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Wednesday, feb 26

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

Manassas Man Hits 100 MPH In High-Speed Chase With Woman Trapped In Car, Sheriff Says A wanted Manassas man is behind bars after leading law enforcement on a dangerous high-speed chase—hitting speeds of 100 mph—with a woman trapped inside his truck, according to the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office. Devante R. Payne, 31, was driving a Mitsubishi SUV westbound on I-66 around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, when officers with the Blue Ridge Gang and Drug Task Force attempted a traffic stop for improper registration. But instead of pulling over, Payne floored it, sparking a reckless pursuit that reached 100 mph, investigators said. The chase continued onto Leeds Manor Road, whe…

by Zak Failla

02/26/2025

Police & Fire

90 MPH Pursuit Through Spotsylvania Ends In Crash, Arrest: Sheriff A Spotsy man with a suspended license is facing multiple charges after a wild, high-speed chase through town ended with him crashing into a concrete median, authorities said. Christopher Blaser, 38, was spotted around 3:40 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, speeding over 90 mph eastbound on Plank Road near Orange Plank Road, according to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies attempted to pull Blaser over near Spotswood Furnace Road, but Blaser refused to stop, sparking a dangerous pursuit. Blaser continued to blow through red lights and race at high speeds, turning onto Harrison Road…

by Zak Failla

02/26/2025

Police & Fire

Fentanyl, Cocaine Seized From Felon During Raid In Great Mills: Sheriff A convicted felon is back behind bars after deputies in St. Mary’s County seized a stash of drugs, cash, and a loaded “ghost gun” during a major raid in Great Mills, authorities said. Daiquan Malik Barnett, 28, of Great Mills, was arrested Wednesday, Feb. 26, after deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, along with federal agents executed search warrants at a residence in the 22000 block of Baja Lane and several vehicles. Barnett, already banned from owning firearms due to previous felony convictions, now faces a slew of new charges after inves…

by Zak Failla

02/26/2025

Schools

Students Sold Magic Mushroom-Laced Candy At Hylton High School: Police Two Woodbridge teenagers are facing serious charges after allegedly selling candy bars laced with a controlled substance to fellow students at Hylton High School, according to Prince William County Police. An investigation was launched last week, when a School Resource Officer assigned to the building was notified of a pair distributing the items. Police say that on Friday, Feb. 14, two 17-year-old students—one male and one female—reportedly sold candy bars suspected of containing psilocybin mushrooms, a hallucinogenic substance, to another student on school grounds. The scheme came to lig…

by Zak Failla

02/26/2025

Police & Fire

Armed Motorcyclist Hit 88MPH During High-Speed Pursuit In Stafford, Sheriff Says A Stafford man learned the hard way that speeding past sheriff's deputies with meth, weapons, and a 10-year expired registration is a fast track to jail. Michael Rock, 30, was arrested Tuesday, Feb. 25, after leading deputies on a high-speed motorcycle pursuit down Warrenton Road, according to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. The wild ride started around 3:25 p.m. when a deputy clocked a motorcycle speeding southbound at 88 mph in a 55 mph zone. Rock weaved through traffic and tried to ditch the deputy, forcing him to end the chase near Village Parkway due to heavy traffic. …

by Zak Failla

02/26/2025

News

$5K In Fentanyl, Cocaine Seized During Reading Drug Bust; Two Women Arrested Two Reading women were arrested after a Berks County Drug Task Force raid uncovered fentanyl, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia worth $5,000, officials said. Susan Rich, 46, and Autumn Yerger, 42, were taken into custody around 6 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, after detectives executed a search warrant at their apartment on the first floor of 311 N. 9th Street, according to Berks County Chief County Detective Michael Gombar. The bust followed a two-month investigation sparked by complaints of drug sales at the address, officials said. Detectives seized: 4.3 grams of suspected fentanyl; 18 bundle…

by Zak Failla

02/26/2025

Police & Fire

First Fire-Related Deaths Of The Year In Anne Arundel: Elderly Couple Killed In Annapolis Blaze An elderly pair who died in a devastating Annapolis townhome fire have been confirmed as the first fire-related fatalities of the year in Anne Arundel County, officials said. Paul D. Tisdale, 84, and Pamala S. Fox, 70, lost their lives when flames ripped through their home in the 900 block of Riversedge Circle on Thursday, Feb. 20, according to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, which identified them on Wednesday. Crews were dispatched around 9:45 p.m. and arrived to find the middle-of-the-row townhouse fully engulfed. Firefighters launched an aggressive attack on the blaze while…

by Zak Failla

02/26/2025

Police & Fire

Rockville Man Sexually Assaulted Child, Additional Victims Possible: Police A Rockville man is behind bars without bond after being charged with sexually assaulting a child, and detectives fear there may be more victims, Montgomery County Police said. Wilmer Alvarado-Gomez, 37, allegedly assaulted the child on Thursday, Feb. 20, in the area of Parkland Drive in Rockville, according to police. He is also accused of sending sexually explicit photos to the victim. Detectives with the Special Victims Investigations Division (SVID) obtained an arrest warrant for Alvarado-Gomez the following day. Police say officers took him into custody near his Rockville …

by Zak Failla

02/26/2025

Police & Fire

Dealer Rams Police Car, Caught With Stolen Gun And Drugs In Silver Spring, Police Say A convicted felon is back behind bars after a botched drug deal in downtown Silver Spring ended with a police car getting rammed, a loaded stolen gun recovered, and felony charges stacked high, according to Montgomery County Police. The chaos kicked off around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, when plainclothes officers from the department's 3rd District spotted a suspected drug transaction during a proactive criminal enforcement operation. When officers moved in, the suspected buyer was caught with marijuana, cocaine, and prescription pills—some of which they admitted buying from the dealer, po…

by Zak Failla

02/26/2025

News

'Real Housewives' Star Karen Huger Learns Fate In Court After Maryland DUI Karen Huger, who made her name starring on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Potomac" had her day in court on Wednesday and learned her fate for a Maryland DUI. The 61-year-old was found guilty by a jury of driving under the influence, negligent driving, and other offenses following a March 2024 crash in Montgomery County. On Wednesday, Feb. 26, a judge sentenced Huger to two years, with one suspended, followed by five years probation. She has been on the show since it premiered in 2016. She is also a graduate of the University of Virginia, and is the "Grand Dame of Potomac," according to Br…

by Zak Failla

02/26/2025

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