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Thursday, jun 12

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

Warning For Severe Flu Season Issued By Health Officials; Here Are MA Areas Most Affected With all eyes on the recent surge of COVID-19, health officials are cautioning about a potentially severe flu season as several outbreaks have cropped up across the country. As the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus is rapidly spreading, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an alert advising that the flu is back in full force after taking a back seat to the pandemic last winter. In Massachusetts, according to the most recent report from the Department of Health on Friday, Dec. 24, the influenza severity statewide is currently “moderate,” with the percentage of flu-…

by Zak Failla

12/31/2021

News

Covid-19: Hudson Valley Infection Rate Soars 15 Percent; Here Are Counties Seeing Most Cases After seeing low infection rates during the fall, the Hudson Valley has been slammed by the Omicron COVID-19 variant as the number of new cases mounts. Over the past three days, the positive COVID-19 infection rate of those tested in the Hudson Valley rose from 12.53 percent on Monday, Dec. 27, to 13.72 percent the following day, up to 15.39 percent on Wednesday, Dec. 29. Statewide, the infection rate also rose similarly, from 13.36 percent to 16.21 percent as of Dec. 29. Only two other regions - Long Island (18.78) New York City (16.90 percent) have rates above 13.50 percent. According t…

by Zak Failla

12/31/2021

News

Covid-19: CT Sets Daily Infection Rate Record Of Over 20 Percent; New Deaths Reported Connecticut's daily COVID-19 positivity rate topped 20 percent, marking a new record as the Omnicom variant continues to torment the state. On Thursday, Dec. 30, Gov. Ned Lamont announced that the state administered 37,891 COVID-19 tests within the past 24 hours, resulting in 7,704 laboratory-confirmed cases. The 20.33 percent infection rate shattered the previous record after it sat at 17.78 percent the previous day. Eighty-three new COVID-19 fatalities were reported in the past week in Connecticut, which now has reported 9,160 virus-related deaths. Hospitals continue to be threate…

by Zak Failla

12/30/2021

Sports

Covid-19: Leading Knicks Player Enters NBA's Health, Safety Protocols An already difficult season for the New York Knicks took another hit as one of its star players became the latest to enter the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols just as the team starting a mini-winning streak. The team announced on Thursday, Dec. 30 that Randle had been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and will be unavailable for the following two games. The New York Knicks PR team announcing Randle's positive test.Twitter/@NY_KnicksPR Under updated league COVID-19 rules, vaccinated players who test positive for the virus will be permitted to retur…

by Zak Failla

12/30/2021

News

Covid-19: Long Island Infection Rate Nears 19 Percent; Here Are Communities Seeing Most Cases Long Island is being hit harder by the Omicron COVID-19 variant than any other region in New York as both Nassau and Suffolk recorded more than 5,500 new cases. Over the past three days, Long Island has recorded the highest positive infection rate of those tested for the virus, spiking to 18.78 percent on Wednesday, Dec. 29. The infection rate has risen by more than 1 percent daily since Monday, Dec. 27. Statewide, the infection rate also rose similarly, from 13.36 percent to 16.21 percent as of Dec. 29. Only two other regions - New York City (16.90 percent) and the Hudson Valley (15.39 p…

by Zak Failla

12/30/2021

Police & Fire

Covid-19: Omicron Surge Affecting Staffing Levels For Essential Workers The spread of the more-transmissible Omicron COVID-19 variant is leading to staffing shortages for some essential employers who have been hit hardest by the winter surge of the virus. Essential employees have been forced to call out of work en masse in recent weeks due to positive Omicron infections that have led to staffing shortages for first responders, healthcare workers, supermarket workers, flight crews, and other key professions. The shortages have led to hundreds of canceled flights, closed restaurants, and short-staffed retail stores, leaving workers frustrated and fatigued af…

by Zak Failla

12/30/2021

Police & Fire

Long Island Woman Killed After Being Ejected From Vehicle In Southern State Parkway Crash A 33-year-old woman on Long Island was killed after being ejected from her vehicle during a crash on the Southern State Parkway, state police said. New York State Police troopers responded to a reported one-car crash shortly before 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 29, on the parkway in the town of Hempstead in Nassau County. Police said that the driver, Hempstead resident Iesha Maxwell, was traveling west on Southern State Parkway when she lost control, her vehicle left the roadway, and she was ejected after striking the center median. Maxwell was transported to Nassau University Medical Center a…

by Zak Failla

12/30/2021

Business

Here's How Much, When Minimum Wage Will Increase In Westchester Workers in downstate New York are all getting a holiday bonus this year, as minimum wage rates get bumped for the third straight year. As of Friday, Dec. 31, minimum wage workers in Westchester, Suffolk, and Nassau counties will see a bump in their paychecks as their hourly wages will rise to a minimum of $15, putting them on par with employees at large firms in New York City, which has been at that benchmark for three years. Minimum wage employees in those counties had previously been getting $14 an hour. Fast-food workers across New York also make $15 an hour, regardless of location, wh…

by Zak Failla

12/30/2021

Business

Here's How Much, When Minimum Wage Will Increase In CT While some neighboring states will see a rise in their minimum wage to begin the new year, Connecticut employees will have to wait a few months as it works toward Gov. Ned Lamont’s goal of $15 hourly by 2023. New York and Massachusetts both will see their minimum wage rise as of Jan. 1, 2022, but Connecticut employees will have to wait until July to see their pay hike reflected on their paychecks. On July 1, 2022, minimum wage in Connecticut will be going up a dollar, from $13 to $14 hourly, the fourth straight year that the state saw an increase as it looks to get to $15 hourly by June 202…

by Zak Failla

12/30/2021

Business

Here's How Much, When Minimum Wage Will Increase In Massachusetts Massachusetts is one of more than two dozen states that will be giving employees a holiday bonus as minimum wage is getting an increase for the beginning of 2022. As of Saturday, Jan. 1, the state’s minimum wage in Massachusetts will rise 75 cents from $13.50 an hour to $14.25. The new wage translates to $29,640 a year for employees working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. The minimum wage for tipped workers who make more than $20 in tips monthly will also rise to $6.15 an hour on Jan. 1. Officials noted that the Massachusetts minimum wage bill also established a paid family and medical…

by Zak Failla

12/30/2021

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