A Few Clouds 73°

Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

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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
Maryland Man Accused Of Torching Home Arrested After Return To Scene: Fire Marshal Maryland Man Accused Of Torching Home Arrested After Return To Scene: Fire Marshal
Maryland Man Accused Of Torching Home Arrested After Return To Scene: Fire Marshal A 25-year-old man accused of intentionally torching his Maryland home and later returned to the scene is facing arson charges, according to the fire marshal's office. Knoxville native Austin David Brown was taken into custody on Monday, June 8, after a brief standoff with police following an investigation that was launched over the weekend. First responders were called shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, to a home in the 2200 block of Kaetzel Road, where there was a reported house fire. During the investigation, neighbors reported seeing the home's only occupant, Brown, walk…

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by Zak Failla
News
UMBC Building Evacuated As HazMat Crews Respond To Chemical Spill (DEVELOPING) UMBC Building Evacuated As HazMat Crews Respond To Chemical Spill (DEVELOPING)
UMBC Building Evacuated As HazMat Crews Respond To Chemical Spill (Developing) A UMBC chemistry building was evacuated Tuesday morning as HazMat crews worked to contain a chemical spill on campus in Catonsville. Emergency crews were dispatched shortly after 9 a.m. to 1000 Hilltop Circle, home to UMBC's Meyerhoff Chemistry Building, after receiving reports of a chemical spill, according to the Baltimore County Fire Department. By the time firefighters arrived, the building had already been cleared. HazMat crews were called to the scene and spent the morning monitoring conditions and working to contain the spill, fire officials said. One person was evaluated by parame…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Teen Tracked Onto Harford Transit Bus Before Aberdeen MARC Arrest; Stolen Gun Seized: Sheriff Teen Tracked Onto Harford Transit Bus Before Aberdeen MARC Arrest; Stolen Gun Seized: Sheriff
Teen Tracked Onto Harford Transit Bus Before Aberdeen MARC Arrest; Stolen Gun Seized: Sheriff A Maryland teen accused of stealing a handgun hopped on a public bus and headed for a train station. Detectives were already watching. By the time Elijah Nana Djan Bonse stepped off a Harford Transit bus in Aberdeen on Friday, June 5, deputies were waiting, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office. The 18-year-old had been identified the day before as the suspect in the theft of a handgun reported from the 1800 block of Harbinger Trail in Edgewood, investigators said. Authorities say Bonse boarded a transit bus and rode to the Aberdeen MARC station, where he appeared to be trying t…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Car Erupts In Flames At Crystal City Parking Garage Entrance Before Sunrise In Virginia (VIDEO) Car Erupts In Flames At Crystal City Parking Garage Entrance Before Sunrise In Virginia (VIDEO)
Car Erupts In Flames At Crystal City Parking Garage Entrance Before Sunrise In Virginia (Video) A vehicle burst into flames outside a parking garage in Virginia before sunrise on Tuesday morning, creating a dramatic scene as firefighters raced to stop the blaze from spreading. The fire broke out before 6 a.m. on June 9 at the entrance to a garage in the 1700 block of Crystal Drive, where crews arrived to find the vehicle burning near the structure, according to Arlington Fire & EMS. Photos and video released by the department show flames shooting above the vehicle as firefighters stretched hose lines across the roadway and moved in to attack the fire. Crews responded to a…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Victim Found Safe In Maryland, Armed Fugitive Captured After Multi-State Hunt: Police Victim Found Safe In Maryland, Armed Fugitive Captured After Multi-State Hunt: Police
Victim Found Safe In Maryland, Armed Fugitive Captured After Multi-State Hunt: Police The man accused of abducting a victim, stealing a vehicle, and leading authorities on a search spanning Virginia, DC, and Maryland is back in custody. Cristian Alvarenga, 25, is in custody after a domestic altercation in Herndon sparked a multi-state pursuit that ended with his capture Tuesday morning, according to the Herndon Police Department. Shortly before 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9, officials confirmed that the Herndon resident had been captured near Elden Street and Alabama Drive after community members spotted him and called police. "Thank you to multiple community members who cal…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
DC Man Charged After Maryland Girl, 15, Killed With His Unsecured Gun, Police Say DC Man Charged After Maryland Girl, 15, Killed With His Unsecured Gun, Police Say
DC Man Charged After Maryland Girl, 15, Killed With His Unsecured Gun, Police Say A Maryland girl is dead, and a 33-year-old DC man is facing charges after police say two juveniles gained access to his unsecured gun and fatally shot the 15-year-old. Investigators identified Bowie native Journee Long as the teen killed during the Saturday night shooting in Southeast DC involving a weapon owned by J’Von Green. Officers were called shortly before 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, to the 900 block of Barnaby Road SE, where there was a reported shooting involving Long and two other juveniles. When they arrived, officers found Long unconscious and not breathing with a critical guns…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Students Safe, School Bus Driver Trapped After Bus Slams Into Tree In Maryland Students Safe, School Bus Driver Trapped After Bus Slams Into Tree In Maryland
Students Safe, School Bus Driver Trapped After Bus Slams Into Tree In Maryland A school bus driver had to be extricated after crashing into a tree in Maryland with two students on board, officials say. Shortly before 4:30 p.m. on Monday, June 8, Frederick County Fire and Rescue crews were called to a stretch of Ball Road near Ijamsville, where there was a reported school bus crash with a person trapped inside. Two students on the bus were able to safely get off the bus and were evaluated by paramedics as a precaution. They were later returned to their parents. A police helicopter was requested to assist at the scene, according to investigators, and the driver was ext…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Stolen Bronco Chase Ends After Fleeing Teens Call For Getaway Driver In Maryland, Sheriff Says Stolen Bronco Chase Ends After Fleeing Teens Call For Getaway Driver In Maryland, Sheriff Says
Stolen Bronco Chase Ends After Fleeing Teens Call For Getaway Driver In Maryland, Sheriff Says A stolen 2025 Ford Bronco, a foot chase, four teens running through the woods, and a pickup ride that didn't stay secret for long. Just another day in the life of sheriff's deputies in St. Mary's County, where officials say a stolen SUV investigation ended with all four people involved accounted for after witnesses helped track down the last two who tried to escape. The strange scene played out on Saturday, June 6, when a Lexington Park resident reported that his 2025 Ford Bronco had been stolen. Using GPS tracking data, deputies determined the vehicle was in the Loveville area before spot…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
UFC Fight At White House Means Major Road Closures Across DC Area: Here's What To Expect UFC Fight At White House Means Major Road Closures Across DC Area: Here's What To Expect
UFC Fight At White House Means Major Road Closures Across DC Area: Here's What To Expect The planned UFC fight on the White House lawn is about to bring some of the biggest traffic disruptions Washington has seen in years. The Metropolitan Police Department issued a sweeping traffic advisory this week ahead of "UFC Freedom 250," a multi-day event tied to President Donald Trump's planned White House celebration that will trigger road closures, parking restrictions, and detours across large sections of downtown DC beginning on Thursday, June 11. For drivers, commuters, tourists, and anyone trying to navigate the city next weekend, the impact will be hard to miss. Starting at 6 a…

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by Zak Failla
Schools
Math Teacher Accused Of Inappropriate Contact With Virginia High School Student: Police Math Teacher Accused Of Inappropriate Contact With Virginia High School Student: Police
Math Teacher Accused Of Inappropriate Contact With Virginia High School Student: Police A 38-year-old teacher is behind bars after allegedly having inappropriate contact with a student in Virginia. Reston resident Matthew Thorsen, a math teacher at Langley High School, is being held without bond following an investigation into inappropriate behavior involving a minor, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. On Tuesday, June 2, the School Resource Officer assigned to the building was notified about concerns involving a student and teacher, leading to the investigation by detectives from the Child Abuse Squad. It is alleged that Thorsen "engaged in unlawful and inapp…

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by Zak Failla
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