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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
Dealer Busted With $100K+ Cash, Cocaine In Lexington Park, Sheriff Says Dealer Busted With $100K+ Cash, Cocaine In Lexington Park, Sheriff Says
Dealer Busted With $100K+ Cash, Cocaine In Lexington Park, Sheriff Says A 65-year-old Lexington Park man is behind bars after deputies found nearly 100 grams of cocaine, a loaded shotgun, and more than $100,000 in cash during a drug investigation, authorities said. James Allen Chase was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 6, following an ongoing investigation by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Vice Narcotics Unit, officials said. Deputies initiated a traffic stop on Great Mills Road, where they executed a search warrant on Chase’s vehicle, uncovering over 10 individual bags of suspected cocaine, $400 in cash, and drug-related items. Meanwhile, investigators from…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Fire Destroys State Highway Administration Facility In Maryland, Investigators Say Fire Destroys State Highway Administration Facility In Maryland, Investigators Say
Fire Destroys State Highway Administration Facility In Maryland, Investigators Say A massive fire tore through a Maryland State Highway Administration facility in Centreville, causing an estimated $800,000 in damages, officials said. The Office of the State Fire Marshal reported that the blaze broke out around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6 at the SHA facility on 111 Safety Drive, according to investigators.  Fire crews from Goodwill Volunteer Fire Company and surrounding agencies arrived to find heavy flames consuming multiple vehicles and the storage garage where they were parked. The fire quickly escalated to two alarms, requiring dozens of firefighters to battle …

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by Zak Failla
Business
Immigrant Entrepreneur Turns Garage Storage Auctions Into Thriving Dundalk Thrift Shop Immigrant Entrepreneur Turns Garage Storage Auctions Into Thriving Dundalk Thrift Shop
Immigrant Entrepreneur Turns Garage Storage Auctions Into Thriving Dundalk Thrift Shop What started as a garage side hustle has grown into a thriving business, for Lazaros Giannos, a Greek-American entrepreneur in Baltimore County. Giannos, who came to the United States in September 2008, turned storage auction finds into a full-fledged thrift shop operation called The Thrift Boutique, set to open a 3,500-square-foot store in Dundalk next month. "It's not just another thrift store, it's a testament to perseverance, passion and the power of giving back," he mused. Giannos’ journey into the thrift world didn’t start in retail. It began with bidding on storage auction…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Two-Alarm House Fire Ravages Danbury Home (PHOTOS) Two-Alarm House Fire Ravages Danbury Home (PHOTOS)
Two-Alarm House Fire Ravages Danbury Home (Photos) Firefighters in Connecticut had to contend with frigid conditions when a fire broke out in a Danbury home on a snowy Thursday afternoon, Feb. 6. A house fire in Danbury reached a second alarm and drew multiple fire companies to the scene, the Danbury Fire Department said. Crews responded to the blaze on Hoyt Street at 4:30 p.m., according to Deputy Chief Bernie Meehan, who immediately called for a second alarm upon arrival.  A total of seven career fire companies and three volunteer companies battled the flames.  The Thursday afternoon fire in Danbury. Danbury Fire Depar…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Meet Cosmos! 'Opossum Ambassador' Gets Its Name At Wildlife Center Of Virginia Meet Cosmos! 'Opossum Ambassador' Gets Its Name At Wildlife Center Of Virginia
Meet Cosmos! 'Opossum Ambassador' Gets Its Name At Wildlife Center Of Virginia A Virginia opossum with a big personality and an even bigger fan base finally has a name—Cosmos! After receiving more than 10,000 votes, the Wildlife Center of Virginia announced that the winning name for its newest education ambassador is Cosmos, beating out finalists Powhatan and Mars. The name is a perfect fit for the nocturnal marsupial, inspired by the vast, starry sky he loves to explore at night, officials mused. It also holds a special connection to Marigold, a former ambassador opossum, as the Cosmos flower is a cousin of the Marigold. "With this name, Cosmos will carry on Marigol…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Silver Spring Man Busted With 2,000+ Fentanyl Pills In Maryland Maryland Learns Prison Fate Silver Spring Man Busted With 2,000+ Fentanyl Pills In Maryland Maryland Learns Prison Fate
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…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Man Dies Weeks After Crash In Maryland Man Dies Weeks After Crash In Maryland
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.…

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by Zak Failla
News
CODI Alert Issued For Missing 14-Year-Old Noah Crooks In Loudoun County CODI Alert Issued For Missing 14-Year-Old Noah Crooks In Loudoun County
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, …

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Manassas Man, 33, Fatally Run Over By Two Cars On Virginia Roadway: Police Manassas Man, 33, Fatally Run Over By Two Cars On Virginia Roadway: Police
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…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Human Trafficking Ring? No, This Is Bible Study: Drunk Vigilante Arrested In Stafford, Cops Say Human Trafficking Ring? No, This Is Bible Study: Drunk Vigilante Arrested In Stafford, Cops Say
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…

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by Zak Failla
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