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Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

zfailla@dailyvoice.com

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Equal parts Lois Lane, J. Jonah Jameson and Vicki Vale, Zak! has traveled from coast-to-coast covering small and big town community news in both in print and online for nearly a decade since his graduation from the award-winning Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in 2010.

Before settling into the Hudson Valley, Zak! previously spent time in the New York Daily News newsroom and worked for hyperlocal digital news outlets on Long Island. He wrote sports for The Ithacan and The Ithaca Journal before taking his talents to the Pacific Northwest, where he served as the sports editor at the Shoshone News-Press until heading back east to work with Daily Voice.

Zak Failla's Contributions

News
First Cold-Related Deaths Of The Holiday Season Reported In Maryland First Cold-Related Deaths Of The Holiday Season Reported In Maryland
First Cold-Related Deaths Of The Holiday Season Reported In Maryland The first three cold-related deaths of the 2024-2025 winter season have been reported in Maryland, according to state health officials. The Maryland Department of Health said the deaths involved adult males—two in their 60s and one in their 30s, with two being reported in Baltimore City, while the third was reported in Baltimore County.  The first fatality was reported Nov. 23, with the other two occurring Dec. 2. Officials are urging Maryland residents to take precautions to prevent cold-related illnesses like frostbite and hypothermia as temperatures continue to drop.  Health …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Waldorf Man Threatens Ex With Gun, Runs—But Doesn't Get Far, Sheriff Says Waldorf Man Threatens Ex With Gun, Runs—But Doesn't Get Far, Sheriff Says
Waldorf Man Threatens Ex With Gun, Runs—But Doesn't Get Far, Sheriff Says A Waldorf man who allegedly put a gun to his ex-girlfriend’s chin and threatened her during a violent confrontation didn’t stay on the run for long, police said. The chaos unfolded around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, in the 100 block of Smallwood Village Center in Waldorf when Clarence Antonio Bennett, 41, reportedly approached his ex as she was walking on the sidewalk.  Things escalated quickly. Bennett allegedly yelled at the woman, pulled out a gun, chambered a round, and pressed the weapon against her chin while threatening her, according to investigators.  The victim told …

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Calvert County Man’s $50K Lottery Win Multiplies Into Jaw-Dropping $500K Jackpot Calvert County Man’s $50K Lottery Win Multiplies Into Jaw-Dropping $500K Jackpot
Calvert County Man’s $50K Lottery Win Multiplies Into Jaw-Dropping $500K Jackpot A Maryland man’s retirement plan just got a major upgrade after a $50,000 lottery win turned into a jaw-dropping $500,000 thanks to a 10X multiplier—and his son’s sharp eye. The Calvert County commuter, set to retire in early 2025, snagged the life-changing win on a $20 Bonus Bingo X20 scratch-off, Maryland Lottery officials announced. “It couldn’t happen at a better time,” the winner said after claiming his prize at Lottery headquarters on Monday, Dec. 16. A regular scratch-off player who enjoys bingo and crossword-themed games, the lucky retiree picked up the ticket at Ken-Mar Liquors in…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Baltimore Pedestrian Dies Weeks After Being Struck Crossing Montgomery County Road: Police Baltimore Pedestrian Dies Weeks After Being Struck Crossing Montgomery County Road: Police
Baltimore Pedestrian Dies Weeks After Being Struck Crossing Montgomery County Road: Police Detectives are investigating a fatal collision in Bethesda that left a Baltimore man dead weeks after being struck by a car. On Sunday, Nov. 10, Derrick Lamarr Fields, 50, was crossing Rockville Pike near Marinelli Drive when he was hit by a 2012 Hyundai Sonata, Montgomery County Police said. Fields was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries on Tuesday, Dec. 3, authorities announced on Tuesday afternoon. No details about the driver were released. The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to contact the Collision Reconstructio…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
These Maryland, Virginia Staples Rank Among America's Favorite Christmas Dishes: New Report These Maryland, Virginia Staples Rank Among America's Favorite Christmas Dishes: New Report
These Maryland, Virginia Staples Rank Among America's Favorite Christmas Dishes: New Report Some holiday staples most familiar to Virginia and Maryland residents are among the most popular Christmas foods in America, according to a newly released survey.  Fabuwood surveyed thousands of Americans in advance of the holiday season kicking into high gear, with Maryland's crab cakes and sweet potato pie making the list that was topped by New York cheesecake and prime rib out of Idaho. However, it was a dish out of Virginia that topped the list out of the DMV region, with Virginia's baked mac and cheese coming in at 7th overall and cracking the top 10. "This creamy and indulgent d…

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by Zak Failla
Business
End Of An Era: Here's When Firehook Bakery Plans To Close Its Doors In Alexandria End Of An Era: Here's When Firehook Bakery Plans To Close Its Doors In Alexandria
End Of An Era: Here's When Firehook Bakery Plans To Close Its Doors In Alexandria Soon to be gone, but not forgotten. Firehook Bakery, a staple for DMV foodies, announced that it will be closing all three of its bakeries in the region effective as of Tuesday, Dec. 24, though their presence in the area will live on through their beloved products. "As a result of the store closings, as of Dec. 24, we will no longer be selling the specialty items offered at the bakeries on-line, but will continue to sell our full range of Mediterranean Baked Crackers," officials at the store said. This is what we really mean when we say we’re running to the store for ‘one last thing.’ …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Task Force Crackdown: Cocaine, Paraphernalia Found In Taneytown Apartment Raid, Sheriff Says Task Force Crackdown: Cocaine, Paraphernalia Found In Taneytown Apartment Raid, Sheriff Says
Task Force Crackdown: Cocaine, Paraphernalia Found In Taneytown Apartment Raid, Sheriff Says Three people are facing charges after authorities seized cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and packaging materials in a raid at a Carroll County apartment, officials announced. Investigators with the sheriff's Drug and Firearms Trafficking Task Force executed a search warrant at 22 Roberts Mill Road, Apartment B in Taneytown, on Thursday, Dec. 12, where Samar Lorenzo Williams was allegedly running an illicit drug operation, officials said. Williams, along with two others, Eric Michael Carter and Betty Jean Montgomery, were taken into custody at the scene without incident before investigators mad…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Youngkin Proposes Cutting State Income Tax On Tips To Help Virginia Service Workers Youngkin Proposes Cutting State Income Tax On Tips To Help Virginia Service Workers
Youngkin Proposes Cutting State Income Tax On Tips To Help Virginia Service Workers Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is pushing to cut state income tax on tips for workers, a proposal he says will put millions of dollars back into the pockets of hardworking employees. Youngkin’s budget plan, announced Tuesday, Dec. 17, could mean an extra $70 million annually for service industry workers across the Commonwealth, including food servers, hair stylists, and hotel staff, he said. “We have delivered over $5 billion in tax relief to date, and we remain committed to lowering the cost of living for hardworking Virginians. It’s their money, not the government’s,” Youngkin said. The ta…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Repeat Flasher Arrested After Two Incidents in Same Woodbridge Neighborhood: Police Repeat Flasher Arrested After Two Incidents in Same Woodbridge Neighborhood: Police
Repeat Flasher Arrested After Two Incidents in Same Woodbridge Neighborhood: Police Police have arrested a man accused of exposing himself to two women in the same Woodbridge neighborhood twice in less than a week. On Dec. 16, officers responded to Anderson Court and Arkendale Street after a 45-year-old woman reported seeing a man exposing himself and making inappropriate gestures, according to Prince William County police. Responding officers quickly located Kieare Jeremiah Whitmore, 23, who lives in the area, and was later tied to a previous incident in the same area on Dec. 11, where a 23-year-old woman and juvenile who reported similar behavior. In both incidents…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Driver Ejected, Killed During High-Speed I-95 Crash In Fairfax County Identified By Police Driver Ejected, Killed During High-Speed I-95 Crash In Fairfax County Identified By Police
Driver Ejected, Killed During High-Speed I-95 Crash In Fairfax County Identified By Police Virginia State Police have identified the driver killed after being ejected from a BMW in an I-95 crash in Fairfax County that left his 29-year-old passenger with serious injuries. The crash was reported at around 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16 in the northbound lanes near the 163-mile marker in Lorton, causing chaos for other drivers on the roadway. Police say two vehicles were traveling at a high rate of speed when a 2013 BMW 650I changed lanes and struck a 2020 Mercedes E-Class, which was not one of the speeding cars. The impact caused the Mercedes to hit a guardrail while the BMW struck th…

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by Zak Failla
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