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Thursday, feb 6

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

Police & Fire

Silver Spring Man Busted With 2,000+ Fentanyl Pills In Maryland Maryland Learns Prison Fate A Maryland man caught with thousands of fentanyl pills and an illegal firearm will be spending more than a decade behind bars, officials announced. Markus Carter, 22, of Silver Spring, was sentenced to 32 years in prison, with all but 12 years suspended, after pleading guilty to several drug and firearm charges, according to Montgomery County prosecutors. Carter was arrested after investigators found more than 2,000 fentanyl pills in his possession along with an illegal firearm. His downfall began at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, when officers conducted…

by Zak Failla

02/06/2025

Police & Fire

Man Dies Weeks After Crash In Maryland An 86-year-old Greenbelt man who was hospitalized after a serious crash in late January has died from his injuries, authorities confirmed. Paul Benoit was involved in a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Glenn Dale Boulevard and Daisy Lane on Jan. 23 at approximately 4:10 p.m., according to the Prince George’s County Police Department. He was transported to a hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 8:45 p.m., officials said. A longtime friend, Paul Cawley, confirmed Benoit’s passing, saying he had been scheduled for a third surgery on Feb.…

by Zak Failla

02/06/2025

News

Codi Alert Issued For Missing 14-Year-Old Noah Crooks In Loudoun County Authorities in Loudoun County are searching for a missing 14-year-old boy who may be armed and in danger, officials announced. A Critical Missing Child Alert was issued on Tuesday, Feb. 6, for Noah Crooks, who disappeared from his home on Iverson Drive in Chantilly around 6:35 p.m. the previous day, according to officials. Crooks is described as being 5-foot-8, weighing 150 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeve black shirt, gray shorts, and socks—without shoes, and authorities say he may be carrying a large knife. According to Virginia State Police, …

by Zak Failla

02/06/2025

Traffic

Manassas Man, 33, Fatally Run Over By Two Cars On Virginia Roadway: Police A 33-year-old pedestrian was killed after being struck by two vehicles while crossing a road in Virginia outside of the crosswalk, authorities said. Prince William County Police responded to the area of Nokesville Road and Sowder Village Square in Nokesville shortly before 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6, after receiving reports of a crash involving a pedestrian. Investigators determined that Donte Antonio Carter, of Manassas, was attempting to cross Nokesville Road outside of a crosswalk while wearing dark-colored clothing when he was struck by a 2024 Nissan Sentra traveling southbound. Moments…

by Zak Failla

02/06/2025

Police & Fire

Human Trafficking Ring? No, This Is Bible Study: Drunk Vigilante Arrested In Stafford, Cops Say Vigilante "justice" is alive and well in Stafford County. A Stafford man with a wild imagination and a little too much to drink is behind bars after he mistook a Bible study for a human trafficking operation and forced his way into a home to investigate, authorities said. Deputies responded to Renee Road around 7:35 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5, after receiving a call about a disturbance escalating quickly, according to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. The caller, later identified as David Campbell, 48, was furious about his neighbors double parking and decided to confront them inside th…

by Zak Failla

02/06/2025

Police & Fire

Photos Show Masked Bank Robber Wanted For Annandale Heist Detectives are searching for a masked suspect who robbed a bank in Annandale before escaping with cash, police said. Officers responded to the 6300 block of Columbia Pike around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5 after a man entered the bank and demanded money, according to Fairfax County Police. The suspect did not display or imply a weapon, but fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash before officers arrived. No injuries were reported, police said. Authorities released surveillance footage of the suspect, described as an Asian man, approximately 5-foot-7 with a heavier build…

by Zak Failla

02/06/2025

Schools

Substitute Teacher Slaps Covington Harper Elementary School Student In Virginia: Police A Virginia substitute teacher is facing charges after allegedly slapping a 6-year-old student inside an elementary school classroom, authorities said. Officers responded to Covington-Harper Elementary School in Dumfries around 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, to investigate reports of an assault, according to the Prince William County Police Department. Investigators determined that 59-year-old Amita Kumar, of Woodbridge, was working as a substitute teacher when she allegedly struck a young girl during class. The student sustained minor injuries, police said. Following an investigation, Kumar…

by Zak Failla

02/06/2025

Obituaries

Professor Killed In Plane Crash Over Potomac River Leaves Indelible Mark On Students A scholarship fund has been created in memory of Lindsey (Carter) Fields, a dedicated professor at Butler Community College and passionate advocate for science education who was among those killed in the midair collision over the Potomac River. Fields, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 5342, was traveling to represent the National Association of Biology Teachers when the plane crashed into a US Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday, Jan. 29. Loved ones describe Fields as a “bright light” whose passion for life science was only matched by her love for family, friends, and her cherish…

by Zak Failla

02/06/2025

News

First Case Of Bird Flu At Commercial Broiler Farm In Maryland Confirmed A highly contagious strain of avian influenza has reached a commercial broiler farm in Worcester County, making it the first confirmed case in the area and the ninth on the Delmarva Peninsula, agricultural officials announced. The Maryland Department of Agriculture reported the presumptive positive case of H5 avian influenza this week, marking the fifth infected commercial poultry farm on the Eastern Shore and the sixth in the state following a backyard flock case in Montgomery County. In total, nine commercial poultry farms in the Delmarva region—including two in Kent County, Delaware, and…

by Zak Failla

02/06/2025

Police & Fire

Three-Alarm Warehouse Fire Erupts In Lorton (Developing) A massive three-alarm fire tore through a warehouse in Lorton, sending plumes of thick smoke into the air as dozens of firefighters battled to bring it under control, officials said. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue crews were called to the 8100 block of Terminal Road before 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6, after receiving reports of a large blaze at the commercial facility. Units arrived to find heavy smoke pouring from the building. Firefighters quickly worked to contain the flames, and after an intense effort, the fire was brought under control, officials said. No injuries were reported.…

by Zak Failla

02/06/2025

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