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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
Dumfries Man, 64, Exposed Himself To Girl, 12, On Neighborhood Walk: Police Dumfries Man, 64, Exposed Himself To Girl, 12, On Neighborhood Walk: Police
Dumfries Man, 64, Exposed Himself To Girl, 12, On Neighborhood Walk: Police A 64-year-old Virginia man is facing charges after police say he exposed himself to a young girl walking down a neighborhood street. Ronnie Earl Spencer, of Dumfries, was arrested Wednesday, June 4, following an incident that occurred around 8:30 a.m. two days earlier, Prince William County Police said. Investigators said a 12-year-old girl was walking near the 17900 block of Milroy Drive on Monday, June 2, when she saw Spencer exposing himself. The girl quickly left the area and alerted a family member, who contacted police. No physical contact occurred, authorities noted. Spencer, whose…

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by Zak Failla
News
'Father Figure' Who Groomed Young Girl In Charles County Learns Prison Fate 'Father Figure' Who Groomed Young Girl In Charles County Learns Prison Fate
'Father Figure' Who Groomed Young Girl In Charles County Learns Prison Fate A Maryland man who groomed a young girl for years before sexually assaulting her is heading to prison, authorities announced. Thoraz Xavier Smallwood, 39, of Waldorf, has been sentenced to 15 years for sexually abusing a minor who he "became like a father figure to," according to the Charles County State's Attorney on Thursday, June 5. In June 2023, prosecutors say that a detective from the sheriff's office spoke with the young girl about the abuse, when she reported that she had been sexually assaulted multiple times by Smallwood. The investigation Smallwood was introduced to the vic…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Pedestrian Killed Crossing Highway In Gainesville Hit-Run Crash, Driver At Large: Police Pedestrian Killed Crossing Highway In Gainesville Hit-Run Crash, Driver At Large: Police
Pedestrian Killed Crossing Highway In Gainesville Hit-Run Crash, Driver At Large: Police A pedestrian was struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash early Thursday morning in Gainesville, and the driver never stopped, police said. Officers responded to the intersection of Lee Highway and Virginia Oaks Drive shortly before 2 a.m. on June 5, according to Master Police Officer Renee Carr with the Prince William County Police Department. Investigators said the victim was attempting to cross Lee Highway when they were hit by a northbound vehicle. The driver fled the scene without stopping. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. Their identity is being withheld pending notif…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
ESPN 'SportsCenter' Star Jay Harris Reveals Prostate Cancer Diagnosis On 'GMA' ESPN 'SportsCenter' Star Jay Harris Reveals Prostate Cancer Diagnosis On 'GMA'
ESPN 'SportsCenter' Star Jay Harris Reveals Prostate Cancer Diagnosis On 'GMA' Longtime ESPN "SportsCenter" anchor Jay Harris made a somber reveal Thursday on "Good Morning America."  The Norfolk, Virginia, native announced that he has prostate cancer and will be undergoing surgery next week, temporarily stepping away from ESPN. “I’m having surgery on Tuesday. I'll be away from 'SportsCenter 'for about a month to recover," Harris said while making the announcement on Good Morning America with Michael Strahan. "Then I'm coming back better than ever.” @gma JUST IN: ESPN SportsCenter anchor Jay Harris reveals prostate cancer diagnosis: “I’m having surger…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Baltimore Man Killed In Weekend Stabbing, Woman Arrested: 'He Had So Much Life Ahead' Baltimore Man Killed In Weekend Stabbing, Woman Arrested: 'He Had So Much Life Ahead'
Baltimore Man Killed In Weekend Stabbing, Woman Arrested: 'He Had So Much Life Ahead' A Baltimore family is reeling after a man was fatally stabbed over the weekend. An arrest has been made, but the heartbreak is just beginning. According to police, 26-year-old Demetri Briscoe Jr. was attacked during a physical altercation in the city’s Northeast District early Sunday, June 1, before being driven to a nearby hospital, where he later died. According to the Baltimore Police Department, officers were called to the 3000 block of Westfield Avenue shortly after 2 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, for a report of an armed person.  Officers arrived to find evidence of a crime scene, b…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
High Teen ‘Didn’t Mean To Interrupt’ Deputies Before DUI Arrest In Stafford, Sheriff Says High Teen ‘Didn’t Mean To Interrupt’ Deputies Before DUI Arrest In Stafford, Sheriff Says
High Teen ‘Didn’t Mean To Interrupt’ Deputies Before DUI Arrest In Stafford, Sheriff Says A high and unlicensed teen driver nearly caused multiple crashes before apologizing for "interrupting" a deputy’s shift during a wild DUI stop in Stafford County, authorities said. The chaos unfolded around 1:56 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4, when a deputy spotted an Acura swerving dangerously on Richmond Highway near Rowser Street, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said, prompting a traffic stop. Instead of pulling over, the 16-year-old driver allegedly veered into oncoming traffic — driving southbound in the northbound lanes — before eventually pulling over, officials said. When the deputy …

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by Zak Failla
News
Virginia Hunter Gets 1 Day In Prison For Poisoning Bald Eagle, Beating Hawk: Feds Virginia Hunter Gets 1 Day In Prison For Poisoning Bald Eagle, Beating Hawk: Feds
Virginia Hunter Gets 1 Day In Prison For Poisoning Bald Eagle, Beating Hawk: Feds A Virginia man who admitted to poisoning a bald eagle and brutally bludgeoning a trapped hawk with a pole was sentenced to just one day in prison, according to court records. William Custis Smith, of Accomack County, confessed to federal agents that he used illegal pole traps and a banned insecticide to kill birds of prey that flew onto his Hallwood property — including a juvenile bald eagle, the nation’s symbol. The shocking discovery began in early 2023, when wildlife officials received an anonymous tip about a suspicious trap set up near a waterfowl impoundment, officials said. When age…

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by Zak Failla
News
Mechanicsville Woman Fights For Life After Crash As Sister Refuses To Leave Her Side Mechanicsville Woman Fights For Life After Crash As Sister Refuses To Leave Her Side
Mechanicsville Woman Fights For Life After Crash As Sister Refuses To Leave Her Side As Megan Rowley clings to life in a Maryland trauma center, her older sister Katie hasn’t left her side—not for a second. The 31-year-old Mechanicsville woman was critically injured in a devastating head-on crash on Mechanicsville Road around 1:15 p.m. Friday, May 30, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office said. According to investigators, 79-year-old Marjorie Swann Boyers of Chaptico was driving southbound in a Toyota Highlander when, for reasons still unknown days later, she crossed the center line and struck Megan’s Chrysler 200 head-on.  A young family member was also in the car w…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Deadly Police Pursuit Ends With Crash Into I-95 Pillar In Baltimore: AG Deadly Police Pursuit Ends With Crash Into I-95 Pillar In Baltimore: AG
Deadly Police Pursuit Ends With Crash Into I-95 Pillar In Baltimore: AG A deadly police pursuit on I-95 in Baltimore ended in tragedy when an Infiniti driver crashed into a highway pillar, killing two people, authorities said. A high-speed police chase in Baltimore ended in a fatal crash early Wednesday, June 4, when a fleeing vehicle slammed into a support pillar under I-95, according to the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, which is investigating the incident. The deadly collision happened around 2:18 a.m., when a Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) officer spotted an Infiniti sedan traveling northbound on I-95, officials said. The officer followed th…

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by Zak Failla
News
‘Four’-tuitous Wins: 4-4-4-4 Pays Out Millions To 'Pick 4' Virginia Lottery Players ‘Four’-tuitous Wins: 4-4-4-4 Pays Out Millions To 'Pick 4' Virginia Lottery Players
‘Four’-tuitous Wins: 4-4-4-4 Pays Out Millions To 'Pick 4' Virginia Lottery Players It was all about the fours — four numbers, four digits, and millions in winnings after Virginia Lottery’s Pick 4 players hit the jackpot with the wildest combo of all: 4-4-4-4. Pick 4 players across Virginia had themselves a four-midable night after the numbers 4-4-4-4 were drawn on Monday, June 3, triggering a $7.9 million payout, Virginia Lottery officials said. Yes — you read that right. Four 4s. And the Lottery paid out nearly 18 times what it took in. According to officials, players wagered $438,939 on the June 3 night drawing. The result? They walked away with a staggering $7.9 milli…

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by Zak Failla
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