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

Prince Frederick, MD
Breaking News
Not Exactly Hogwarts: 'Trippy Wizard' Found Passed Out At Solomons Car Wash, Sheriff Says Not Exactly Hogwarts: 'Trippy Wizard' Found Passed Out At Solomons Car Wash, Sheriff Says Not Exactly Hogwarts: 'Trippy Wizard' Found Passed Out At Solomons Car Wash, Sheriff Says
Not Exactly Hogwarts: 'Trippy Wizard' Found Passed Out At Solomons Car Wash, Sheriff Says The Trippy Wizard's magical journey reportedly came to an abrupt stop in a Maryland car wash parking lot. Deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff's Office were called to Solomon's Car Wash in the 14000 block of H.G. Trueman Road to investigate a suspicious vehicle sitting in the parking lot with the engine running and the driver asleep at the wheel. That's when they made their first curious discovery. There was blood on the ground near the vehicle. Bloody napkins were scattered nearby. Then deputies woke up 36-year-old Lusby resident Christopher William Walls. Deputies said the man had …

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by Zak Failla
McLean, VA
Breaking News
Italian National Shot By CIA Officer After Drunken Gate Crash In McLean Pleads Guilty: DOJ Italian National Shot By CIA Officer After Drunken Gate Crash In McLean Pleads Guilty: DOJ Italian National Shot By CIA Officer After Drunken Gate Crash In McLean Pleads Guilty: DOJ
Italian National Shot By CIA Officer After Drunken Gate Crash In McLean Pleads Guilty: DOJ The Italian national who drove drunk and sped at cops outside a CIA headquarters in Virginia may be about to spend time in an American prison.  Monia Spadaro, who already had multiple DUIs on her record, pleaded guilty to disregarding a signal from a law enforcement officer and driving under the influence of alcohol after an incident in Fairfax County last year, federal authorities announced on Tuesday, June 9. The early-morning incident happened just after 3:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 22, 2025, when Spadaro’s gray Toyota Corolla entered the outbound lane of the CIA’s Langley campus in M…

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by Zak Failla
Gaithersburg, MD
Breaking News
Drunk, Unlicensed Teen Who Killed 88-Year-Old Passenger In Gaithersburg Crash Pleads Guilty Drunk, Unlicensed Teen Who Killed 88-Year-Old Passenger In Gaithersburg Crash Pleads Guilty Drunk, Unlicensed Teen Who Killed 88-Year-Old Passenger In Gaithersburg Crash Pleads Guilty
Drunk, Unlicensed Teen Who Killed 88-Year-Old Passenger In Gaithersburg Crash Pleads Guilty The unlicensed teenage driver who killed 88-year-old Myrtle Gottlieb after blowing through a red light in Maryland is facing more than a decade in prison, authorities announced on Tuesday. Liam Coskun, now 19, pleaded guilty to his role in the fatal crash in May 2025 after he drank, then got behind the wheel of a Jeep Compass he did not have permission to use and slammed into the back of a Toyota in Gaithersburg, according to the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office. Shortly after 8:30 a.m. on May 31, 2025, Coskun was driving without a license when he caused the crash at the int…

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by Zak Failla
Abingdon, MD
Breaking News
'Everything Is So Unknown': Two Maryland Boys Airlifted After Abingdon E-Bike Crash 'Everything Is So Unknown': Two Maryland Boys Airlifted After Abingdon E-Bike Crash 'Everything Is So Unknown': Two Maryland Boys Airlifted After Abingdon E-Bike Crash
'Everything Is So Unknown': Two Maryland Boys Airlifted After Abingdon E-Bike Crash Two Maryland boys remain hospitalized with serious injuries after a weekend e-bike crash that left both fighting through what family members describe as a long road to recovery. The incident happened near the Laurel Bush area of Abingdon on Sunday, June 7, according to information shared by family members and Harford County emergency responders. Lucas Koehler and his friend Sam were both flown by helicopter to Johns Hopkins following the crash, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched to support their families. Their injuries are extensive. Koehler suffered severe facial injuries and …

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Explosion At Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Leaves Employees Injured (DEVELOPING) Explosion At Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Leaves Employees Injured (DEVELOPING) Explosion At Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Leaves Employees Injured (DEVELOPING)
Explosion At Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant Leaves Employees Injured (Developing) Two people were injured on Tuesday afternoon in an explosion at the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant in Maryland. An explosion was reported around 1 p.m. on June 9 in the 3500 block of Asiatic Avenue in Baltimore, where two employees suffered burn injuries. No details about either victim were released by the Baltimore City Fire Department. More information is expected to be released around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday at a scheduled news conference. It is unclear what caused the explosion. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more details are released.

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Gasoline, Motor Oil Dumped Into Virginia Storm Drain; Two Men Charged, Arlington Officials Say Gasoline, Motor Oil Dumped Into Virginia Storm Drain; Two Men Charged, Arlington Officials Say Gasoline, Motor Oil Dumped Into Virginia Storm Drain; Two Men Charged, Arlington Officials Say
Gasoline, Motor Oil Dumped Into Virginia Storm Drain; Two Men Charged, Arlington Officials Say Two men who intentionally discharged petroleum products into stormwater systems in Virginia are facing serious charges following an investigation, authorities announced. Fairfax resident Ahmad Adawi and Alexandria native Suhib Derbas are both facing charges in connection with the illegal dumping of "substantial quantities" of gasoline and motor oil into a storm drain, according to the Arlington County Office of the Fire Marshal. Investigators say that the pair released hazardous substances directly into stormwater drains. "The discharge of petroleum-based products into the storm drainage s…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Shot 7 Times, New Dad Among Virginia Officers Facing Long Recovery After Gun Battle Killed K9 Shot 7 Times, New Dad Among Virginia Officers Facing Long Recovery After Gun Battle Killed K9 Shot 7 Times, New Dad Among Virginia Officers Facing Long Recovery After Gun Battle Killed K9
Shot 7 Times, New Dad Among Virginia Officers Facing Long Recovery After Gun Battle Killed K9 What started as a call for help turned into a nightmare for two Virginia police officers and their families, as their community continues to rally around them during a lengthy recovery. Officer Jacob Clark, 25, was shot seven times during a domestic disturbance call in Chesterfield County on Sunday, May 31, and has received more than 70 units of blood as doctors fight to save his life and aid his recovery. Officer Jacob Wells, 40, was shot twice, with one bullet severing the brachial artery in his right arm and the other grazing his wrist. Both men survived. Both come from law enforcement …

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by Zak Failla
Pikesville, MD
Breaking News
Officer Shot, Armed Trail-Goer Robbed Before Second Gun Battle In Pikesville: Police (UPDATED) Officer Shot, Armed Trail-Goer Robbed Before Second Gun Battle In Pikesville: Police (UPDATED) Officer Shot, Armed Trail-Goer Robbed Before Second Gun Battle In Pikesville: Police (UPDATED)
Officer Shot, Armed Trail-Goer Robbed Before Second Gun Battle In Pikesville: Police (Updated) New details have been released following a chaotic chain of events that unfolded after a police officer was shot while investigating an indecent exposure along a busy Maryland trail. Shaka Kamara, 38, has been charged with attempted murder after police say he shot an officer in Baltimore County, stole a gun from a trail-goer, and opened fire in Pikesville.  Shortly before 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 7, officers were called to a trail in the 900 block of Milford Mill Road after a man reported he had been riding his bike in the area when Kamara allegedly exposed himself. The complainant left…

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
Driver Accused Of Causing Catastrophic I-95 Crash That Killed 5 In Stafford Heads To Court Driver Accused Of Causing Catastrophic I-95 Crash That Killed 5 In Stafford Heads To Court Driver Accused Of Causing Catastrophic I-95 Crash That Killed 5 In Stafford Heads To Court
Driver Accused Of Causing Catastrophic I-95 Crash That Killed 5 In Stafford Heads To Court The New York bus driver accused of causing the massive I-95 crash in Stafford County that killed five Massachusetts residents and injured dozens more is scheduled to make court appearances this week after being released from the hospital. Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, remains in custody at the Rappahannock Regional Jail and is expected to appear in Stafford County General District Court at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 10, followed by a Stafford County Circuit Court appearance at approximately 9 a.m., according to Virginia State Police. The court hearings mark the latest development in th…

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by Zak Failla
Rockville, MD
Breaking News
Rabid Fox Attacks Woman, 2 Dogs In Rockville Neighborhoods, Police Warn Rabid Fox Attacks Woman, 2 Dogs In Rockville Neighborhoods, Police Warn Rabid Fox Attacks Woman, 2 Dogs In Rockville Neighborhoods, Police Warn
Rabid Fox Attacks Woman, 2 Dogs In Rockville Neighborhoods, Police Warn A woman suffered minor injuries while protecting her dogs from a rabid fox during an attack in Maryland, police said. The Rockville City Police Department issued a warning Tuesday, June 9, for residents in the Potomac Woods and Horizon Hills communities after confirming the fox was rabid. According to police, the fox attacked a dog and its owner in one encounter and later attacked another dog in a separate incident. An updated statement from the department clarified that the victim was a woman who was hurt while attempting to separate the fox from her dog.  Police said an earlier pub…

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by Zak Failla
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