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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
Brush Fire Spreads Near Gaithersburg Roadway, Crews Battle Flames In Maryland (DEVELOPING) Brush Fire Spreads Near Gaithersburg Roadway, Crews Battle Flames In Maryland (DEVELOPING)
Brush Fire Spreads Near Gaithersburg Roadway, Crews Battle Flames In Maryland (Developing) Firefighters swarmed a wooded area in Gaithersburg on Wednesday afternoon after a brush fire flared up near a busy intersection and began spreading rapidly through dense vegetation. According to Montgomery County Fire & Rescue spokesperson David Pazos, the first call came in around 3:55 p.m. on March 26, sending multiple units to the scene near Brink Road and Wightman Road. Crews arrived to find flames burning about 200 feet off the roadway, where thick brush and trees were fueling the spread, which was also aided by windy conditions.  Twitter/@DavidPazos15 Pazos said the fire e…

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by Zak Failla
News
Repeat Sex Offender Caught With Child Porn Days After Release In Maryland: DOJ Repeat Sex Offender Caught With Child Porn Days After Release In Maryland: DOJ
Repeat Sex Offender Caught With Child Porn Days After Release In Maryland: DOJ A convicted sex offender in Maryland is facing at least a decade behind bars after investigators say he was caught with a torrent of child sexual abuse material just one week after registering his new address, federal officials say. Steven Christopher Kelban, 50, of Catonsville, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, the US Attorney's Office announced this week. According to his plea agreement, Kelban had just returned to Maryland from Alabama on November 20, 2023, following a two prior convictions for child porn offenses.  He registered the very next day as a sex offender…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Father Of Six Killed In Annapolis Bus Stop Shooting Was 'Loving, Full Of Life' Father Of Six Killed In Annapolis Bus Stop Shooting Was 'Loving, Full Of Life'
Father Of Six Killed In Annapolis Bus Stop Shooting Was 'Loving, Full Of Life' A father of six who was gunned down while standing near a bus stop in Annapolis is being remembered by loved ones as a kind, devoted dad whose life was stolen too soon. John Emery Simms Jr., also known as "Yahya,' was fatally shot in the 1700 block of Forest Drive around 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, according to the Annapolis Police Department.  A juvenile was also injured in the shooting. Simms’ wife and mother of his children, Taneisha Simms, has since launched a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs and provide support to their grieving family. “John had so much life ahead, so…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Men Behind $1.2M Brinks Armored Car Robbery Spree In DMV Headed To Prison: DOJ Men Behind $1.2M Brinks Armored Car Robbery Spree In DMV Headed To Prison: DOJ
Men Behind $1.2M Brinks Armored Car Robbery Spree In DMV Headed To Prison: DOJ Two DC men who used assault rifles to rob armored Brinks trucks in broad daylight — then bragged about it online — are headed to prison for decades, federal officials announced. William Brock, 33, and Anthony Antwon McNair, Jr., 36, were sentenced to 47.5 years and 31.5 years in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in a violent series of Brinks armored car robberies that took place across the region between 2021 and 2022. They were convicted by a federal jury in September 2024 of Hobbs Act robbery, bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, the US Attorney’…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
GPS Tracker Leads Cops To Teen Who Crashed Stolen Car After Frederick County Thefts: Sheriff GPS Tracker Leads Cops To Teen Who Crashed Stolen Car After Frederick County Thefts: Sheriff
GPS Tracker Leads Cops To Teen Who Crashed Stolen Car After Frederick County Thefts: Sheriff A juvenile thief didn’t get far after a stolen car’s hidden tracking device led police right to him following a vehicle theft spree in Frederick County, authorities said. Deputies with the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office were called around 6:17 a.m. on Sunday, March 23 to the 12000 block of Quiet Stream Court in Mount Airy, where a Nissan Altima had been stolen overnight. That car? It was secretly equipped with a personal tracking device. While investigating, deputies discovered the Altima wasn’t the only target. Multiple other vehicles in the area had been entered or tampered with, incl…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Woodbridge Man Hit Twice, Killed Crossing Road — Police Searching For Hit-Run Driver (UPDATED) Woodbridge Man Hit Twice, Killed Crossing Road — Police Searching For Hit-Run Driver (UPDATED)
Woodbridge Man Hit Twice, Killed Crossing Road — Police Searching For Hit-Run Driver (Updated) Police in Prince William County are still searching for the driver who fled after hitting and killing a man crossing Richmond Highway in Woodbridge — and now they have a lead on the vehicle involved. Investigators say the car that fled the scene is believed to be a dark-colored 2018–2025 Toyota Camry, which should have damage to the front left bumper and fender, according to an update from Master Police Officer Renee Carr on Wednesday, March 26. The crash happened around 9 p.m. on March 20, near Richmond Highway and Easy Street, when 53-year-old Miles Jonathan Moore, of Woodbridge, was stru…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Kermit The Frog Confirmed As 2025 UMD Commencement Speaker — And The Internet Has Best Reaction Kermit The Frog Confirmed As 2025 UMD Commencement Speaker — And The Internet Has Best Reaction
Kermit The Frog Confirmed As 2025 UMD Commencement Speaker — And The Internet Has Best Reaction It's not easy being green, or delivering an epic commencement speech.  But Kermit the Frog, a Peabody Award winner and best-selling author (and muppet) will do both in May, when he will return to the campus where he was first brought to life (by creator and alum Jim Henson, Class of 1960) to deliver the commencement speech in May. The school made the announcement this week, and the internet's reaction is everything you could've ever hoped for. "Kermencement," one absolute genius commented on UMD's post on Facebook. Others begged for the event to be live-streamed, while many …

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Driver Killed, Students Hurt In Crash Involving School Bus In Prince Frederick: Sheriff Driver Killed, Students Hurt In Crash Involving School Bus In Prince Frederick: Sheriff
Driver Killed, Students Hurt In Crash Involving School Bus In Prince Frederick: Sheriff A box truck driver was killed and two students were hospitalized after a crash involving a school bus in Prince Frederick on Wednesday morning, officials said. Deputies with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office responded shortly after 9 a.m. on March 26 to the area of Route 231 near Sea Gull Beach Road for a serious crash involving a school bus carrying 12 students and a box truck. According to the sheriff’s office, the bus driver and ten students were unharmed. However, two students were transported to CalvertHealth Medical Center with minor injuries. The driver of the box truck — identifi…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Woman Wanted After Cutting Ankle Monitor, Vanishing In Lexington Park: Sheriff Woman Wanted After Cutting Ankle Monitor, Vanishing In Lexington Park: Sheriff
Woman Wanted After Cutting Ankle Monitor, Vanishing In Lexington Park: Sheriff Deputies in Southern Maryland are searching for a woman who cut off her ankle monitor and disappeared days ago, authorities said Wednesday. Britny Lee Blankenship, 35, is now wanted for escape, according to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were called on March 22 to the 21000 block of Liberty Street in Lexington Park after someone reported tampering with Blankenship’s ankle monitor.  They found the device with a damaged band, indicating it had been cut, the sheriff’s office said. Blankenship is described as a white woman who is 5-foot-5, weighing 205 pounds, with blue…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Pedestrian Hit, Run Over At Woodbridge Gas Station Dies Days Later: PWC Police Pedestrian Hit, Run Over At Woodbridge Gas Station Dies Days Later: PWC Police
Pedestrian Hit, Run Over At Woodbridge Gas Station Dies Days Later: PWC Police A 56-year-old man who was hit and run over by a vehicle at a gas station in Woodbridge has died from his injuries, Prince William County Police confirmed. The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 16, at the Citgo gas station located at 1320 Old Bridge Road, according to Master Police Officer Renee Carr. Investigators said the driver of a 2014 Toyota Camry was exiting the fuel pump area toward Gordon Boulevard when the vehicle struck a pedestrian who was walking near the fuel pump island.  The victim then fell to the ground and was run over by the vehicle. The pedestrian,…

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by Zak Failla
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