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Thursday, jan 30

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

$1,900 In Fentanyl Found On Manassas Man Who Tried Fleeing Traffic Stop: State Police A routine traffic stop in Culpeper led to the seizure of more than $42,000 worth of cocaine and fentanyl, as authorities arrested a Manassas man following a failed attempt to flee on foot, officials said. Howard B. Jenkins, 43, was taken into custody after officers with the Blue Ridge Narcotics and Gang Task Force stopped his Chevrolet Tahoe on Wednesday, Jan. 29, along Route 3 near Yellow Bottom Road in Culpeper County for failing to display a license plate. During the stop, Jenkins attempted to run but was quickly apprehended, police said. A search of the vehicle uncovered 400 gram…

by Zak Failla

01/30/2025

Police & Fire

Cause Of $2M Fire At Maryland Farm Identified By Investigators New details have been released by the Maryland Fire Marshal after an area farm was destroyed and flames caused an estimated $2 million in damages. The two-alarm fire broke out shortly after 12:25 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at Calloway Family Farm, located on the 8300 block of Athol Road in Mardela Springs, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. While the blaze raged, buildings, equipment, and vehicles were turned to ash, officials said. The farm owner discovered the fire and alerted authorities, and by the time firefighters arrived, flames had already consumed much of the p…

by Zak Failla

01/30/2025

Police & Fire

Fake Cop Forces Way Into Gaithersburg Home, Demands Money At Gunpoint: Police A bold home invasion in Montgomery County took a turn when an armed suspect posing as a police officer forced his way into a Gaithersburg residence and demanded money, authorities said. Montgomery County Police say the break-in happened at approximately 12:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, when a man knocked on the door of a home in the 200 block of Hannes Street. When the homeowner answered, the suspect flashed a badge from inside his jacket and falsely identified himself as a police officer before stepping inside, officials said. Once inside, the suspect pulled out a black handgun and deman…

by Zak Failla

01/30/2025

Police & Fire

NY Dad Had 4-Year-Old Daughter In Tow During Trail Of Terror In Montgomery County, VA: Police A New York man led police on a dangerous crime spree through Maryland and Virginia with his missing 4-year-old daughter in tow, authorities say. Esmeraldo Martinez De La Cruz, 32, is facing attempted murder, home invasion, and child neglect charges after a chaotic string of crimes that began in Montgomery County and ended in Virginia with his arrest. The crime spree began this week at around 4:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 27, when Montgomery County Police responded to a hit-and-run crash at Route 355 and Watkins Mill Road in Gaithersburg. Witnesses saw Martinez and his 4-year-old daughter, Luna…

by Zak Failla

01/30/2025

News

World-Renowned Ashburn Skating Coach Confirmed Among 67 Killed In DC Mid-Air Crash World-renowned ice skating coach Inna Volanskaya of Loudoun County has been confirmed as one of the 67 people who died in the mid-air crash over Washington DC this week. Volanskaya was a coach at the Ashburn Ice House and has connections to the Washington Figure Skating Club. "We are devastated to hear the news of American Eagle flight 5342," Washington Figure Skating Club officials said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with our skating family during this difficult time. More information will be posted when appropriate." According to her biography there, Volanskaya has b…

by Zak Failla

01/30/2025

Police & Fire

Human Remains Found Near Hagerstown Park, Prompting Major Police Response A shocking discovery near a Washington County park has sparked an investigation after a passerby stumbled upon human remains in a wooded area, police said. At approximately 1:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, officers with the Hagerstown Police Department responded to Omega Drive near Kiwanis Park after receiving a report from a person who believed they had found human remains. Omega Drive near Kiwanis Park Google Maps street view On arrival, officers confirmed the discovery, and the body was transported to the Medical Examiner's Office in Baltimore for an autopsy and identification. …

by Zak Failla

01/30/2025

Schools

Former Loudoun County Students Among 64 Killed In Mid-Air DC Plane Crash Multiple former Loudoun County students were among the dozens killed in the Wednesday, Jan. 29 plane crash over the Potomac River, district officials confirmed. "This unimaginable loss has deeply affected our community, and with great sorrow, we have learned that multiple victims were former LCPS students," Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence said in a letter to the community. "Many other Loudoun families have also been impacted, and we extend our deepest condolences to all those grieving in the wake of this tragedy." Officials did not release the identities of the victims but confirmed th…

by Zak Failla

01/30/2025

Police & Fire

Boy Routinely Bound In Plastic Wrap, Packing Tape Killed By Family In Manassas: Police A 4-year-old boy in Prince William County suffered unimaginable abuse before his death, routinely bound in plastic wrap and packing tape, starved, and severely dehydrated, police said. Officers responded to The Regency Apartments on Shallow Creek Loop in Manassas at around 7:30 p.m. earlier this month, where there was a report of an unconscious child. Emergency crews attempted life-saving measures, but the 4-year-old boy was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The investigation uncovered a horrifying pattern of abuse, according to the Prince William County Police Department. …

by Zak Failla

01/30/2025

Politics

Audio Released In Plane Crash Over DC That Trump Says 'Should Have Been Prevented' President Donald Trump believes that Wednesday night's crash involving an American Airlines plane and black hawk over the Potomac River "should have been prevented." Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday with his take on the collision, questioning why it could not be avoided (scroll down for air traffic audio). "The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport," he posted. "The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. "It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down…

by Zak Failla

01/30/2025

Police & Fire

Assault Suspect Rams Police Vehicle During Pursuit In St. Mary's County: Sheriff A Maryland woman is facing multiple charges after an assault report led to a high-speed police pursuit that ended with her ramming a patrol vehicle and nearly hitting a deputy, authorities said. Deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported assault in progress at a home on Liberty Street in Lexington Park on Wednesday, Jan. 29, when they learned the suspect had fled the scene in a vehicle. Deputies attempted a traffic stop, but the driver, later identified as 26-year-old Sabrina Brianna Thompson, refused to pull over. Instead, she led officers on a purs…

by Zak Failla

01/30/2025

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