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Tuesday, jun 24

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

Schools

Long Island High School Removes Indian Mascot Logo From Building A controversial high school mascot on Long Island has been pulled following years of debate over the issue. East Islip High School officials announced that they are removing the controversial “Redmen” mascot from the building following a lengthy debate amongst the district and community. However, while the imagery of the Indian has been removed, the words “Home of the Redmen” are still prominently featured on the building. It is unclear when or if that will be taken down. The Indian logo has been a point of consternation for years, with a change.org petition calling on the district to re…

by Zak Failla

09/24/2021

Police & Fire

11 Charged In Area DWI Detail Authorities have just announced the results of a special multi-agency holiday DWI detail in Dutchess County. During a Labor Day “High Visibility Engagement Campaign” that was conducted countywide between Saturday, Aug. 21 and Sunday, Sept. 5, police in Dutchess County busted 11 arrested for alleged impaired driving through the region. “The goal of the Labor Day Impaired Driving Crackdown as all other crackdown periods was to discourage people from driving impaired, promote awareness, and keep the roadways safe,” officials said. Those charged: Hanna Kibbe, age 23, of Fishkill; Anthony Gi…

by Zak Failla

09/24/2021

Schools

Covid-19: Hundreds Of CT School Bus Drivers Planning To Walk Off Job Ahead Of Vaccine Mandate Hundreds of school bus drivers in the region are ready to walk away from their jobs as they face a mandate to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or else potentially lose their positions. Amid a national school bus driver shortage, nearly 300 drivers are ready to walk away with the state’s COVID-19 vaccinate mandate set to go into effect on Monday, Sept. 27. Related story - Massachusetts Calls On National Guard To Assist In School Bus Driver Shortage As part of Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont’s vaccination mandate, drivers who are unvaccinated must undergo weekly testing. According to reports, …

by Zak Failla

09/24/2021

News

'Chris Cuomo Sexually Harassed Me': Journalist Details Allegations Against Ex-Gov's Brother CNN anchor Chris Cuomo has become the latest member of his family to face sexual harassment allegations. In a New York Times op-ed, Shelley Ross, a former ABC executive producer accused the younger Cuomo of sexually harassing her at a 2005 work party at a Manhattan bar in front of her co-workers and husband. It is alleged that Cuomo grabbed her on her behind during the incident, calling it “a hearty greeting.” According to Ross, Cuomo later sent an email following the incident saying that he was “ashamed,” and sought to distance himself from the matter. “I was at the party with my husba…

by Zak Failla

09/24/2021

Police & Fire

Woman Seriously Injured After Being Hit By Compact SUV On Long Island Roadway A pedestrian was hospitalized in serious condition after being struck by an SUV while crossing a road on Long Island. Suffolk County Police investigators said that a woman was walking across Horseblock Road at the intersection of Granny Road in Farmingville at approximately 10:55 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 23 when she was struck by a 2021 Nissan Rogue. Police said that the driver, Santos Umanzor-Velasquez, age 29, of Bellport, was uninjured, but the pedestrian - whose name has not been released - was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The crash r…

by Zak Failla

09/24/2021

Business

Long Island Diner Closes After Nearly 90 Years In Business COVID-19 has claimed another victim, this one being a Long Island establishment. Sunny’s Riverhead Diner & Grill, one of Long Island’s longest-standing eateries, is closing its doors after being a staple in Suffolk County since 1932. Earlier this month, the owners announced that due to financial hardships caused by the pandemic, the popular diner would no longer be serving diners after nearly 90 years on Riverhead's main street. Related story: Popular Long Island Eatery Closes According to reports, the owners, Jim and Sunny Liszanckiel struggled during the pandemic, despite offe…

by Zak Failla

09/24/2021

News

Covid-19: Brand-New Research Reveals Which Vaccine Is Most Effective Over Time It turns out not all COVID-19 vaccines are created equal. Newly released research published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found which federally-authorized COVID vaccine is proving to be most effective over time. The studies that have been published found that Moderna’s vaccine is more effective against the virus months after the vaccination series was completed. According to the CDC, the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine against hospitalization fell from 91 percent to 77 percent after a four-month period following the second shot. Moderna’s efficac…

by Zak Failla

09/24/2021

News

Covid-19: New Deaths Reported, Infection Rate Rises In CT; Latest Breakdown Of Cases By County The positive COVID-19 infection rate in Connecticut is on a slight rise as more patients being treated for the virus are being admitted to hospitals across the state. In Connecticut, the positive daily infection rate rose slightly to 2.28 percent of those tested on Wednesday, Sept. 22, according to the latest update from the state Department of Health. In total, 25,897 COVID-19 tests were administered in Connecticut on Sept. 22, resulting in 591 new laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus. Thirteen more COVID-19 patients were admitted into Connecticut hospitals, leaving 282 still being tre…

by Zak Failla

09/24/2021

Police & Fire

Bicyclist Seriously Injured After Being Struck By SUV On Long Island Roadway A bicyclist was hospitalized in serious condition on Long Island after being struck by a driver pulling into a fast-food restaurant before speeding off, police said. An alert was issued by the Nassau County Police Department as they attempt to locate the hit-and-run driver who hospitalized the bicyclist. Detectives said that a 38-year-old man was riding his bike east on Merrick Road in August when he was struck by a black SUV that was attempting to turn into the parking lot of Wendy’s at 1728 Merrick Road. Police said that the driver never stopped and proceeded to flee eastbound on Merric…

by Zak Failla

09/24/2021

News

Mosquitoes Carrying West Nile Virus Found in CT Mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus have been confirmed in a Connecticut park, officials announced. The City of Hartford reported this week that two mosquitoes trapped at Keney Park on Tuesday, Sept. 14 tested positive for the virus. According to city officials, no additional Hartford residents were infected by the virus after the discovery. “Until we get the first frost, we should all take basic steps to prevent mosquito bites,” Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said in a statement. “Please report any potential West Nile virus infection to a healthcare professional. I want to thank the Con…

by Zak Failla

09/23/2021

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