Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

[email protected]

FOLLOW ON

Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram

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

Towson, MD

Breaking News

Baltimore Doctor Shares Leukemia Journey After Unexpected Diagnosis Week Before 33rd Birthday A Maryland doctor who spent his life helping others spent his 33rd birthday in a hospital bed after receiving a life-altering diagnosis. Tim Kaniecki, a University of Pittsburgh graduate who later joined the staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital, has started documenting his journey after he "received news (he) never in a million years could have expected." That diagnosis? Acute leukemia (T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, to be exact). Kaniecki explained that he had been feeling progressively run down and went to get checked out the week before his 33rd birthday. "In no way (was …

by Zak Failla

04/22/2026

Woodbridge, VA

Breaking News

Wrong-Way Driver Charged For Deadly Chain-Reaction Crash That Killed Woodbridge Couple: Police The wrong-way driver who triggered a fatal chain-reaction crash that claimed the life of a Virginia couple has been charged, authorities announced on Wednesday. Woodbridge resident Jasmine Ariah Thomas, 27, is facing charges in connection with the crash that killed Amanda Chaloupka, 40, and Patrick Michael Chaloupka, 42, last month. At around 6:45 p.m. on March 8, police say that officers were called to the intersection of Cardinal Drive and Whips Run Drive in Woodbridge to investigate a reported multi-vehicle crash. Investigators determined that Thomas was driving a Hyundai Genesis t…

by Zak Failla

04/22/2026

Arlington, VA

Breaking News

11 Injured After Wmata Work Vehicle Strikes Train At Metro Center; NTSB Investigating A routine overnight shift turned chaotic underground in DC when a WMATA work vehicle slammed into a stopped Metro train at Metro Center, leaving 11 people hurt and triggering major delays for the morning commute. The crash happened just before midnight on Tuesday, April 21, at the close of service, inside the Metro Center station in Northwest Washington, DC. A Silver Line work vehicle made contact with a stationary passenger train, WMATA confirmed, injuring riders onboard. Eleven people were hurt in the collision, though all injuries were described as non-life-threatening. Everyone impacte…

by Zak Failla

04/22/2026

Pasadena-Lake Shore, MD

Breaking News

Woman Dies Trapped In Pasadena House Fire Days After 63rd Birthday A woman died days after her 63rd birthday after she was unable to escape a house fire in Maryland. Cindy Hill has been identified by the Anne Arundel Fire Department as the person who was killed after being trapped by flames in a Pasadena home overnight. Shortly before 11 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, the agency received a call from someone inside a home in the 300 block of Magothy Beach Road reporting a house fire. Within minutes, officials say firefighters arrived and were met by flames showing from the front of the home, with one elderly resident trapped inside. Crews were able to get ins…

by Zak Failla

04/22/2026

Arlington, VA

Breaking News

2-Year-Old Missing After Mother Shot Dead In DC Alley, Police Say (Developing) A 2-year-old child is missing after his mother was shot and killed in a Northwest DC alley late Tuesday night, police say. Officers were called around 10:52 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, to the 600 block of Kenyon Street NW for a reported shooting, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. When they arrived, officers found a woman unconscious and not breathing in a rear alley, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. DC Fire and EMS responded, but despite lifesaving efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are now searching for 2-year-old Royce Hawkins, who has not been se…

by Zak Failla

04/22/2026

Potomac, MD

Your Community

Potomac Named 'Most Endangered River' In US After Massive Sewage Spill, Data Center Surge The Potomac River — a critical drinking water source for millions across Maryland, Virginia, and DC — has been named the most endangered river in the United States after a massive sewage spill and growing concerns over data center development. A new report by American Rivers ranked it No. 1 on its 2026 list of the country’s most endangered rivers, citing sewage pollution and rapid development across the region. The designation comes months after a major infrastructure failure sent hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the river in January 2026. Contamination from that sp…

by Zak Failla

04/22/2026

National Interest

Virginia Votes Yes On Major Redistricting Measure, Paving Way For House Democrats Virginia voters have narrowly approved a hotly contested redistricting referendum that could help Democrats gain congressional seats. Earlier this year, Democrats proposed a new map with the intention of flipping four Republican-held House seats. On Tuesday, April 21, with approximately 51 percent of the vote, Virginia residents approved the measure, potentially giving Democrats power over all but one of the state's 11 congressional seats next year. BREAKING: We can now project that the YES vote will WIN Virginia’s redistricting referendum — handing Democrats a major victory with …

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Arlington, VA

Breaking News

Dognapped In DC: Puppies Stolen In Broad Daylight From Southeast Home As Police Seek Suspect A brazen daytime burglary in DC turned into a heartbreaking case of “dog-napping” when two young puppies were stolen from a home, police said. The theft happened in Southeast, where officers are now searching for the missing dogs and the person responsible, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Investigators say the suspect forced entry into an unoccupied home around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1, in the 2800 block of Robinson Place Southeast. Once inside, the suspect didn’t go for electronics or cash. They took the dogs. Police say two three-month-old male pitbull puppies …

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Silver Spring, MD

Breaking News

Cruisers Smashed, Flare Lit, Suspects Arrested In Silver Spring Street Takeover: Police (Video) Three suspects have been arrested months after a chaotic Maryland street takeover that left a police cruiser smashed — and a fourth is now charged in a separate shooting tied to a similar rally. Months after a street takeover spiraled into chaos in Montgomery County, additional arrests have been made. Detectives announced on Tuesday, April 21, that three suspects have been taken into custody for their roles in the Feb. 22 incident that damaged two police cruisers in Silver Spring. The takeover began shortly before 12:40 a.m. that morning, when a large group of vehicles linked to simil…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Temple Hills-Camp Springs, MD

Breaking News

Temple Hills Arsonist Behind Fiery Explosions During Robbery Spree Learns Prison Fate: Feds The Maryland man who used explosive devices to set fire to 7-Eleven stores to rob cash registers and steal from ATMs will avoid life in prison. But he will spend decades behind bars. Temple Hills resident Stephen Kennedy, 34, was sentenced to 45 years in prison following a series of explosive robberies reported at convenience stores in Maryland, federal authorities announced. He was facing life in prison after being convicted on a host of charges following a five-day trial in February 2025. Investigators say Kennedy and his co-conspirator, Donnell Kelly, carried out a dangerous plan betwe…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Prev Page 245 of 3977 243 244 245 246 247 Next

2,441 - 2,450 of 39,761 articles