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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

Politics
Top MS-13 Leader Captured In Virginia During Federal Sting, Officials Say Top MS-13 Leader Captured In Virginia During Federal Sting, Officials Say
Top MS-13 Leader Captured In Virginia During Federal Sting, Officials Say US authorities are celebrating after a top MS-13 gang leader was apprehended in Virginia. Officials announced on Thursday that a weeks-long operation involving federal and state investigators culminated with "one of the top domestic terrorists in MS-13 off the streets."  “This is what happens when you let good cops be cops and we’re going to continue to let good cops be cops across this country," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.  "President Trump gave us the executive decision to go after and safeguard our communities … We are returning our communities to safety.” Th…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Dog Stabbed Seven Times During Argument In Lexington Park, Sheriff Says Dog Stabbed Seven Times During Argument In Lexington Park, Sheriff Says
Dog Stabbed Seven Times During Argument In Lexington Park, Sheriff Says A man is behind bars in St. Mary’s County after he allegedly stabbed a dog multiple times outside a home in Lexington Park — an attack that a witness said came moments after a verbal fight with another resident. Corey Allen Barbour McDowney, 48, was arrested on Wednesday, March 25, after deputies responded to a reported disturbance in the 21000 block of Exquisite Court, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office said. When deputies arrived, they found a bleeding dog on the front porch. McDowney claimed the dog had attacked him and that he stabbed it in self-defense — but deputies said they saw…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
‘Uncle Miles’ Killed In Woodbridge Hit-Run; Family Raising Funds To Bring 'Legend' Home ‘Uncle Miles’ Killed In Woodbridge Hit-Run; Family Raising Funds To Bring 'Legend' Home
‘Uncle Miles’ Killed In Woodbridge Hit-Run; Family Raising Funds To Bring 'Legend' Home A man remembered as a "local legend" in Massachusetts and beloved mentor to many was killed in a devastating hit-and-run crash in Virginia, and now his family is pleading for help to bring him home. Miles Jonathan Moore, 53, was struck and killed while crossing Richmond Highway near Easy Street around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20 in Woodbridge, according to the Prince William County Police Department.  Investigators say he was hit by two vehicles — one of which fled the scene. The first driver, operating a Toyota Highlander, stayed and cooperated with police. The second driver — beli…

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by Zak Failla
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 DC Headed To Prison, Feds Say Men Behind $1.2M Brinks Armored Car Robbery Spree In DC Headed To Prison, Feds Say
Men Behind $1.2M Brinks Armored Car Robbery Spree In DC Headed To Prison, Feds Say 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
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