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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

Schools
Teens Charged As Adults After Loaded Gun Found In Banned Backpack At Wise HS: Police Teens Charged As Adults After Loaded Gun Found In Banned Backpack At Wise HS: Police
Teens Charged As Adults After Loaded Gun Found In Banned Backpack At Wise HS: Police Two 10th-grade boys will be charged as adults after a loaded gun was found hidden inside a banned bookbag at Wise High School in Upper Marlboro, according to Prince George’s County Police. The incident happened around 1:55 p.m. Thursday, May 1, when school security officers saw one student hand off a black bookbag to another student in a hallway.  Only clear backpacks are allowed on campus, police said. Security searched the bag and found a loaded firearm inside. Both students ran from the building before they could be detained. The two suspects — a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old — ar…

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by Zak Failla
News
‘Garri Master’ From Gaithersburg Indicted For Directing Mutilation Campaign In Cameroon: ICE ‘Garri Master’ From Gaithersburg Indicted For Directing Mutilation Campaign In Cameroon: ICE
‘Garri Master’ From Gaithersburg Indicted For Directing Mutilation Campaign In Cameroon: ICE A Maryland man known as the “Garri Master” is accused of ordering mutilations, murders, and kidnappings in Cameroon while living comfortably in Gaithersburg, federal investigators announced.  Eric Tano Tataw has been federally indicted for allegedly financing and directing a violent separatist campaign in Cameroon from his home in Montgomery County. Tataw, 38, is accused of raising more than $110,000 to arm a brutal militia group called the Amba Boys, and calling for attacks on civilians — including orders to cut off fingers, limbs, and kill those viewed as cooperating with the go…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Eight Men Caught In Undercover Loudoun Child Predator Sting: Sheriff Eight Men Caught In Undercover Loudoun Child Predator Sting: Sheriff
Eight Men Caught In Undercover Loudoun Child Predator Sting: Sheriff Eight men have been arrested in a sweeping sting operation in Loudoun County after investigators say they tried to use social media and chat apps to exploit children under the age of 15. The arrests followed an undercover Internet chat operation carried out during the week of April 21, by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and the Northern Virginia–Washington DC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The men believed they were talking to underage children on various online platforms, according to investigators. “All were seeking to engage in criminal activity with a child,” authorit…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Bicyclist Riding Against Traffic Killed In Route 40 Crash In Perryville: MSP Bicyclist Riding Against Traffic Killed In Route 40 Crash In Perryville: MSP
Bicyclist Riding Against Traffic Killed In Route 40 Crash In Perryville: MSP A 60-year-old Cecil County man was killed while riding his bicycle against traffic on Route 40 in Perryville, according to Maryland State Police. It happened around 10:50 a.m. Thursday, May 1, at the intersection of Pulaski Highway and Cedar Corner Road, where Sean Earl Ruffin, 60, was struck by a Nissan Rogue. Troopers from the North East Barrack said Ruffin was riding eastbound in the westbound bike lane when he was hit by a car that was attempting to turn onto eastbound Route 40 from Cedar Corner Road. #PERRYVILLE | *PED STRUCK W/ HELO* | PULASKI HWY & CEDAR CORNER RD | BICYCLIS…

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by Zak Failla
News
Repeat Killer Convicted Of Second Anne Arundel Murder In Two Years: Prosecutors Repeat Killer Convicted Of Second Anne Arundel Murder In Two Years: Prosecutors
Repeat Killer Convicted Of Second Anne Arundel Murder In Two Years: Prosecutors A 21-year-old repeat killer from Anne Arundel County has been sentenced to life in prison for his second murder in two years, after shooting a man during a fake smartphone sale in Annapolis, prosecutors announced. The new sentence for Brooklyn resident Jaden Crowner will be served consecutively to the life sentence (all but 50 years suspended) he previously received in 2023 for a separate deadly shooting in Brooklyn Park. According to the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office, Walters Elangwe, 29, was shot and killed on July 11, 2020, after driving to an apartment complex on Primros…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Six Flags Closing Popular Theme Park: Here's What We Know Six Flags Closing Popular Theme Park: Here's What We Know
Six Flags Closing Popular Theme Park: Here's What We Know Maryland thrill-seekers, enjoy the ride while it lasts. Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor in Bowie are shutting down after the 2025 season, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation confirmed on Wednesday, May 1. The company said it plans to market the 500-acre property for redevelopment as part of a “portfolio optimization program,” ending decades of roller coasters, water slides, and family memories in Prince George’s County. “As part of our comprehensive review of our park portfolio, we have determined that Six Flags America and Hurricane Harbor are not a strategic fit with the company’s…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
100 MPH Pursuit Ends With Virginia Driver Airlifted After PIT Spinout: Sheriff 100 MPH Pursuit Ends With Virginia Driver Airlifted After PIT Spinout: Sheriff
100 MPH Pursuit Ends With Virginia Driver Airlifted After PIT Spinout: Sheriff A Virginia man took deputies on a wild ride in Virginia that ended with him being airlifted to Fairfax Hospital.  Nicholas Murphy, 40, of Warrenton, was behind the wheel of a blue Cadillac when he led Fauquier County deputies on a high-speed pursuit Wednesday night, April 30, authorities said. It started just before 8 p.m., when a deputy tried to stop the Cadillac near Cedar Run Drive and Frytown Road, though Murphy wasn't going to go down quietly. Murphy took off, reportedly flying between 80 and 100 mph down Dumfries Road, side-swiping another vehicle near Rogues Road before continu…

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Bullies Hurl Racial Slurs At 5-Year-Old Asian Boy — Then Flee When His Mom Shows Up (VIDEO) Bullies Hurl Racial Slurs At 5-Year-Old Asian Boy — Then Flee When His Mom Shows Up (VIDEO)
Bullies Hurl Racial Slurs At 5-Year-Old Asian Boy — Then Flee When His Mom Shows Up (Video) A video of a cowardly group of teen bullies terrorizing a terrified 5-year-old Chinese-American boy in Virginia has gone viral—and now parents are calling for accountability.  The two-minute video, shared on YouTube by the group "JusticeForEthan" shows a group of teens—reportedly from Eagle Ridge Middle School—preying on the young preschooler who was sobbing and begging for the torment to stop. "Don't hurt me!" the child shouted while clutching a blue blanket he tried to hide behind while the teens called him offensive names. "Save me! Save me!" he shouted while running to the corner o…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Democratic Governor Shuts Down 2028 Presidential Rumors On 'The View' Democratic Governor Shuts Down 2028 Presidential Rumors On 'The View'
Democratic Governor Shuts Down 2028 Presidential Rumors On 'The View' It remains unclear whether Donald Trump will attempt to run for a third term in 2028, but one potential Democratic candidate has taken his hat out of the ring. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore ruled out a potential presidential run—emphatically—during an appearance on ABC's The View on Thursday, where comedian Joy Behar said he looked "very presidential."  .@TheView is looking great from here! Tune in now. 📺 pic.twitter.com/PROMaUKCoT — Wes Moore (@iamwesmoore) May 1, 2025 "I am not running," Moore said repeatedly as the hosts continued to badger him. "I'm really excited about the work tha…

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by Zak Failla
News
Virginia Cat Shot In Face Miraculously Survives, Keeps Purring Through Recovery Virginia Cat Shot In Face Miraculously Survives, Keeps Purring Through Recovery
Virginia Cat Shot In Face Miraculously Survives, Keeps Purring Through Recovery This cat truly has nine lives. A fearless feline in Virginia has captured the region's attention as he recovers after being shot in the face and rescued by the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. Rhett came to the SPCA in late March with unimaginable injuries that included a shattered jaw, leaving him in excruciating pain. While evaluating the cat, veterinary staff confirmed that someone had shot Rhett in the face. Despite the unthinkable injury, Rhett has not lost any of his heart. "While the bullet caused major physical damage, it missed his spirit," organizers of a fundraiser for the feli…

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by Zak Failla
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