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Sunday, mar 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

Lifestyle

‘Winning Grandpop’ Strikes Again With Second Big Powerball Win In Baltimore County A Baltimore County man who has been playing the Maryland Lottery since day one has proved that lightning really can strike twice—scoring his second major Powerball win in just two years. The lucky Woodlawn resident, who fittingly goes by the nickname “Winning Grandpop,” claimed a $150,000 third-tier Powerball prize on Thursday, March 14, officials announced. And this isn’t his first rodeo. “Winning Grandpop” said he’s been "winning for years"—including a $50,000 Powerball payout in 2023. “I’ve always said I would win again—and I’m back!” he declared after snagging his latest six-figure pr…

by Zak Failla

03/14/2025

Police & Fire

Teen Caught Red (And White) Handed In Burke Graffiti Spree, Police Say A teenager with a knack for destruction is facing criminal charges after officers caught him red handed vandalizing property in Virginia, authorities said. Fairfax County police say the 16-year-old suspect is responsible for more than 50 incidents of graffiti and property damage targeting businesses and personal property across the West Springfield District. The investigation began on the morning of Wednesday, March 12, when officers were called to the 6000 block of Burke Centre Parkway after reports of hate-based graffiti appearing on multiple properties. Fairfax County Police Dep…

by Zak Failla

03/14/2025

Police & Fire

No Charges For Officers In Fatal Police-Involved Woodbridge Shooting: Prosecutor The officers involved in a fatal police shooting last summer in Prince William County will not face charges, prosecutors announced following an independent review into the case. The Regional Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT)—an independent investigative body comprising multiple Northern Virginia law enforcement agencies—presented the findings of its investigation to Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney's Office, which ultimately determined that no charges would be filed against the officers involved, officials said. The ruling stems from an officer-involved shooting on Aug. 1,…

by Zak Failla

03/14/2025

Police & Fire

Drone Tracks Down Missing Child, Aids In Arrest Of Six Suspects In Montgomery County: Police Montgomery County police put technology to work in a big way, using a high-tech drone to safely locate a missing 5-year-old and help officers arrest six suspects in a series of unrelated incidents, officials announced. The Montgomery County Police Department’s Drone as First Responder (RAVEN) was deployed on Thursday, March 13, assisting in several separate missions throughout the day, including two theft cases and the search for the missing child. Officers were first called around 1:10 p.m. for a theft in progress in the 900 block of Thayer Avenue. While officers rushed to the scene…

by Zak Failla

03/14/2025

Police & Fire

Pipe Bomb, Ammo Stash Found In Maryland Storage Unit; Capitol Heights Man In Custody: Police A Maryland man is behind bars after police say they found a homemade pipe bomb, body armor, and a stockpile of ammunition inside his storage unit. Robert Criss, 43, of Capitol Heights, is facing multiple charges after members of the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) Gun Intelligence Unit and Fire Marshal Bomb Squad responded to a storage facility on Suitland Road on Wednesday, March 12, officials said. An employee called 911 after discovering a suspicious device in a unit rented by Criss. Bomb technicians determined it was a homemade explosive device—a pipe bomb—which was safe…

by Zak Failla

03/14/2025

News

Ex-Maryland Corrections Officer Jailed For Disability Scheme: AG A former Maryland correctional officer who faked disability claims to cash in over $50,000 is now facing time behind bars, officials announced. Racquel Britt Davis, 51, of Baltimore, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all but six months suspended, for running a years-long insurance fraud scheme while working for the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, according to Attorney General Anthony Brown. Davis filed 18 fraudulent claims between May 2018 and June 2021 under short-term disability and accident insurance policies she purchased through AFLAC, the Attorn…

by Zak Failla

03/14/2025

Police & Fire

Fugitive Who Attacked Woman On C&O Canal Walking Trail Caught After Year On The Run: Sheriff A South Carolina man accused of assaulting a woman on a popular Maryland walking trail last year has been tracked down and arrested after an extensive investigation, authorities announced. John Hawk, 34, of Florence, was taken into custody on March 10 following a joint operation by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), FBI Baltimore Field Office, National Park Service, and multiple law enforcement agencies. Investigators say Hawk was living in Frederick County at the time of the alleged attack on March 6, 2024, when officers responded to reports of an assault on a woman along the Ch…

by Zak Failla

03/14/2025

News

$750K Fire Destroys Maryland Home, Damages Two Others In Overnight Blaze A raging two-alarm fire tore through a Cambridge townhome overnight, leaving the home destroyed and causing significant damage to its neighbors, fire officials said. Firefighters were called to the 400 block of Wood Duck Drive just before 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, after a neighbor reported the blaze, according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal. More than 50 firefighters from departments in Dorchester and Talbot counties rushed to the scene, where flames had engulfed a two-story, wood-framed townhome, officials said. Crews battled the fire for an hour and a half befor…

by Zak Failla

03/14/2025

News

Woman Carrying Groceries Fatally Struck By BMW In Frederick, Sheriff Says A Maryland woman carrying groceries was fatally struck by a BMW while crossing the road, authorities said. Rosemarie Lillian Richardson, 67, was attempting to cross Crestwood Boulevard near Rosebay Court around 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, when she was hit by a white BMW, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies arrived to find Richardson suffering from severe injuries. They immediately rendered aid until EMS crews arrived. She was airlifted to an area trauma center, where she later died from her injuries. Investigators say witness statements confirmed that Richardson was c…

by Zak Failla

03/14/2025

Police & Fire

Traffic Stop Leads to Armed Felon, Stolen Virginia Gun, Drugs in Waldorf: Sheriff A Maryland man who tried to flee from police in a vehicle reported stolen in Virginia is now behind bars after officers found a stolen gun and a large quantity of drugs inside his car, officials said. John Thomas White III, 20, of Hyattsville, was taken into custody late Tuesday, March 11, following a police pursuit in Waldorf, according to the Charles County Sheriff's Office. Officers were alerted to a stolen vehicle near Promenade Place and Aldergate Place around 10:45 p.m., authorities said, though when they attempted to stop the driver, White hit the gas and took off, prompting a pursui…

by Zak Failla

03/13/2025

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