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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
One 'Seriously Injured' By Charles County Garage Explosion In Waldorf (DEVELOPING) One 'Seriously Injured' By Charles County Garage Explosion In Waldorf (DEVELOPING)
One 'Seriously Injured' By Charles County Garage Explosion In Waldorf (Developing) One person suffered serious injuries following an explosion that was reported in Charles County on Friday afternoon. Shortly after 3 p.m. on June 7, first responders were called to the 2800 block of Starling Drive in Waldorf to investigate a reported explosion that left a man injured. 2800 block of Starling Drive in Waldorf Google Maps street view According to a spokesperson for the Charles County Volunteer Fire and Emergency Medical Services, the resident was using a grinder in the garage, which ignited a "flash explosion," resulting in serious injury. There was no fire, and the perso…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Pedestrian Killed By Hit-Run Driver In Takoma Park, Driver At Large, Police Say Pedestrian Killed By Hit-Run Driver In Takoma Park, Driver At Large, Police Say
Pedestrian Killed By Hit-Run Driver In Takoma Park, Driver At Large, Police Say The Montgomery County Department of Police has released a photo of a truck believed to be involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash earlier this week. One person was killed and a driver is still at large following an early-morning crash involving a pedestrian in Takoma Park on Monday, according to police. An investigation was launched after a pedestrian was fatally struck shortly after 1:15 a.m. on June 3 in the 1100 block of University Boulevard, investigators say. Upon arrival, officers found a man lying in the roadway with a head injury. He was rushed to an area hospital, where he was later…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Graduation Fights At John F. Kennedy High School 'Embarrassment To Community,' Principal Says Graduation Fights At John F. Kennedy High School 'Embarrassment To Community,' Principal Says
Graduation Fights At John F. Kennedy High School 'Embarrassment To Community,' Principal Says What started as a day of celebration ended violently when a brawl broke out during a graduation ceremony in Silver Spring. Several fights were reported outside of John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring this week on the steps of Constitution Hall, according to Principal Vickie Adamson, who called the incident "an embarrassment to our community."  Some recent graduates were part of the conflict, the principal said, but most of the conflicts involved adults and members of the community. According to Adamson, who issued a letter to the community, school staff members unsuccessfully …

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
'First-Timer' Hits $190K Lottery Jackpot In Maryland 'First-Timer' Hits $190K Lottery Jackpot In Maryland
'First-Timer' Hits $190K Lottery Jackpot In Maryland A bit of beginner's luck and a spontaneous decision led to a life-altering Lottery win for a Maryland woman. A first-time player from La Plata struck gold on a FAST PLAY ticket, winning a $190,383 progressive jackpot prize that reportedly left the first-time player speechless when she realized her massive win. The woman said that she purchased a $10 FAST PLAY Grand Progressive ticket on a whim after seeing how large the jackpot had risen during a trip to Walmart on Drury Drive in La Plata. "It was surreal," the anonymous player, going only by the moniker "First Timer," stated. "I’ve always…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
19-Year-Old Man Found Shot To Death Identified By Police In Prince George's County 19-Year-Old Man Found Shot To Death Identified By Police In Prince George's County
19-Year-Old Man Found Shot To Death Identified By Police In Prince George's County A late-night shooting in Prince George's County left a 19-year-old man dead and another injured, according to police. Investigators have identified Jesus Mestizo-Soto, whose last known address was in Suitland, as the person found with a fatal gunshot wound earlier this week in the Langley Park area. Officers from the Prince George's County Police Department were called to the 1400 block of University Boulevard, where they found Mestizo-Soto dead outside an apartment building, officials say. Mestizo-Soto's body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where an autops…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Knew Victim Before Fatal Shooting During Argument In Prince George's County, Police Say Man Knew Victim Before Fatal Shooting During Argument In Prince George's County, Police Say
Man Knew Victim Before Fatal Shooting During Argument In Prince George's County, Police Say A suspect has been apprehended weeks after a 20-year-old man was shot to death during an argument in Prince George's County, police say. Silver Spring resident Erick Pineda, 21, has been charged with multiple counts of murder following a midday May shooting that left Kevin Moscoso-Lopez dead. According to police, at approximately 3:40 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, officers were called to the 1900 block of Erie Street to investigate reports of shots fired. Upon arrival they found Moscoso-Lopez suffering from a gunshot wound. The Adelphi resident was pronounced dead at the scene.…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
100-Year-Old Barn Destroyed By Blaze In Calvert County: Fire Marshal 100-Year-Old Barn Destroyed By Blaze In Calvert County: Fire Marshal
100-Year-Old Barn Destroyed By Blaze In Calvert County: Fire Marshal A barn believed to be 100 years old was destroyed overnight by a blaze in Calvert County, according to the Maryland Fire Marshal. Shortly before midnight on June 6, crews from the Huntingtown Fire Department and nearby agencies were called to the 7100 block of Wayside Drive in Sunderland, when the owners found the fire "when it was well advanced throughout the structure," officials say. First Due Barn Fire At 2349 hours yesterday area box 6-15 was dispatched for the reported structure fire. After... Posted by Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department on Friday, June 7, 2024 It took a …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Woman Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash On I-97 In Anne Arundel County: State Police Woman Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash On I-97 In Anne Arundel County: State Police
Woman Killed In Single-Vehicle Crash On I-97 In Anne Arundel County: State Police A 29-year-old woman was killed in a single-vehicle crash overnight in Anne Arundel County, according to Maryland State Police. Annapolis resident Shannon Rita Alan was identified by investigators as the driver who crashed shortly before 10 p.m. on Thursday, June 6 in the southbound lanes of I-97 near Route 50. According to a preliminary investigation, Alan was traveling on a ramp to Route 50 East and for unknown reasons left the road and struck an embankment.  She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police do not believe impairment was a contributing factor. The crash remains under in…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Threat Investigated At Walt Whitman High School (DEVELOPING) Threat Investigated At Walt Whitman High School (DEVELOPING)
Threat Investigated At Walt Whitman High School (Developing) Officers from the Montgomery County Department o Police were called to the Walt Whitman High School on Friday morning to investigate a reported threat. An alert was issued by the agency shortly before 11 a.m. on June 7 regarding a possible threat targeting the building. Police say that officers secured the area and are working to verifying the validity of the claim. The nature of the threat was not disclosed by investigators. More information is expected to be released. This is a developing story. Check Daily Voice for updates. Want breaking news in the DMV as it happens, or want to cont…

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by Zak Failla
News
Unlicensed Driver, 21, Who Killed Maryland Newlywed Gets 7 Years Behind Bars Unlicensed Driver, 21, Who Killed Maryland Newlywed Gets 7 Years Behind Bars
Unlicensed Driver, 21, Who Killed Maryland Newlywed Gets 7 Years Behind Bars The speeding hit-and-run driver who tore apart a newly-married couple in Anne Arundel County is facing the better part of a decade prison, according to the state's attorney's office. Austin Keith Seagraves, now 21, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for striking high school sweethearts in August 2022, killing 22-year-old Arielle Starr Dryden-Bera, and critically injuring her new husband, Fidel Angel Castro, 23. On Aug. 24, 2022, while the couple was out enjoying the night to get ice cream, they were struck by Seagraves' Toyota Camry in the area of Aquahart Road and Oakwood Road in …

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by Zak Failla
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