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Friday, jul 11

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

Fentanyl, Cocaine Seized From Parolee During I-70 Traffic Stop In Frederick: Sheriff A convicted armed robber on parole is back behind bars after deputies say they seized fentanyl and cocaine during a traffic stop on I-70 in Maryland. Thomas Smallwood, 38, of Cumberland, was riding in a vehicle that was pulled over around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 8, near New Design Road for an traffic violation, according to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office. During the stop, a deputy suspected drug activity and called in a K9 unit, which alerted to the odor of narcotics, officials said. A search of the vehicle and its occupants led to the discovery of drugs concealed on Smallwood.&nbs…

by Zak Failla

07/10/2025

Police & Fire

‘Mass Casualty Incident’ Declared After 15 Overdose In West Baltimore (Updated) More than a dozen people were found suffering from overdose symptoms at a busy Baltimore intersection, prompting a massive emergency response and road closures on Thursday, July 10, according to police. Units from Baltimore Police and Baltimore Fire were called to the area of Pennsylvania and North Avenues around 11:30 a.m., police said. It is believed that at least 15 people were treated, officials said, calling it a "mass casualty incident." "Our team is coordinating with state agencies, city officials, and first responders on the ground in West Baltimore today," Maryland Gov. Wes …

by Zak Failla

07/10/2025

Sports

Angel Reese, Carmelo Anthony Take Over NBA 2K26 Covers As Maryland Icons Rise Randallstown’s own Angel Reese and Baltimore legend Carmelo Anthony are officially cover stars — not just in the city, but across the world. The two basketball standouts with deep Maryland roots have been tapped as featured athletes for special editions of NBA 2K26, the studio announced this week. Reese, 23, is the cover athlete for the NBA 2K26 WNBA Edition, a GameStop exclusive available in physical form in the United States. The All-Star forward for the Chicago Sky will also appear on the Leave No Doubt Edition alongside 2025 NBA MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anth…

by Zak Failla

07/10/2025

Traffic

Tractor-Trailer Teeters Off Beltway Bridge In Early Morning Crash In MoCo (Photos) A scary scene played out on the Capital Beltway early on Thursday morning when a truck driver found themself in a perilous position. At around 1 a.m. on July 10, a tractor-trailer carrying refrigerated mushrooms crashed and was left dangling off the side of an overpass, between Old Georgetown Road and River Road, officials said. Following the crash, the driver was trapped inside the vehicle, and the truck partially hung off the bridge over the I-270 spur. The scene of the crash in Montgomery County on Thursday morning. Twitter/@mcfrsPIO According to Montgomery County Fire and…

by Zak Failla

07/10/2025

Police & Fire

PWC Cop Used Police Databases To Stalk Man Over Woman, Officials Say A Prince William County Police officer used his badge to stalk a man tied to a woman he knew, then tracked him using law enforcement databases while on duty, officials announced. Godson Vondee, 42, of Stafford, was arrested on Tuesday, July 9, following an internal investigation into multiple unauthorized database searches and surveillance behavior, according to the Prince William County Police Department. Investigators said Vondee used the Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN) five separate times — once in 2023 and four more times in 2024 — to obtain personal identifying information…

by Zak Failla

07/10/2025

Police & Fire

3-Year-Old Girl Shot, Killed In DC: Metropolitan Police ID Person Of Interest The manhunt is on. Charles Rucker has been named a person of interest in the shooting death of 3-year-old Honesty Cheadle, the Metropolitan Police Department announced. Cheadle was sitting in a parked car with family when she was struck by gunfire around 3:03 a.m. on Saturday, July 5, in the 1000 block of 14th Street SE, according to police. Detectives say Rucker is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting, which turned fatal two days later when the girl died. He is pictured in a newly released wanted homicide poster, and MPD is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for i…

by Zak Failla

07/09/2025

Police & Fire

Watch: Video Shows Spear-Wielding Man Shot Dead By Howard County Cop, AG Releases Footage Video of a deadly officer-involved shooting involving a spear-wielding man in Maryland has been released by the Attorney General's Office. Micah Booker, 23, of Columbia, was armed with a large spear when he was fatally shot by an officer in Howard County after allegedly stabbing a family member and refusing to drop the weapon, investigators say. The shooting was reported shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 9, on Wilbur Court. In the newly released video, Booker can be seen unexpectedly sprinting toward Howard County Police Officer Michael McKee, who fired one shot, striking him in the…

by Zak Failla

07/09/2025

Obituaries

Beloved Music Teacher Mathew Price Mourned In Maryland: ‘Beautiful Soul With A Beautiful Voice' Mathew Passarelli Price wasn’t just a music teacher—he was music. A gifted baritone, passionate educator, and joyful spirit, the 25-year-old Maryland native filled classrooms, churches, and concert halls with harmony, heart, and hope. Price, a cherished choir director at North County High School in Anne Arundel County, died unexpectedly on July 1, leaving behind a devastated community of students, colleagues, family, and friends. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by his sister to help lay him to rest after the family suffered unimaginable loss in recent years. “Mathew was …

by Zak Failla

07/09/2025

Weather

Virginia Troopers Rescue Drivers Swept Away By Flash Floods: 'Turn Around, Don't Drown' Multiple drivers had to be rescued from rising floodwaters in Virginia after heavy rains submerged roads and stranded vehicles overnight, officials said. First responders were busy across Halifax County late Tuesday, July 8, into Wednesday morning, rescuing drivers trapped by high water, according to Virginia State Police (VSP). The first incident happened just before midnight. on North Fork Church Road. Troopers and members of the VSP Special Response Team (SRT), along with Halifax County deputies, found two vehicles submerged in floodwaters. One driver was able to escape and walk …

by Zak Failla

07/09/2025

Obituaries

Mom Killed By Kids' Father In Landover; Family Pushes Domestic Violence Awareness She was a daughter, a sister, a friend — and the mother of two little girls who will now grow up without either parent. Sharita Cristwell, 29, was shot and killed in a Landover apartment on July 5, by Harry Lindsey, the father of her children, according Prince George's County Police Department. Lindsey attempted to flee after the deadly domestic dispute, but was apprehended the following day and charged with multiple counts of murder. Cristwell’s death has left her family and community reeling — and pushing for justice and awareness. “Sharita was shot twice and killed instantly by the fat…

by Zak Failla

07/09/2025

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