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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
Westchester Man Charged With Threatening To Kill County Police Officer Westchester Man Charged With Threatening To Kill County Police Officer
Westchester Man Charged With Threatening To Kill County Police Officer A 20-year-old man is facing charges for allegedly threatening to kill a Westchester County police officer, authorities announced. Yonkers resident Hector Gonzalez was charged with aggravated harassment following his arrest on Thursday, Jan. 20 for making the alleged threat after tracking down an officer's contact information. According to police, Gonzalez is accused of obtaining the officer’s cell phone number and making an anonymous call on Sunday, Jan. 16 to threaten the officer’s life while also referencing his family.  A spokesman for the department noted that Westchester County …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Police Search For Motorist Wanted For Leaving Scene Of Suffolk County Crash Police Search For Motorist Wanted For Leaving Scene Of Suffolk County Crash
Police Search For Motorist Wanted For Leaving Scene Of Suffolk County Crash Police investigators on Long Island are seeking the public’s assistance in locating the driver of a vehicle who struck and killed a pedestrian earlier this month. Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and the Southampton Town Police Department issued an alert as they attempt to track down a person who struck and killed a man in Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 13. Police said that at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 13, a person in a Jeep Cherokee struck a pedestrian on Flanders Road near Old Quogue Road in Riverside and proceeded to speed away. The 33-year-old pedestrian was transported to Stony Brook …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
COVID-19: School District In Nassau County Ends Mask Mandate COVID-19: School District In Nassau County Ends Mask Mandate
Covid-19: School District In Nassau County Ends Mask Mandate At least one school district on Long Island will not be adhering to the state's mask mandates for students and staff as the COVID-19 numbers in the region begin to show improvement. The Massapequa Board of Education voted to make it optional for students and staff members to wear a mask on school property when the state-ordered mask mandate ends on Monday, Feb. 21. Earlier story - COVID-19: Long Island School District To File Suit Over Mask Mandate 
“The board has spent more than two years reviewing covid health and safety measures and we believe that our educational community will remain…

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by Zak Failla
News
Man Charged In Westchester Robbery Admits To Role In US Capitol Riot Man Charged In Westchester Robbery Admits To Role In US Capitol Riot
Man Charged In Westchester Robbery Admits To Role In US Capitol Riot A Hudson Valley man who was implicated in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol admitted to his role at the riot in Washington, DC. In June 2021, Anthony Vuksanaj, a Putnam County resident, was arrested in Westchester for his role in a robbery, which led investigators to his cellphone, which was present during the Jan. 6 riot, according to court records. The 52-year-old was later arrested by federal officials in his Mahopac home in the town of Carmel in September 2021. Court documents show that Vuksanaj pleaded guilty this week to one count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in …

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by Zak Failla
News
Treasurer Accused Of Stealing $400K From Fire Company In Hudson Valley Treasurer Accused Of Stealing $400K From Fire Company In Hudson Valley
Treasurer Accused Of Stealing $400K From Fire Company In Hudson Valley A 28-year-old man is facing charges for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Hudson Valley fire company, New York State Police authorities announced. In Orange County, New York State Police announced the arrest of Monroe resident Ian Harriton, the former treasurer of the Monroe Lakeside Fire and Rescue Company. It is alleged that while serving as treasurer, Harriton stole more than $400,000 for his own personal use. Police said that investigators were alerted to the alleged theft when the president of the fire company realized that bills for the department had been de…

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by Zak Failla
News
Connecticut DEEP Investigating After Illegal Shooting Of Red-Tailed Hawk Connecticut DEEP Investigating After Illegal Shooting Of Red-Tailed Hawk
Connecticut Deep Investigating After Illegal Shooting Of Red-Tailed Hawk The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is seeking the public’s assistance as they look to track down suspects who illegally shot and abused a red-tailed hawk. In December, DEEP officers were alerted to the bird, who was located in New Haven County after being impaled by an arrow in the area of Thorson Road and North Mark Drive in Oxford late in December. Further investigation found that the hawk also had BBs and an air rifle pellet embedded on its body. Officials said that the bird was successfully captured and is being treated by a licensed wildlife reha…

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by Zak Failla
News
CT Business Owner Sentenced For Filing False Federal Income Tax Returns CT Business Owner Sentenced For Filing False Federal Income Tax Returns
CT Business Owner Sentenced For Filing False Federal Income Tax Returns A Connecticut business owner will spend time behind bars after admitting to filing false tax returns. Hartford County resident George Lee, age 51, of Glastonbury, who operates USA Paving has been sentenced to six months in prison followed by a year of supervised release after pleading guilty in July 2021 to one count of filing a false tax return. In addition to his prison time, Lee also was ordered to pay a $5,500 fine. US Attorney Leonard Boyle said that between 2015 and 2018, Lee provided his tax return preparer with information that substantially understated the gross receipts for the p…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
COVID-19: CT High School To Have Early Dismissal Due To Staff Shortage COVID-19: CT High School To Have Early Dismissal Due To Staff Shortage
Covid-19: CT High School To Have Early Dismissal Due To Staff Shortage A Connecticut high school will be dismissed early due to a staffing shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In New Haven County, on Friday, Jan. 21, officials in the Hamden School District said that Hamden HS students will attend their first four periods and be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. Officials noted that the staffing shortage has only impacted the high school. No other schools in the district were affected. 
“Due to a shortage of staff, Hamden High School will institute an early dismissal schedule today, Friday, (Jan. 21),” the district posted on social media. “Students will attend pe…

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by Zak Failla
Business
Recall Issued For Popular Frozen Food Product Recall Issued For Popular Frozen Food Product
Recall Issued For Popular Frozen Food Product A frozen macaroni and cheese product is being recalled across the country due to undeclared allergens. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Amy’s Kitchen has initiated a recall of a specific lot of its “Vegan Organic Rice Mac & Cheeze” due to the potential of trace amounts of milk, which was not declared on the label. According to the FDA, the lot is “60J0421” and the company “is recalling this single lot out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of consumers who have an allergy or sensitivity to milk.” In total, 15,626 cases of Vegan Organic Rice Mac &…

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by Zak Failla
News
COVID-19: Positivity Rate Down Again In CT, 241 New Deaths Reported; Latest Breakdown Of Cases COVID-19: Positivity Rate Down Again In CT, 241 New Deaths Reported; Latest Breakdown Of Cases
Covid-19: Positivity Rate Down Again In CT, 241 New Deaths Reported; Latest Breakdown Of Cases Two hundred and forty-one new COVID-19 deaths were reported in the past week in Connecticut, which has seen the number of new virus-related hospitalizations dip for the sixth consecutive day after the number of cases surged. In the latest update from the State Department of Public Health on Thursday, Jan. 20, more than 36,000 COVID-19 tests were administered in Connecticut, resulting in 4,805 laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus for a 13.29 percent daily positivity rate. After plateauing near 25 percent for several days last week, the daily positivity rate has been plummeting for days. …

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by Zak Failla
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