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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

News
COVID-19: Audit Cites 'Distortion, Suppression Of Facts' In Nursing Home Reporting Under Cuomo COVID-19: Audit Cites 'Distortion, Suppression Of Facts' In Nursing Home Reporting Under Cuomo
Covid-19: Audit Cites 'Distortion, Suppression Of Facts' In Nursing Home Reporting Under Cuomo The state Health Department intentionally “misled the public” regarding the number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes under former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration, according to a scathing audit from the Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. When the COVID-19 pandemic swept through New York, the Department of Health was not prepared to respond to the infectious disease outbreaks in nursing homes, according to the audit, which helped lead to the inaccurate virus-related death count in facilities. Auditors found that health officials undercounted the death toll in nursing homes by at le…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Robotics Team From John Jay High School Wins State Title Robotics Team From John Jay High School Wins State Title
Robotics Team From John Jay High School Wins State Title A high school robotics team from the Hudson Valley took on some of New York’s brightest minds before coming up just short of the finals at the US First NY Excelsior Regional Championships. Each year, teams from New York high schools work around the clock to create working robots that are then put in various competitions in a 30-match round-robin style opening qualification round as they battle for a spot in the playoff. This year, Westchester was represented by the team out of John Jay High School-Cross River, in the Katonah/Lewisboro District, which brought its 20228 SMRT robot to the US F…

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by Zak Failla
News
Five From China's Secret Police Nabbed In NY For Stalking, Harassing, Spying on US Residents Five From China's Secret Police Nabbed In NY For Stalking, Harassing, Spying on US Residents
Five From China's Secret Police Nabbed In NY For Stalking, Harassing, Spying on US Residents Pro-democracy activists, a Los Angeles artist, and a military veteran running for US Congress were all targets of an elaborate scheme by Chinese government officials to silence critics of their regime, according to a newly unsealed federal indictment. Three of the accused agents lived on Long Island or in Queens — their activities centered on New York City, but some extended to other states.  Five alleged members of the secret police of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are facing charges in New York for allegedly stalking, harassing, and spying on US residents, federal officials an…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
School District In Hampden County Appoints New Superintendent School District In Hampden County Appoints New Superintendent
School District In Hampden County Appoints New Superintendent A veteran educator in New England has been named as the newest superintendent of a Western Massachusetts School District. The School Committee voted unanimously 5-0 to name Dr. Frank Tiano, the interim middle school principal at the Dover-Sherburn Public School in Norfolk County as the newest head of the Ludlow School District, officials announced. Tiano beat out a group of three other prominent educators who are currently in various positions throughout Massachusetts school districts, including administrators and other superintendents. The School Committee reviewed dozens of applications …

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: CT Hits New Hospitalization Milestone; Latest Breakdown Of Cases, Deaths By County COVID-19: CT Hits New Hospitalization Milestone; Latest Breakdown Of Cases, Deaths By County
Covid-19: CT Hits New Hospitalization Milestone; Latest Breakdown Of Cases, Deaths By County The number of COVID-19 patients being treated in Connecticut hospitals is at its lowest rate since mid-July 2021 as the number dipped under 100 as the state continues to recover. According to the latest update from the state Department of Public Health, 15 more COVID-19 patients were discharged from Connecticut hospitals, bringing the total being treated down to 98.  On Tuesday, March 15, the state was reporting that nearly 14,000 COVID-19 tests were administered in Connecticut, resulting in 317 confirmed cases for a 2.31 percent daily positive infection rate, down for the second strai…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
State Police Start St. Patrick's Day Impaired Driving Crackdown State Police Start St. Patrick's Day Impaired Driving Crackdown
State Police Start St. Patrick's Day Impaired Driving Crackdown New York State Police are beefing up patrols and sobriety checkpoints to help curtail impaired driving during the St. Patrick's Day celebration.  There will be an increased state police presence on New York roadways beginning on Wednesday, March 16 with the special traffic enforcement detail running through Sunday, March 20. Police said that drivers can also expect to encounter additional DWI patrols and sobriety checkpoints during the enforcement period. State Police will also be ticketing distracted drivers who are using handheld electronic devices and will conduct underage drinkin…

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by Zak Failla
Politics
Cuomo Considering Primary Run Against Hochul, New Report Says Cuomo Considering Primary Run Against Hochul, New Report Says
Cuomo Considering Primary Run Against Hochul, New Report Says Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo could become his successor’s greatest threat in a Democratic primary as he reportedly mulls a run to reclaim his seat in Albany. Cuomo is reportedly contemplating a run against currently Gov. Kathy Hochul as he continues his comeback after being forced to resign following a probe by the New York Attorney General into sexual harassment allegations against him. According to a CNBC report, Cuomo has been busy hitting the phones, reaching out to supporters about a potential gubernatorial run against his former top lieutenant. Meanwhile, his aides have been cond…

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by Zak Failla
News
New Traffic Pattern To Start On Busy Roadway In Region New Traffic Pattern To Start On Busy Roadway In Region
New Traffic Pattern To Start On Busy Roadway In Region There will be a new traffic pattern on a busy Hudson Valley roadway that could potentially cause delays for several months as crews get set to begin construction work in the region. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) issued an alert advising motorists that there will be a new traffic pattern expected along US Route 9W in the Town of Highlands in Orange County. During construction, the new traffic pattern will leave one lane open in each direction between Firefighters Memorial Drive and US Route 6 in Highlands, beginning on Thursday, March 17. Work is expected to last …

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by Zak Failla
Lifestyle
Winning $100K CT Lottery Ticket Sold At Newington Food Store Winning $100K CT Lottery Ticket Sold At Newington Food Store
Winning $100K CT Lottery Ticket Sold At Newington Food Store A pair of winning $100,000 CT Lottery tickets sold at Connecticut food stores have been cashed in on the same day. First, in New London County, on Monday, March 14, Oakdale resident James Floyd, Jr. cashed in a winning "Pinball Wizard XXIV" scratch-off ticket that was sold at Sams Food Store on Ocean Avenue in New London.  Later that day, Middlesex resident Joseph Rigano, of Middletown, cashed in a second winning $100,000 "CASH5" ticket that was sold at Price Chopper on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington in Hartford County. According to CT Lottery, “when a winning scratch ticket is vali…

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by Zak Failla
News
Hudson Valley Caretaker Admits To Starving 7-Year-Old Boy To Death Hudson Valley Caretaker Admits To Starving 7-Year-Old Boy To Death
Hudson Valley Caretaker Admits To Starving 7-Year-Old Boy To Death A Hudson Valley woman has admitted to abusing and starving a 7-year-old boy she kept secreted inside her apartment, authorities announced. Leticia Bravo, age 39, of Newburgh, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, March 16 to manslaughter for her role in the death of 7-year-old Peter Cuacuas, who was kept hidden behind a bedroom behind a door that locked from the outside. Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said that shortly after 8 a.m. on Feb. 10, 2021, Bravo brought the child’s lifeless body to St. Luke’s Hospital in Newburgh, where he was pronounced dead. The investigation into th…

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by Zak Failla
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