, Moore was arrested on two charges of failure to appear and three probation violations.

Elon PD assisted in the investigation and arrests made by members of the Elon University Campus Police, Gibsonville Police Department and the Alamance County Sheriff’s Department.

“I am extremely proud of the working relationships between all law enforcement agencies in Alamance County,” Chief of Police LaVell Lovette said in a release to Phoenix14News. “It is truly a unique circumstance we have in Alamance County. It is because of these relationships that we are able to be successful in our investigations and arrests.”

Indecent Exposure Incident Outside The Sheridan Place Apartments

By Joe Bruno

An Elon senior reported an incident of indecent exposure yesterday outside the Sheridan Place Apartments.

The victim was walking her dog around 6:20 p.m. in the parking lot area of the Sheridan Place Apartments, when an unknown white male stopped his vehicle at the end of the lot.

The victim claims the man asked her if she knew where apartment number 607 is located. As she moved towards the vehicle, she noticed the man had his pants lowered and was ejaculating.

The man is described as a possible college student. According to the victim, he had a brown buzz cut, dark eyes and an unshaven beard.

According to a police report filed by MPO Micheal L. Brewer, the victim stated that “she could not give a thorough description of the car other than it was not a truck and it was similar in size to a Jeep.” Also stated, the vehicle was a bright blue color.

No officers were available to comment and the incident remains under investigation.

Stick with Phoenix14News on our site and on twitter as this story develops.

University of Maryland Quarterback Transfers to Elon

By Joe Bruno

Elon officially announced today that former Wilson High School (Pa.) standout and University of Maryland quarterback, Tyler Smith, is transferring to Elon after red-shirting last season for the Terrapins.

Reports indicate that Smith chose Elon over Division I- AA, Delaware and Division II, Millersville University (Pa.).

Photo: Tyler Smith, courtesy of Elon Athletics.

According to NCAA Division I-AA rules, Smith will not be forced to sit out this season and will be eligible to play in Elon’s season opener against the Vanderbilt Commodores on September 3.

Smith was a four-star recruit out of high school. Scouts.com had him listed as the eighth best quarterback in the country, completing 172 of his 323 passes for 3,100 yards and 32 touchdowns.

Over his career at Wilson, Smith ranked second of all-time with 8,035 passing yards. His efforts earned him a spot at the 2010 Big 33 Football Classic and 2010 Team USA vs. The World game in Miami.

Last season, Smith only completed two series under first-string quarterback and Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year, Danny O’ Brien.

With Scott Riddle’s departure, the 6-4, 215 pound, Smith will have the chance to compete for the starting quarterback position with Junior, Thomas Wilson, who served as the QB for the Phoenix during spring workouts.

Faculty, students remember “HeyMelody”

By Nicole Chadwick and Joe Bruno

To students, she was known as “HeyMelody.”

“She encouraged students to call her HeyMelody to make it easier for them because her last name was so difficult to pronounce,” said first-year Tori Twine.

Melody van Lidth de Jeude, a communications instructor at Elon University, died Friday May 27, 2011.

Melody van Lidth de Jeude

According to a family member, she died of a brief illness. None of the students or faculty were aware of her illness until after she passed away.

Van Lidth de Jeude wanted to keep her illness quiet and only her closest relatives knew, according to a faculty member via Facebook. Melody’s husband, Philip van Lidth de Jeude, notified the Elon community of her death on Tuesday morning.

“I didn’t believe it,” said first-year Julie Katzeff. “She was honestly one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. I am a broadcast journalism major and she inspired me to actually reach my goals and dreams and made public speaking fun.”

She taught public speaking, a required class for all communications students.

“Even if everything went wrong with our speech, Melody never made us feel bad about it,” Twine said. “She always helped us improve for next time.”

Communications professor Anthony Hatcher worked closely with Melody in her time at Elon.

“Melody was never down,” Hatcher said. “She never complained, and always saw the best in everyone, particularly her students. She was always up for new experiences, and it made you feel good to be around her.”

According to her students, Melody had a different way of teaching the public speaking class.

“She called us ‘sophists’ because we were learning the art of giving speeches,” Twine said. “She was the ‘chief sophist.’”

“Having HeyMelody as a professor was so much fun,” said first-year Katie Hockaday. “Even though I had the class at 8 a.m., she was so lively I forgot it was so early.”

“She was one of the first teachers I had at Elon, and no one in the class knew each other,” Katzeff said. “By the end, we felt like a family and we didn’t want to leave the class.”