Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

zfailla@dailyvoice.com

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

Two Killed, Another Seriously Injured In Four-Vehicle CT Crash Two Killed, Another Seriously Injured In Four-Vehicle CT Crash
Two Killed, Another Seriously Injured In Four-Vehicle CT Crash Two people were killed and a third suffered serious injuries in a multi-vehicle crash in Connecticut, police said. Shortly after 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 27 in Hartford County, Newington Police Chief Stephen Clark said that there were two confirmed fatalities in a four-vehicle crash that happened near the intersection of East Cedar Street and Patricia M. Genova Drive. The two victims have been identified as Middlesex County resident Mark Steiner, age 61, of East Hampton, and 29-year-old Hartford County resident Alexis Soto, of Wethersfield. A third person also suffered “serious injuries”…
20-Year-Old Critically Injured After Being Struck By Car Near Nassau County Intersection 20-Year-Old Critically Injured After Being Struck By Car Near Nassau County Intersection
20-Year-Old Critically Injured After Being Struck By Car Near Nassau County Intersection A 20-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition after being struck by a driver near a busy Long Island intersection, police said. Detectives from the Nassau County Police Department said that shortly before 6:20 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, a pedestrian was struck by a Ford Edge on Oceanside Road in Oceanside near the intersection of Lindbergh Avenue. As a result of the collision, police said that the pedestrian suffered multiple traumatic injuries and was transported to an area hospital, where he is listed in critical condition. The identity of the victim has not yet been released by…
New 'Politics Vs. Law' Ad Could Signal Start Of Andrew Cuomo's Attempt At Political Comeback New 'Politics Vs. Law' Ad Could Signal Start Of Andrew Cuomo's Attempt At Political Comeback
New 'Politics Vs. Law' Ad Could Signal Start Of Andrew Cuomo's Attempt At Political Comeback Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, embattled former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has officially launched his political comeback. On Monday, Feb. 28, Cuomo’s team released a new 30-second “Politics vs. the Law” ad, which takes aim at New York Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into sexual harassment claims against the former governor that led to his ousting from office. In the ad, Cuomo intimates that he was the victim of politics while highlighting certain clips from news reports that highlight recent decisions by several attorneys general in New York to not criminally charge t…
Serial Graffiti Offender Arrested In CT Serial Graffiti Offender Arrested In CT
Serial Graffiti Offender Arrested In CT A serial graffiti artist who has targeted restaurants, overpasses, homes, basketball courts, and other popular spots in Connecticut has been arrested and charged following a lengthy investigation, police announced. In New Haven County, the Naugatuck Police Department launched an investigation in November 2021, after receiving dozens of graffiti complaints throughout several areas of the town. Related story - 29-Year-Old Accused Of Spray Painting His Tag On CT Highway Bridge As of Monday, Feb. 28, police said that they were aware of at least 45 tags of similar designs that have been lo…
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 for the virus in Connecticut hospitals has hit a new low in 2022 as the daily infection rate held steady under 3 percent over the weekend. Over the weekend beginning on Friday, Feb. 25, there were 47 more patients discharged from Connecticut hospitals, bringing the total being treated for the virus to 188, the lowest number the state has reported in several months. In the latest update from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, officials were reporting that more than 39,000 COVID-19 tests were administered over the weekend, resulting in 1…
COVID-19: Hochul Gives Update On Status Of Remaining Mask Mandates COVID-19: Hochul Gives Update On Status Of Remaining Mask Mandates
Covid-19: Hochul Gives Update On Status Of Remaining Mask Mandates COVID-19-related mandates are slowly but surely being lifted in New York, and Gov. Kathy Hochul has provided an update on some of the remaining mask requirements. While mask mandates have been lifted statewide in most locales - most notably schools as of Wednesday, March 2 - they are still required on public transportation, inside transportation hubs, and inside certain congregate settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons until further data says it's safe to ditch them. Earlier story - COVID-19: Wearing Masks Still Recommended In These NY Counties On Monday, Feb. 28, Hoch…
IDs Released Of Final Two Victims After Four Killed In I-84 Wrong-Way Crash IDs Released Of Final Two Victims After Four Killed In I-84 Wrong-Way Crash
IDs Released Of Final Two Victims After Four Killed In I-84 Wrong-Way Crash Connecticut State Police investigators released the IDs of the final two victims after four people were killed in a wrong-way weekend crash. Hartford resident Natachia Izekia Rivera-Hall was driving the wrong way on I-84 traveling west in the eastbound lanes early on Saturday, Feb. 26 when she struck a truck head-on, sending both vehicles caroming into the roadway. Original story - Four Killed In Wrong-Way I-84 Crash, CT State Police Say Police were able to initially identify Rivera-Hall and one of her passengers, Hartford resident April Slade, age 40, though two others were temporarily u…
COVID-19: Wearing Masks Still Recommended In These NY Counties COVID-19: Wearing Masks Still Recommended In These NY Counties
Covid-19: Wearing Masks Still Recommended In These NY Counties While most New Yorkers are eagerly ditching their masks as the recovery from the winter COVID-19 surge continues, some counties are still being encouraged to mask up for a variety of factors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its guidance on mask-wearing to concentrate on COVID-19 hospitalizations, hospital capacity, and newly reported infections, permitting most of the state to drop the mandate. Earlier story - COVID-19: CDC Unveils New Strategy Allowing Communities To Ease Masking, Social Distancing The CDC will also offer a color-coded map — with coun…
State Police Urge Motorists To Be On Alert After Crashes Cause Six Deaths Within Minutes State Police Urge Motorists To Be On Alert After Crashes Cause Six Deaths Within Minutes
State Police Urge Motorists To Be On Alert After Crashes Cause Six Deaths Within Minutes State police officials are urging motorists to be on high alert after a pair of wrong-way crashes on Connecticut highways left six dead over the weekend just minutes apart. Troopers in New Haven County responded to a stretch of I-91 in Meriden at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, where there was a report of a wrong-way crash involving a Toyota Camry and BMW X5. Earlier story - Two CT Women Killed In Wrong-Way, Head-On I-91 Crash A 21-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman were both pronounced dead at the scene, police said. That same morning at approximately 2:45 a.m., troopers …
COVID-19: Masking Decision Now Up To School Districts With NY Mandate About To End COVID-19: Masking Decision Now Up To School Districts With NY Mandate About To End
Covid-19: Masking Decision Now Up To School Districts With NY Mandate About To End With the statewide mask mandate set to expire for students and staff in New York schools, the decision about whether or not to send children to class with a facial covering will now fall on parents and local school districts. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that beginning on Wednesday, March 2, the mask mandate in schools would expire, citing recent improvement in COVID-19 numbers. Earlier story - COVID-19: New York Sets Date Mask Mandate For Schools Will End According to Hochul, she and her administration made the decision “based on the analysis of several key COVID-19 data trends an…
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