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Saturday, nov 16

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

Man Packing Explosive Devices Broke Into Estranged GF's Home: Maryland Fire Marshal A man who was found with a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) after breaking into his ex-girlfriends home is behind bars and facing serious charges, according to the Office of the Maryland Fire Marshal. Andrew Ervin Romack, 62, was arrested following a joint investigation by the fire marshal and Maryland State Police following a reported burglary earlier this week at an Allegany County home. Investigators say that shortly after 1 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11, troopers were called to the 20300 block of Lower Georges Creek Road, where it is alleged Romack forced his way into his estranged…

11/13/2024

Obituaries

Family Calls For Community To 'Storm Heaven With Prayers' Following Double Fatal Reston Crash Friends and well-wishers are coming together to support the family of a father of three who was killed in a double fatal Virginia crash over the weekend. Herndon native Shawn "Blazay" Ballard, 35, was driving early on Sunday, Nov. 10 with 48-year-old Nicole Hamm in the area of North Shore Drive and Charter Oak Court in Reston when their 2016 Ford Explorer veered off the roadway and struck the tree, according to police. Both were rushed to an area hospital, where they later died from their injuries, leaving loved ones reeling. Following the fatal crash, support has been swelling for Ba…

11/13/2024

Police & Fire

Crime Spree Spanning From Spotsy To Stafford Ends With Serial Robber In Custody, Sheriff Says A serial robber who hit up multiple convenience stores in Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg was busted at a Stafford County 7-Eleven overnight, according to the sheriff's office. Marquis Harrell is behind bars after being connected to a series of robberies overnight that were reported back-to-back while detectives were still investigating. The long night for law enforcement in Northern Virginia began at around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, when a clerk at 7-Eleven in the 10300 block of Patriot Highway was targeted by an armed man who demanded money and made off with an undisclosed amount of…

11/13/2024

Police & Fire

Walkersville Predator Preying On Maryland Teens While Out On Bail Learns Prison Fate: Feds The Maryland man who used multiple phones and online apps to target teens - even while he was out on bail and charges were pending - will spend years in prison for coercing and enticing minors, federal authorities announced. Michael Vance Culpepper, 56, of Walkersville, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after being busted by an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl online, and then doubling down after being released by a judge. He had faced life in prison. According to his guilty plea, in April and May 2023, Culpepper used cellphones and online applications to "persuade…

11/13/2024

News

Chickens Rescued From Illegal Cockfighting Ring Operating Out Of Stafford Yard: Sheriff Dozens of chickens were rescued and a suspect arrested following the investigation into an illegal cockfighting ring that was uncovered earlier this month in Virginia, officials say Members of the Stafford County Sheriff's Office were tipped off last week about a home in the area that was hosting cockfighting events, the same home that was related to a previous stolen property report. At approximately 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, deputies responded to a home on Norman Road, where they found several large chickens in the area, leading to them obtain a second warrant in connection to the alle…

11/13/2024

Police & Fire

Police ID 77-Year-Old La Plata Man Killed In Single-Vehicle Charles County Crash An investigation has been launched by the Charles County Sheriff's Office following a fatal midday single-vehicle crash on Tuesday afternoon. La Plata resident James Stewart, 77, has been identified by investigators as the driver found dead inside a vehicle that struck a telephone pole. According to the sheriff's office, shortly after 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, officers responded to the 5900 block of Bicknell Road in Indian Head to investigate the reported crash. Investigators determined that Stewart was driving on Bicknell Road when he lost control, went off the roadway, and struck the t…

11/13/2024

Business

Jackpot-Winning 'FAST Play' Lottery Ticket Worth $287K Sold At Abingdon BJ's Lottery officials are encouraging players to check their Wild Bonus X10 tickets after the final jackpot-winning 'FAST PLAY' ticket was sold at an area big-box retailer. A customer at BJ's Wholesale Club on Constant Friendship Boulevard in Abingdon purchased the gold on Tuesday, Nov. 12 and is worth a $287,056 prize that remains unclaimed a day later. According to officials, "FAST PLAY games are like scratch-offs, without the scratching." Tickets can be purchased at any lottery retailer or Maryland Lottery vending machine. The latest winner has been advised to sign the back o…

11/13/2024

Traffic

Gaithersburg Man Dies After Being Struck By Lexus Last Month In Maryland: Police A Gaithersburg man struck by a car while crossing Veirs Mill Road in Rockville on Oct. 30 has died from his injuries, Montgomery County police said. Luis Rios Chirinos, 28, was hit around 5:24 a.m. by a black Lexus GS near the intersection with Robindale Drive as he attempted to cross from the median, police said. The driver remained on the scene and is cooperating with the investigation, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. Chirinos was transported to a nearby hospital but died on Monday, Nov. 11, according to authorities. The Montgomery County Collision Reconst…

11/13/2024

Police & Fire

Harford County Man Posing As Credible Contractor Caught Scamming Seniors In Bel Air: Sheriff Detectives in Harford County are warning the public after an unlicensed contractor was arrested for allegedly scamming senior residents in a targeted home improvement scheme. David Anthony Desell, 33, of Bel Air, faces a string of criminal charges after being accused of preying on elderly residents by posing as a credible contractor, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office (HCSO). Investigators say Desell is not a licensed Maryland Home Improvement Contractor (MHIC) and lacks insurance, yet presented himself as a legitimate service provider to unsuspecting victims. Desell’s …

11/13/2024

Police & Fire

Driver Passing School Bus Faces Neglect, Drug Charges In Woodbridge, Police Say A man is in custody after being stopped for passing a school bus loading children, only to be found with an active warrant and drug paraphernalia in his vehicle around children, according to Prince William County Police. Eddy Omar Lopez Gonzalez, 31, is facing charges following a fateful traffic stop involving he and two young children who were in the vehicle with him while he was driving with a revoked license. Officers conducted the stop at approximately 7:53 a.m. on November 12 in the 1300 block of Bayside Avenue in Woodbridge, officials said. During the stop, police identified th…

11/13/2024

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