62°

Wednesday, apr 30

Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

zfailla@dailyvoice.com

FOLLOW ON

Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram

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

Politics

Senator Denied Prison Visit With Wrongfully Deported Man In El Salvador Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen's trip to El Salvador to visit Kilmar Abrego Garcia in prison took an unexpected turn on Thursday. Van Hollen was denied access to Abrego Garcia at the CECOT high-security facility—along with the family's lawyer—as they went to check on his well-being, the senator said on April 17. "We just tried to go visit him in prison, just to check on his condition, and if he is doing okay, because nobody has had any communication from him since he was illegally abducted from Maryland and sent to prison in El Salvador," Van Hollen said miles away from the prison. Van Hol…

by Zak Failla

04/17/2025

Schools

Teen Threatened School Principal, Religious Groups In Voicemail: Montgomery County Police A Montgomery County student is facing hate crime charges after allegedly leaving a threatening voicemail targeting a local school principal and multiple groups, police say. Detectives with the Behavioral Assessment and Administrative Unit (BAAU) say the threat was made on Tuesday, March 18, prompting a swift response from Montgomery County Community Engagement officers. Investigators said a voicemail was left at a Montgomery County Public School (MCPS), where the suspect used threatening language aimed at the principal, as well as “various demographic and religious groups.” The 17-year-old…

by Zak Failla

04/17/2025

Police & Fire

Suspect Who Shot DC Man In Maryland Park Captured Months Later: Police A months-long investigation into the deadly shooting of a District man at a Maryland park has led to an arrest — thanks to a tip, police said. Elijah Kamara, 24, of no fixed address, is behind bars and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the 2024 death of 43-year-old Morris Haskins Jr., according to the Prince George’s County Police Department. On Nov. 8, 2024, officers responded to a park in the 7700 block of Walker Mill Road in Capitol Heights around 5:50 p.m. for reports of gunfire. They found Haskins suffering from a gunshot wound. He died the following day. Dete…

by Zak Failla

04/17/2025

Police & Fire

Watch: Flames Rip Through Laurel Apartment Building; One Rescued (Developing) Firefighters rescued one person as flames and smoke tore through a three-story apartment building in Prince George's County on Thursday afternoon. First responders from multiple agencies were called at around noon on April 17 to the Laurel Garden Apartments on Park Avenue, where a two-alarm fire broke out in a middle unit that rapidly spread. Crews from Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Harford, and Prince George's counties all responded to the scene. Apartment Fire, w/ Second Alarm, 11:50am, 900 blk Park Ave., Laurel. One resident removed by firefighters and evaluated for smoke inhalation. @mc…

by Zak Failla

04/17/2025

Police & Fire

Firefighter In DMV Suspended Days After Hiring Over Delaware Hate Crime Arrest: Officials A Maryland firefighter is off the job less than two weeks after joining the department—following his arrest in a Delaware hate crime case, officials confirmed. Jay Droney, 27, had been with the La Plata Volunteer Fire Department in Charles County for just eight days before he was suspended this week amid a disturbing out-of-state arrest. According to the Delaware State Police, Droney and fellow firefighter Jordan Hastings, 23, were charged in connection with a February 2024 incident at the Millville Volunteer Fire Company where they allegedly chased a Black co-worker with a rope shaped like…

by Zak Failla

04/17/2025

News

Woman Escapes Abduction, Assault Attempt In Virginia; Suspect Arrested: Police A Falls Church man is behind bars after allegedly abducting a woman and attempting to sexually assault her in Seven Corners. El Moctar Mohamed M’Bareck, 35, was arrested early on Wednesday, April 16, hours after officers were flagged down by a woman in the 6100 block of Arlington Boulevard just after 12:30 a.m., Fairfax County Police said. The victim told police she had been walking nearby when M’Bareck approached her from behind and forced her into a vehicle, according to investigators. While inside, M’Bareck allegedly attempted to sexually assault her, police said. The victim managed to …

by Zak Failla

04/17/2025

Police & Fire

Woodbridge Man, 73, Found Dead After House Fire: Investigation Underway A 73-year-old man died in a townhouse fire that broke out in Woodbridge early Thursday morning, officials said. Firefighters and police rushed to the 14100 block of Madrigal Drive just after 6:20 a.m. on April 17, where they found heavy smoke coming from the front of the home, according to the Prince William County Police Department and Professional Firefighters Local 2598. Crews began a rapid search after bystanders advised that someone might still be trapped inside. One man — the homeowner — was pulled from the home and pronounced dead at the scene. Police confirmed the victim was a 73-…

by Zak Failla

04/17/2025

Police & Fire

Virginia Hit-Run Driver Arrested, Released Months After Deadly Crash: Police A Leesburg man accused of fleeing the scene after plowing a semi-truck into a car and killing a 93-year-old woman has been indicted and already released, police announced. Angad S. Sivia, 33, of Leesburg, was indicted by a Loudoun County grand jury in connection with the October 2024 crash that claimed the life of Lovetsville woman Monica Lee, authorities said. The hit-and-run happened on the afternoon of Oct. 23, 2024. Investigators say Sivia was driving a tractor-trailer with an attached trailer when he ran a red light at Fort Evans Road NE and the Leesburg Bypass, slamming into a …

by Zak Failla

04/17/2025

Police & Fire

Body Found After Mobile Home Blaze In Cecil County, Fire Marshal Says A late-night mobile home fire in Maryland turned deadly when firefighters made a grim discovery while knocking down the flames, state officials said. Crews were called to the Kent Road property in Earleville, around 10:10 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office. When firefighters from the Cecilton Volunteer Fire Company and nearby departments arrived, the mobile home was already engulfed in flames. The fire was brought under control within 30 minutes, officials said, but not before firefighters discovered human remains inside the structure. Investig…

by Zak Failla

04/17/2025

Politics

‘No Remorse, No Conscience’: Rachel Morin’s Mom Erupts Over Killer, Slams Senator There was a special guest from Maryland at the White House press briefing on Wednesday afternoon. Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin, whose killer was convicted of rape and murder this week, took to the podium on April 16, to address the media. During a brief statement, Morin was critical of Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who flew to El Salvador as he probes the case of deported dad Kilmar Abrego Garcia. "Why are we not protecting the American citizens," Morin said. "It's just common sense ... Why are we not protecting our children, and to have a senator from Maryland—wh…

by Zak Failla

04/16/2025

Prev Page 14 of 3329 12 13 14 15 16 Next

131 - 140 of 33,290 articles