Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

[email protected]

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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

Arlington, VA
Breaking News
One Stolen USPS Key Opened Mailboxes Across Northern Virginia In Massive DMV Theft Scheme: Feds One Stolen USPS Key Opened Mailboxes Across Northern Virginia In Massive DMV Theft Scheme: Feds One Stolen USPS Key Opened Mailboxes Across Northern Virginia In Massive DMV Theft Scheme: Feds
One Stolen USPS Key Opened Mailboxes Across Northern Virginia In Massive DMV Theft Scheme: Feds Ibrahim De La Cruz didn't just get caught on camera. He practically posed for it. A Maryland-linked mail theft spree that stretched across luxury apartment buildings in the DMV unraveled after investigators tracked a DC man accused of robbing a postal worker, stealing USPS master keys, and then helping himself to residents' mail from Washington to Northern Virginia and beyond, federal prosecutors announced Monday, June 22. The guilty plea came from the 26-year-old DC man known as "Black Migo," who admitted in federal court to robbing a US Postal Service maintenance worker and using the sto…

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by Zak Failla
Bel Air, MD
On Your Side
The Search Is Over: Stolen Martin Guitar Returns To Bel Air Music Shop After Multi-State Hunt The Search Is Over: Stolen Martin Guitar Returns To Bel Air Music Shop After Multi-State Hunt The Search Is Over: Stolen Martin Guitar Returns To Bel Air Music Shop After Multi-State Hunt
The Search Is Over: Stolen Martin Guitar Returns To Bel Air Music Shop After Multi-State Hunt It took a detour through New Jersey, a storage unit, and a multi-state theft investigation. But one very famous Maryland guitar is finally back where it belongs. A vintage 1947 Martin D-28 acoustic guitar stolen from Music Land earlier this year has been recovered and returned to its owner, bringing a happy ending to one of Bel Air's most talked-about theft cases. The nearly 80-year-old instrument, valued at approximately $16,000, was stolen from Music Land on Gateway Drive in Bel Air on Monday, Feb. 3, according to the Bel Air Police Department. At the time, investigators said three suspe…

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by Zak Failla
Bowie, MD
Obituaries
Future Cut Short: Maryland Mom Mourns Daughter Weeks After Graduation, Full-Ride To Hampton Future Cut Short: Maryland Mom Mourns Daughter Weeks After Graduation, Full-Ride To Hampton Future Cut Short: Maryland Mom Mourns Daughter Weeks After Graduation, Full-Ride To Hampton
Future Cut Short: Maryland Mom Mourns Daughter Weeks After Graduation, Full-Ride To Hampton The photos are almost impossible to look at now. In one, Genelle Marshall beams in her white graduation cap and gown, a Class of 2026 tassel hanging beside her face. In another, she's celebrating a full-ride scholarship to Hampton University, where she planned to study computer science this fall. And in one of the last public photos shared before her death, her mother, Nakisha Yates, stands beside her holding a giant "2026" sign, proudly celebrating the future they had spent years building together. Now, just weeks later, that same Maryland mother is preparing to say goodbye to her only ch…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Convicted Felon Crashes, Runs, Then Caught With Gun, Drugs At Spotsylvania Hotel: Sheriff Convicted Felon Crashes, Runs, Then Caught With Gun, Drugs At Spotsylvania Hotel: Sheriff Convicted Felon Crashes, Runs, Then Caught With Gun, Drugs At Spotsylvania Hotel: Sheriff
Convicted Felon Crashes, Runs, Then Caught With Gun, Drugs At Spotsylvania Hotel: Sheriff A reckless ride through Northern Virginia ended with a crashed vehicle, a foot chase, and a convicted felon busted with both a gun and narcotics, authorities said. The chain of events began around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, when a deputy with the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office spotted a vehicle being driven recklessly near Market Street and Spotsylvania Avenue. According to investigators, the driver continued operating the vehicle dangerously before pulling into a nearby business. A deputy briefly spoke with the driver, who was identified as 21-year-old Anthony Narvaez-Lopez of Woodbr…

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by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Breaking News
Mom Hears Daughter Say 'No,' Walks In On Sexual Assault By Man In Waldorf: Prosecutors Mom Hears Daughter Say 'No,' Walks In On Sexual Assault By Man In Waldorf: Prosecutors Mom Hears Daughter Say 'No,' Walks In On Sexual Assault By Man In Waldorf: Prosecutors
Mom Hears Daughter Say 'No,' Walks In On Sexual Assault By Man In Waldorf: Prosecutors A house guest who spent the night at a Southern Maryland home earlier this year admitted to sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl who tried to rebuff him, authorities announced. Elmer Geovanny Marquez-Orellana, 27, is facing a possible lengthy prison stay after pleading guilty to raping a teen in January while staying at a home with his victim and her parents in Waldorf, according to the Charles County State's Attorney's Office. Investigators say that Marquez-Orellana had been visiting the victim's family on Jan. 18 and stayed overnight at their home. In the middle of the night, the tee…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Your Community
Maryland AG Releases Updated Guidance On When Police, Jails Can Cooperate With ICE Maryland AG Releases Updated Guidance On When Police, Jails Can Cooperate With ICE Maryland AG Releases Updated Guidance On When Police, Jails Can Cooperate With ICE
Maryland AG Releases Updated Guidance On When Police, Jails Can Cooperate With ICE Immigration enforcement remains a federal responsibility, but Maryland officials are spelling out what local police and correctional facilities can and cannot do when federal authorities come calling. Attorney General Anthony G. Brown released updated statewide guidance on Monday, June 22, outlining how Maryland law enforcement agencies should handle interactions with federal immigration authorities under the Community Trust Act and other recently enacted laws. The guidance applies to state and local law enforcement agencies and correctional facilities across Maryland and was distributed to…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Woman, Dog Inside As Suspect Rams 2 Deputies' Cruisers During Spotsylvania Chase, Sheriff Says Woman, Dog Inside As Suspect Rams 2 Deputies' Cruisers During Spotsylvania Chase, Sheriff Says Woman, Dog Inside As Suspect Rams 2 Deputies' Cruisers During Spotsylvania Chase, Sheriff Says
Woman, Dog Inside As Suspect Rams 2 Deputies' Cruisers During Spotsylvania Chase, Sheriff Says A domestic dispute call ended with two police cruisers damaged and a man behind bars in Northern Virginia during a wild pursuit, officials say. Deputies from the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office were called on Friday, June 19, to the 4900 block of Plank Road to investigate a reported violent domestic dispute in the roadway. Upon arrival, deputies found the vehicle and attempted to speak with Keith Knowles Jr., who was inside with a woman. Instead of speaking with first responders, he fled with her and a dog still inside. Investigators say deputies attempted a traffic stop, which led to a purs…

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
Murder Plot Notebook Found After Teen Crashes Car, Steals Booze In Stafford: Sheriff Murder Plot Notebook Found After Teen Crashes Car, Steals Booze In Stafford: Sheriff Murder Plot Notebook Found After Teen Crashes Car, Steals Booze In Stafford: Sheriff
Murder Plot Notebook Found After Teen Crashes Car, Steals Booze In Stafford: Sheriff What started as an investigation into a reckless teen driver who stole some booze in Northern Virginia led to a much more disturbing discovery. A notebook with detailed murder plots involving plans to kill a juvenile's family. Louis Conely, 19, is facing serious charges following what started as a routine probe earlier this month, according to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office on Monday, June 22. On June 16, the department was alerted about a reckless driver in the area of Austin Ridge Drive and Cabinet Maker Drive who went off the roadway and struck a speed limit sign; however, arrivin…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Thick Black Smoke, Flames Pour From Baltimore Home During Fast-Moving Blaze (PHOTOS) Thick Black Smoke, Flames Pour From Baltimore Home During Fast-Moving Blaze (PHOTOS) Thick Black Smoke, Flames Pour From Baltimore Home During Fast-Moving Blaze (PHOTOS)
Thick Black Smoke, Flames Pour From Baltimore Home During Fast-Moving Blaze (Photos) A hot day got hotter for Maryland firefighters who had to contend with tricky conditions while battling a fast-moving house fire that broke out Monday morning. Crews were called shortly after 10 a.m. on June 22 to the 3800 block of W. Patapsco Avenue in Baltimore, where flames were showing from the upper floors of a two-story home, sending smoke billowing through the West Baltimore neighborhood. Photos released by the Baltimore Fire Department show intense flames shooting from multiple windows as firefighters worked outside the brick home.  Baltimore Fire Department Other images tak…

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by Zak Failla
Potomac, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Woman Killed In Delaware E-Bike Crash Identified As Potomac Resident Maryland Woman Killed In Delaware E-Bike Crash Identified As Potomac Resident Maryland Woman Killed In Delaware E-Bike Crash Identified As Potomac Resident
Maryland Woman Killed In Delaware E-Bike Crash Identified As Potomac Resident A 66-year-old Maryland woman who was riding an e-bike in Delaware over the weekend died after entering the path of a pickup truck on Coastal Highway, authorities said. Stephanie Lewis was identified on Monday, June 22, by Delaware State Police as the victim of the fatal crash that happened two days earlier in Rehoboth Beach. Ironically, the crash involved a Maryland driver from Cecil County. The collision occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, on southbound Coastal Highway north of Savages Ditch Road in Sussex County, investigators said. Police said Lewis was riding an…

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by Zak Failla
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