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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

Business
Winning $500K 'Powerball Double Play' Ticket Sold At Aberdeen Liquor Store Winning $500K 'Powerball Double Play' Ticket Sold At Aberdeen Liquor Store
Winning $500K 'Powerball Double Play' Ticket Sold At Aberdeen Liquor Store Wednesday was a lucky day for Lottery players in Maryland - one in particular - who cashed in big on a $500,000 Powerball Double Play ticket sold at an area liquor store. The first second-tier Double Play winning ticket sold in 2025 remains days after the fateful drawing on a ticket that was sold at Carsins Run Liquors in the 3500 block of Churchville Road in Aberdeen. The winning Double Play numbers from the Monday, March 24 drawing were 02-54-59-65-68 with a Powerball of 03. On Monday, Maryland saw more than 12,000 players win prizes of between $4 and $200. Double Play is a se…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Deputy On Motorcycle Injured In I-95 Hit-Run Crash In Virginia: Sheriff (DEVELOPING) Deputy On Motorcycle Injured In I-95 Hit-Run Crash In Virginia: Sheriff (DEVELOPING)
Deputy On Motorcycle Injured In I-95 Hit-Run Crash In Virginia: Sheriff (Developing) A Stafford County Sheriff’s deputy is recovering after being struck from behind in a hit-and-run crash on I-95 early Thursday morning, officials say. The crash happened around 6:15 a.m. on March 27, when the deputy was stationary on his agency-issued motorcycle in the northbound lanes of I-95 near the Warrenton Road exit ramp, according to the sheriff's office. An unidentified vehicle slammed into the back of the motorcycle, injuring the deputy, then sped off without stopping, a spokesperson for the department said. The deputy sustained minor injuries and is currently being evaluated, acco…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Teen Crashes In Virginia McDonald’s Drive-Thru While Drunk, With Weed And BB Gun: Sheriff Teen Crashes In Virginia McDonald’s Drive-Thru While Drunk, With Weed And BB Gun: Sheriff
Teen Crashes In Virginia McDonald’s Drive-Thru While Drunk, With Weed And BB Gun: Sheriff A late-night McDonald’s run ended with a trip home in shame — not with fries. A juvenile in Stafford County was busted after crashing into a car in the drive-thru line at a local McDonald’s while under the influence, officials said. Deputies with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office were called around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, to the area of Richmond Highway and Garrisonville Road for a drunk driver complaint, according to a Stafford County Sheriff's Office spokesperson. A caller reported seeing a truck at the Stafford Marketplace intersection with a driver who looked half asleep, ev…

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by Zak Failla
News
Lexington Park Man Opens Fire On Same Woman Less Than 24 Hours After Jail Release: Prosecutor Lexington Park Man Opens Fire On Same Woman Less Than 24 Hours After Jail Release: Prosecutor
Lexington Park Man Opens Fire On Same Woman Less Than 24 Hours After Jail Release: Prosecutor He walked out of jail — and headed straight back into trouble. A St. Mary’s County man is heading to prison after he was convicted of tracking down the same woman he assaulted before, then firing a gun at her less than 24 hours after being released, prosecutors announced. Jonathan Salazar-Martinez, 20, of Lexington Park, was sentenced to 45 years in prison, with 15 years of active incarceration, following a violent domestic encounter that nearly turned deadly. The disturbing part? He’d just finished serving time for the previous assault on the same victim. “Repeat offenders must face seri…

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by Zak Failla
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 Virginia Hit-Run; Family Raising Funds To Bring Mass 'Legend' Home ‘Uncle Miles’ Killed In Virginia Hit-Run; Family Raising Funds To Bring Mass 'Legend' Home
‘Uncle Miles’ Killed In Virginia Hit-Run; Family Raising Funds To Bring Mass '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
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