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

Aldie, VA

Your Community

Substitute Teacher, 19, Made Online Threats Of Violence Against John Champe HS: Sheriff A 19-year-old substitute teacher in Northern Virginia is facing charges after allegedly making threats online targeting a school, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Chantilly resident Hadyn Dollery was arrested off-campus and charged with making threats of bodily injury following reports of statements made against John Champe High School in Aldie. According to the sheriff's office, Dollery was arrested on Monday, April 20, after investigators received a tip through the Safe2Talk app indicating that Dollery made threats of violence. She was taken off school grounds and is bei…

by Zak Failla

04/23/2026

Lexington Park, MD

Obituaries

Maryland DEA Agent Dies Months After Retirement Following Two-Year Battle With Cancer A longtime federal agent who spent nearly three decades serving his country has died just months after retiring in Maryland, leaving behind a wife, two daughters, and a legacy that stretched far beyond the badge. Sean O’Brien Fitzpatrick, 59, died Sunday, April 19, in Salisbury, after a two-year battle with cancer, according to his loved ones. The Maryland resident had just stepped away from a 28-year career as a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration in December 2025. For those who knew him, though, Fitzpatrick was more than his title. He was the guy with U2 blasting thro…

by Zak Failla

04/23/2026

Clarksburg, MD

Breaking News

Clarksburg Bus Ride Argument Turns Violent As Teen Stabbed, Robbed For Shoes By Group: Police A group of teens turned an argument on a Maryland bus ride into a violent stabbing and robbery — all for a pair of shoes, police say. The violence unfolded in Montgomery County, where detectives say four juveniles are now charged — two as adults — after a dispute escalated well beyond words. Officers responded around 8:13 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, to the 22700 block of Sweet Shrub Drive in Clarksburg for a reported stabbing, according to Montgomery County Police. Investigators say the victim, also a juvenile, had been taking a Ride-On bus with friends near Snowden Farm Parkway and New Cut…

by Zak Failla

04/23/2026

Arlington, VA

Obituaries

Young Mom Gunned Down In DC Alley Leaves Behind 2-Year-Old Son Who Was 'Her Whole World' A young mother who was “her son’s whole world” has been taken too soon, loved ones say, leaving behind a 2-year-old boy and a grieving family now trying to rebuild after a deadly shooting. Jamillah Gales, 25, was shot and killed late Tuesday night in DC, leaving loved ones searching for answers and leaning on each other in the days since. Her 2-year-old son, Royce Hawkins, was with her shortly before the shooting and was reported missing in the hours that followed, prompting an AMBER Alert that drew widespread attention. He was found safe within an hour. But for those who knew Gales, the …

by Zak Failla

04/23/2026

Towson, MD

Breaking News

Three-Alarm Fire Forces Evacuations As Crews Battle Blaze In Baltimore County (Developing) A fast-moving fire tore through a residential building in Baltimore County, triggering a third alarm response and forcing evacuations as crews battled flames breaking through the roof. Firefighters were called to the 7400 block of Brixworth Court in Windsor Mill shortly before 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, where they found heavy fire pushing through the roof of a multi-unit building. Residents were evacuated as crews moved in to contain the blaze. What started as a single-alarm response quickly escalated. Additional crews were called in as the fire spread, first prompting a second alarm, …

by Zak Failla

04/23/2026

Woodbridge, VA

Your Community

MS-13-Linked Fugitive Wanted For Murder In El Salvador Found Living Quietly In Woodbridge: ICE A fugitive wanted for aggravated homicide in El Salvador — and tied to the violent MS-13 gang — was found living in Virginia before being arrested by federal agents, officials announced. Federal authorities say the case underscores how someone with no known US criminal history can still be wanted for serious crimes overseas. They described her as "one of the media's 'non-criminals.'" US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Idalia Isabel Morales-Mejia, who is wanted in El Salvador for aggravated homicide and has been identified as a documented associate of MS-13. The arres…

by Zak Failla

04/23/2026

Alexandria, VA

Breaking News

Virginia Students Severely Burned In Spring Break House Fire Face Long Road To Recovery Two students in Virginia will miss the remainder of the school year after being severely burned in a house fire during Spring Break celebrations. Tavion Bush and his cousin, Cassidy Williams, were celebrating the holiday when a fire broke out, sending them both to the burn unit, according to loved ones rallying support from the community for the family. Both were critically injured in the fire and have been hospitalized since the incident. Each faces a lengthy recovery. "Their loving family and friends have supported them every step of the way," Denise Rich said. "Since the accident, both …

by Zak Failla

04/23/2026

Fallston, MD

On Your Side

Door Dumped In Fallston Dumpster Returned After Business Calls Out Pickup Driver Online Doorgate 2026 is over. The owners of the Fallston Barrel House had a problem, and they found a clever way to solve it. Earlier this week, a man in a large blue Dodge Ram dumped bags of trash and a full door into the business's dumpster, leaving them with limited room for their own garbage. "We appreciate your protecting nature and disposing of your trash in our dumpster; however, it's not for the community, and your door is now taking up a good portion of the dumpster that we'll need this week," they posted on Facebook. "We have no place for our trash." In response, they gave the …

by Zak Failla

04/23/2026

Chantilly, VA

Breaking News

Chantilly Predator Called Girls 'Slaves,' Groomed Teens In Twisted Online Sex Abuse Scheme: DOJ A sexual predator in Northern Virginia who preyed on underage "slaves" for more than a year to have them "serve" and "please" him will no longer be given orders after being sentenced to decades in prison. Chantilly resident Michael Logan Bourne, 55, who used an anonymous Google account with a curious name to target at least six girls between the ages of 13 and 17, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison after being convicted late last year of sexually exploiting the teens. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, between at least February 2022 and April 2023, Bourne, usi…

by Zak Failla

04/23/2026

National Interest

Illegal Immigrant Who Stole Kristi Noem’s Purse In DC To Be Deported After Prison Term: Feds The Chilean national who stole former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's Gucci purse while she was dining in DC with family is facing more than just prison time. Mario Bustamante Leiva was sentenced on Wednesday, April 22, to 36 months in prison in connection with a series of thefts that culminated when he attempted to rob Noem. When he is released, Bustamante Leiva will be deported from the country. “Bustamante Leiva came to Washington illegally to prey on citizens of the District. He methodically targeted women at restaurants, stealing their purses and monetizing the stolen cards …

by Zak Failla

04/22/2026

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