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Thursday, jun 26

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

Covid-19: Long Island School District Announces Mask-Policy Change Despite the protestations of some parents, a Long Island school district is going against its original stance and announced it will be complying with the state’s mask mandate for students after all. After initially voting to make masks optional, the Massapequa School District announced that it will be in compliance with the state mandate requiring masks in schools this fall, much to the chagrin of some parents who recently held rallies in protest of the decision. Though the school year will start with students and staff in masks, Schools Superintendent Lucille Iconis said that the district …

by Zak Failla

09/01/2021

News

Vandalism At Nassau County Mosque Being Investigated As Bias Crime, Police Say Trash mixed in with human waste that was tossed into a Long Island mosque earlier this month is being treated as a bias crime, authorities announced. On Friday, Aug. 13, a man was caught on camera walking up to the front door of the Faizan-e-Aisha mosque on Heitz Place in Hicksville twice, tossing shovels of garbage and urine near the front door. According to reports, the package landed in the area of the mosque where congregants would leave their shoes before heading inside to pray. Though the incident happened earlier this month, it was not reported to the Nassau County Police Departmen…

by Zak Failla

09/01/2021

News

Covid-19: Long Island Man Charged In Takedown Of Fake Vaccination Card Conspiracy A Long Island medical worker is facing charges for her role in running a scam to sell phony COVID-19 vaccination cards and illegally entering them into the New York State Immunization Information System database. It is alleged that Jasmine Clifford of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, sold approximately 250 forged COVID-19 cards over social media, and worked with Suffolk County resident Nadayza Barkey, of Bellport, to enter at least 10 people into the database during the peak of the pandemic, the Manhattan District Attorney announced. The DA, Cyrus Vance, Jr., noted that 13 individuals who purcha…

by Zak Failla

09/01/2021

News

Covid-19: Long Island Sees New Infection-Rate Increase; Latest Breakdown By Community The positive COVID-19 infection rate on Long Island continues to rise, hovering above 4 percent as New York contends with the Delta variant of the virus. For the third straight day, the seven-day average COVID-19 infection rate on Long Island rose, from 4.30 percent to 4.31 percent, to 4.35 percent in the most recent data released by the state Department of Health. Statewide, over the past three days, the average infection rate dropped from 3.32 percent to 3.29 percent and back up to 3.31 percent on Sunday, Aug. 29, well below the rate on Long Island. Eighteen new COVID-19-related deaths w…

by Zak Failla

08/31/2021

Politics

Here's Where Cuomo Has Been 'Hiding Out' Since Leaving Office, Report Says It’s good to have friends in high places. Since leaving the Executive Mansion in Albany, disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has reportedly been holing up in the Hamptons at the Southampton home of longtime ally Dr. Jeffrey A. Sachs on Long Island, according to new reports. Related story - Where's Captain? Speculation Swirls Cuomo Left His Dog Behind When He Exited Executive Mansion Cuomo’s latest living arrangements, first reported in the New York Post, come after U-Haul trucks were spotted bringing his belongings from the Albany mansion to his sister's Westchester home, located in Purchas…

by Zak Failla

08/31/2021

Schools

Covid-19: Weekly Testing Requirement For Unvaccinated School Staff To Start In NY Children in New York will be wearing masks - at least at the beginning of the school year - in the classroom until regions get the Delta COVID-19 variant under control, and school staffers who aren't vaccinated will now have to be tested weekly. During a COVID-19 briefing in Buffalo on Tuesday, Aug. 31, Gov. Kathy Hochul, calling children “resilient,” said that all students will be masked up to start the school year, though circumstances could change depending on the spread of the virus. “It’s been a brutal year and a half for children who have been denied that normal support system and man…

by Zak Failla

08/31/2021

News

Alert Issued For Missing Westchester Teen Seen her? Police in Westchester are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a teenager who has been reported missing by friends and family. The Mount Vernon Police Department issued an alert for 17-year-old Akira Manning, who was last seen on Thursday, Aug. 26. At the time she was last seen, Manning was wearing gray spandex pants and a gray shirt. Police said that she has orange hair. No other descriptive information was provided by the department. Anyone with information regarding Manning's whereabouts has been asked to contact the Mount Vernon Police Department Detective Division b…

by Zak Failla

08/31/2021

News

Covid-19: Hudson Valley's Infection Rate Stays Above State Average; New Breakdown By County The positive COVID-19 infection rate in the Hudson Valley is down slightly but remains above the state average as variants of the virus continue to surge. In the Hudson Valley, the seven-day average infection rate saw a downtick, from 3.67 percent of those tested in the region to 3.65 on Sunday, Aug. 29 in the latest data released by the state Department of Health. Statewide, over the past three days, the average infection rate dropped from 3.32 percent to 3.29 percent and back up to 3.31 percent on Aug. 29, still below the rate in the Hudson Valley. Eighteen new COVID-19-related deaths we…

by Zak Failla

08/31/2021

Schools

Covid-19: School Board Of Long Island District Vows To Defy Mask Mandates A Long Island school district is not backing down in its fight against New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s mandate for students and staff to wear masks in the classroom. The Locust Valley School Board voted unanimously against revising its reopening plan, which would have included adhering to the state's requirement that all students, staff, and visitors to school buildings wear facial coverings. Locust Valley Schools Superintendent Kenneth Graham has said that he is in favor of masking up, however, the Board has said it sides with the community, which is against wearing masks, and plans to contin…

by Zak Failla

08/31/2021

Lifestyle

$100,000 CT Lottery Ticket Sold At Fairfield County Liquor Store A lucky area resident cashed in a winning $100,000 lotto ticket that was sold at a Connecticut liquor store. On Friday, Aug. 27, Middlesex County, Massachusetts resident Dolores Ortiz Morgan, of Waltham, won $100,000 playing "CASH5" on a ticket sold at the Dworken Wine & Liquor store in Bridgeport. According to CT Lottery, “when a winning scratch ticket is validated through a Lottery Retailer's terminal, the remaining number of unclaimed prizes for that prize level is automatically updated reflecting one less prize. Until the individual or group presents their winning ticket for …

by Zak Failla

08/31/2021

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