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Tuesday, dec 17

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

Former Gov. Larry Hogan Shares Mysterious Video Of Possible 'Drones' Outside Maryland Home It's a bird... It's a plane... It's a drone? Maybe? Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is the latest to throw out thoughts about the plague of drones that have been spotted across the East Coast in recent weeks. Hogan fanned the flames of speculation recently after sharing a curious nearly two-minute video of what he believed to be drones in the area, though he cautioned that he was no expert in the matter in a social media post that garnered nearly 4.5 million views. Last night, beginning at around 9:45 pm, I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large dr…

12/17/2024

Politics

Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly Elected To Be Top House Oversight Dem; Vows For 'Trench Warfare' A Virginia lawmaker has been tabbed for an important and influential position as the country prepares for a seismic shift in the White House. Democrat Gerry Connolly, now 74, who represents Virginia's 11th District, was selected to be the top member of the House Oversight Committee over controversial New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who had been pushing for the position and a change of the guard. Connolly easily earned the nomination by nearly 50 votes. "I thank my colleagues for their support and the confidence they've placed in me to lead House Democrats on the Oversight Comm…

12/17/2024

News

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 …

12/17/2024

Police & Fire

Maryland 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 …

12/17/2024

Lifestyle

Maryland 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…

12/17/2024

Police & Fire

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…

12/17/2024

Lifestyle

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…

12/17/2024

Business

End Of An Era: Here's When Firehook Bakery Plans To Close Its Doors In The DMV 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.’ …

12/17/2024

Police & Fire

Task Force Crackdown: Cocaine, Paraphernalia Found In Maryland 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…

12/17/2024

Business

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…

12/17/2024

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