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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

News
Missing Father, 7-Month-Old Son Found After Leaving Mechanicsville Home (UPDATED) Missing Father, 7-Month-Old Son Found After Leaving Mechanicsville Home (UPDATED)
Missing Father, 7-Month-Old Son Found After Leaving Mechanicsville Home (Updated) UPDATED: Shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday, March 7, authorities announced that both the infant and his father have been found safely. ORIGINAL STORY Authorities in St. Mary’s County are asking for the public’s assistance in finding a missing father and his 7-month-old son who vanished after leaving home Friday afternoon. Nicholas Lee Kilduff, 30, was last seen around 1 p.m. on March 7 when he left a Mechanicsville residence with his infant son, Ryker Ryan-Lee Kilduff, officials said. According to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Kilduff told the child’s mother he was heading to a ne…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
DUI Driver Wrecks Dodge Challenger In Spotsy, Lands Behind Bars: Sheriff DUI Driver Wrecks Dodge Challenger In Spotsy, Lands Behind Bars: Sheriff
DUI Driver Wrecks Dodge Challenger In Spotsy, Lands Behind Bars: Sheriff A King George man who thought he could handle his Dodge Challenger and a few drinks learned the hard way that the road had other plans, officials said. Deputies with the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office responded to a crash near Benchmark Road and Mine Road after receiving reports of a wreck overnight, according to the agency. When Deputy Crystal Cabrera arrived, she found 55-year-old Charles Funkhouser, whose slurred speech, glassy eyes, and strong odor of alcohol made it clear he wasn’t just a bad driver—he was allegedly a drunk one, too. Funkhouser, of King George, was arrested at the…

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News
Would-Be Church Shooter Penned Chilling Letters Before Being Thwarted In Virginia: DOJ Would-Be Church Shooter Penned Chilling Letters Before Being Thwarted In Virginia: DOJ
Would-Be Church Shooter Penned Chilling Letters Before Being Thwarted In Virginia: DOJ A Falls Church man who entered a Prince William County church armed with a gun and dozens of rounds of ammunition was convicted of a federal hate crime after making threats to kill congregants during Sunday services, authorities announced. After a four-day trial, a federal jury found Rui Jiang, 35, guilty on all charges, including attempting to obstruct the free exercise of religious beliefs through an attempted act of violence involving a dangerous weapon, according to the Department of Justice. Jiang was also convicted of transmitting online threats and a firearms violation, prosecut…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Five Hospitalized In Two-Alarm Fairfax County House Fire (DEVELOPING) Five Hospitalized In Two-Alarm Fairfax County House Fire (DEVELOPING)
Five Hospitalized In Two-Alarm Fairfax County House Fire (Developing) A fast-moving fire tore through a Fairfax County home, sending five people to the hospital and requiring a massive emergency response, officials said. Firefighters rushed to the 8300 block of Ivy Green Road in the Crosspointe area after receiving multiple calls reporting a garage fire, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. When crews arrived, they encountered heavy flames spreading rapidly from the garage into the home, prompting an immediate second alarm. Firefighters quickly launched an aggressive attack to bring the flames under control while ensuring all occupants…

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Police & Fire
$980K Fire Destroys Virginia Home, Family Dog Still Missing (UPDATED) $980K Fire Destroys Virginia Home, Family Dog Still Missing (UPDATED)
$980K Fire Destroys Virginia Home, Family Dog Still Missing (Updated) A Loudoun County family’s home was completely destroyed in a massive fire that left one cat clinging to life in the rubble and a dog missing. Firefighters rushed to the Jonella Farm property early on Thursday, March 6, where they found heavy flames ripping through both floors of the home in the Catoctin District, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. The two adults and two children who lived in the house were not home at the time, and no injuries were reported. Initially, officials said one of the family’s pets—a cat—was found alive in the rubble, while a second dog remained unaccou…

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Police & Fire
Murder Suspect Smiles For Mugshot After Shooting In Baltimore: Police Murder Suspect Smiles For Mugshot After Shooting In Baltimore: Police
Murder Suspect Smiles For Mugshot After Shooting In Baltimore: Police A Baltimore man arrested for murder had a grin on his face in his booking photo, despite being charged in a broad daylight fatal shooting, authorities said. Matthew Crawley, 27, of Baltimore, was taken into custody shortly after allegedly gunning down 27-year-old Taijah Addison on Thursday, March 6, in the 700 block of Yale Avenue, according to Baltimore Police. Officers responding to reports of a shooting around 12:55 p.m. found Addison slumped in a vehicle, suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body.  He was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. Detectives quickly obt…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Gordon Ramsay Cooks Up A Surprise During Frederick Pit Stop—But For What? Gordon Ramsay Cooks Up A Surprise During Frederick Pit Stop—But For What?
Gordon Ramsay Cooks Up A Surprise During Frederick Pit Stop—But For What? It’s not every day you run into a world-famous chef while on patrol, but that’s exactly what happened to some Frederick police officers when they bumped into Gordon Ramsay during a surprise visit to the area. The Frederick Police Department shared a photo of the celebrity chef posing with officers, joking in a Facebook post, "Crime rates are down, but the steaks? Medium-rare. You never know who you’ll run into while on patrol in Frederick!" While Ramsay’s exact reason for being in Frederick remains a mystery, the British chef and TV personality is no stranger to the region.  He owns G…

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by Zak Failla
News
Abusive Stepfather Tormented Children 'Almost Every Day' In Abingdon: Prosecutors Abusive Stepfather Tormented Children 'Almost Every Day' In Abingdon: Prosecutors
Abusive Stepfather Tormented Children 'Almost Every Day' In Abingdon: Prosecutors A Maryland stepfather who physically tormented two children nearly every day, leaving them with lasting injuries, has been convicted of child abuse and assault, prosecutors announced. Douglas Grazuties, 36, of Middle River, was found guilty of second-degree child abuse, two counts of second-degree assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment following a three-day jury trial in Harford County Circuit Court. According to prosecutors, Child Protective Services was called to a home in Abingdon on Jan. 10, 2024, after receiving a safety concern regarding two minor children.  What they …

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Traffic
Good Samaritan Killed By Van Chasing Loose Dog In Virginia: Cops Good Samaritan Killed By Van Chasing Loose Dog In Virginia: Cops
Good Samaritan Killed By Van Chasing Loose Dog In Virginia: Cops A Virginia man who ran into traffic to rescue a loose dog was struck and killed by a passing van, police said. Jack Leo Burdette Jr., 56, of Woodbridge, died after being hit by a 2022 Ram ProMaster van around 5:45 a.m. on Friday, March 7, on Dumfries Road near Old Stage Road, according to the Prince William County Police Department. Investigators said Burdette had gone into the roadway to catch a 2-year-old Dalmatian/Pointer mix that was running loose in traffic.  After securing the dog, he was walking back across Dumfries Road when he was struck by the westbound van approaching Old S…

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Police & Fire
22 Displaced As Two-Alarm Fire Tears Through Montgomery Village Townhouse 22 Displaced As Two-Alarm Fire Tears Through Montgomery Village Townhouse
22 Displaced As Two-Alarm Fire Tears Through Montgomery Village Townhouse A fast-moving, two-alarm fire ripped through a Montgomery Village townhouse complex early Friday morning, forcing firefighters to rescue trapped residents and leaving at least 22 people displaced, officials said. Fire crews were called around 3:50 a.m. on March 7 to a home in the 10200 block of Cove Ledge Court off Watkins Mill Road, where they arrived to find heavy flames engulfing the rear of a three-level quad-style townhouse, according to Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson Pete Piringer. As the fire spread into the attic and upper floors, several occupants had to b…

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