39°

Friday, mar 7

Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

zfailla@dailyvoice.com

FOLLOW ON

Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram

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

Business

Gordon Ramsay Cooks Up A Surprise During Frederick Pit Stop—But For What? It’s not every day you run into a world-famous chef while on patrol, but that’s exactly what happened to some Frederick police officers when they bumped into Gordon Ramsay during a surprise visit to the area. The Frederick Police Department shared a photo of the celebrity chef posing with officers, joking in a Facebook post, "Crime rates are down, but the steaks? Medium-rare. You never know who you’ll run into while on patrol in Frederick!" While Ramsay’s exact reason for being in Frederick remains a mystery, the British chef and TV personality is no stranger to the region. He owns G…

by Zak Failla

03/07/2025

News

Abusive Stepfather Tormented Children 'Almost Every Day' In Abingdon: Prosecutors A Maryland stepfather who physically tormented two children nearly every day, leaving them with lasting injuries, has been convicted of child abuse and assault, prosecutors announced. Douglas Grazuties, 36, of Middle River, was found guilty of second-degree child abuse, two counts of second-degree assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment following a three-day jury trial in Harford County Circuit Court. According to prosecutors, Child Protective Services was called to a home in Abingdon on Jan. 10, 2024, after receiving a safety concern regarding two minor children. What they …

by Zak Failla

03/07/2025

Traffic

Good Samaritan Killed By Van Chasing Loose Dog In Dumfries: Cops A Virginia man who ran into traffic to rescue a loose dog was struck and killed by a passing van, police said. Jack Leo Burdette Jr., 56, of Woodbridge, died after being hit by a 2022 Ram ProMaster van around 5:45 a.m. on Friday, March 7, on Dumfries Road near Old Stage Road, according to the Prince William County Police Department. Investigators said Burdette had gone into the roadway to catch a 2-year-old Dalmatian/Pointer mix that was running loose in traffic. After securing the dog, he was walking back across Dumfries Road when he was struck by the westbound van approaching Old S…

by Zak Failla

03/07/2025

Police & Fire

22 Displaced As Two-Alarm Fire Tears Through Montgomery Village Townhouse A fast-moving, two-alarm fire ripped through a Montgomery Village townhouse complex early Friday morning, forcing firefighters to rescue trapped residents and leaving at least 22 people displaced, officials said. Fire crews were called around 3:50 a.m. on March 7 to a home in the 10200 block of Cove Ledge Court off Watkins Mill Road, where they arrived to find heavy flames engulfing the rear of a three-level quad-style townhouse, according to Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer. As the fire spread into the attic and upper floors, several occupants had to b…

by Zak Failla

03/07/2025

Police & Fire

Children Hid Upstairs Calling 911 As Armed Teens Broke Into Waldorf Home: Sheriff A terrifying home invasion in Maryland sent two juveniles scrambling for safety as armed intruders shattered a glass door and barged inside, all while security cameras rolled, officials said. It happened around March 3 in the 11400 block of Leland Place in Waldorf, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. Two young residents were upstairs when they heard the break-in, prompting them to frantically call 911 and report that someone had just entered their home. By the time officers arrived, the suspects had already fled. A parent arrived home shortly after and reviewed the home secu…

by Zak Failla

03/07/2025

Police & Fire

Murder Mystery: Cops Identify Suspect In Spotsylvania Double Homicide An Alabama man has been arrested and charged in connection to the January murder of two people in Spotsylvania earlier this year. Danny Hale, Sr., 61, of Opelika, Alabama, has been taken into custody in connection to the double homicide that left two people dead inside an area home. Deputies were called to the 10800 block of Heatherwood Drive around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, after a concerned friend reported not hearing from one of the residents. Upon entering the home, the friend found the body of a woman and immediately called 911, according to the sheriff's office. When de…

by Zak Failla

03/07/2025

Police & Fire

Bystander Killed When Federal Officer's Gun Fires During Stafford Brawl Identified: Sheriff New details have been released by the Stafford County Sheriff's Office after a 61-year-old man was killed by a federal agent's gun that discharged during a dispute with an unruly family. Deputies responded to Stratford Place subdivision around 6:35 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, after an off-duty federal law enforcement officer confronted a motorcyclist riding recklessly through the neighborhood, according to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. The motorcyclist initially left the area but later returned with family members, sparking a heated altercation near the intersection of North Jenny Lynn…

by Zak Failla

03/07/2025

News

Sex Offender Who Raped, Groomed Minor In Virginia Gets Life In Prison: Police A Virginia man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being convicted raping a minor he was reportedly in a relationship with, authorities in Culpeper County announced. Christopher Craig, 38, was sentenced to life in prison by a judge after being found guilty of aggravated sexual battery and object sexual penetration at trial in November 2024. The Culpeper Police Department launched an investigation in May 2023, after receiving a credible report about an ongoing physical relationship between Craig and a juvenile victim in the Town of Culpeper, officials said. Detectives le…

by Zak Failla

03/07/2025

Police & Fire

Life Cut Short: Victim Slain In Severn Shooting Leaves Unfulfilled Dreams Behind Derrick "DRose" McDonald had "so much life ahead, so many dreams left unfulfilled, so much love still to give" before he was gunned down in Severn, loved ones say. Officers with the Anne Arundel County Police Department responded around 7 p.m. on Monday, March 4, to reports of gunfire in the 8100 block of Meade Village Road. Upon arrival, they found the 23-year-old McDonald suffering from fatal gunshot wounds, and a second victim, Mack Galloway, 28, was rushed to an area hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Two others were struck in the quadruple shooting but suffered less seve…

by Zak Failla

03/06/2025

Police & Fire

Predator Lied About Age To Gain 'Carnal Knowledge Of Child' In Virginia, Police Say A 20-year-old Virginia man is behind bars after authorities say he lied about his identity and age to engage in a sexual relationship with a juvenile. Reydy Caal Butz was arrested Wednesday, March 5, following an extensive investigation that began in August 2024, when police received reports of an inappropriate relationship between a 17-year-old and a juvenile victim, according to the Culpeper Police Department. Detectives later determined that Caal Butz had falsely presented himself as a 17-year-old when he was, in fact, 20, police said. "Modern technology, investigative techniques, …

by Zak Failla

03/06/2025

Prev Page 1 of 3269 1 2 3 4 5 Next

1 - 10 of 32,688 articles