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

Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Father Of Two, Longtime EMT In Fairfax Recovering After Suffering Stroke On The Job Father Of Two, Longtime EMT In Fairfax Recovering After Suffering Stroke On The Job Father Of Two, Longtime EMT In Fairfax Recovering After Suffering Stroke On The Job
Father Of Two, Longtime EMT In Fairfax Recovering After Suffering Stroke On The Job A Virginia EMT has returned to work but is still fighting to recover after suffering a sudden stroke while on the job, leaving the single father of two facing mounting challenges. Adam Gregory, a longtime first responder in Fairfax County, experienced the medical emergency while working a shift in March, according to loved ones rallying support from the community. Gregory has served the community for more than 15 years and was initially admitted to the ICU before being transferred to Fairfax Hospital for continued care. Doctors later determined he needed a pacemaker as part of his treatmen…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Obituaries
Virginia Racing Engine Owner Nearly Killed In Lawn Mower Crash Begins Long Recovery Virginia Racing Engine Owner Nearly Killed In Lawn Mower Crash Begins Long Recovery Virginia Racing Engine Owner Nearly Killed In Lawn Mower Crash Begins Long Recovery
Virginia Racing Engine Owner Nearly Killed In Lawn Mower Crash Begins Long Recovery Michael Lawson was months away from walking away from race engines to enjoy retirement with his family in Virginia. Now, he's working just to walk again after what was described as a "terrible lawnmower racing accident" in North Carolina. Lawson, the owner of Lawson Racing Engines, had to be rushed to a trauma center in Wake Forest, miles from his Virginia home, after the beloved grandfather suffered critical injuries. Among those injuries, according to his family, were many broken ribs, collapsed lungs, fractured vertebrae, and a fractured clavicle after he was thrown about 30 feet f…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Breaking News
Anne Arundel County Police Lieutenant Suspended After Off-Duty Assault Charge Anne Arundel County Police Lieutenant Suspended After Off-Duty Assault Charge Anne Arundel County Police Lieutenant Suspended After Off-Duty Assault Charge
Anne Arundel County Police Lieutenant Suspended After Off-Duty Assault Charge A longtime police officer in Maryland is facing criminal charges following a reported incident that left him suspended, authorities say. Lt. Matthew Ploor, a 20-year veteran of the Anne Arundel Police Department, is facing charges following an alleged incident that was "unrelated to (his) duties."  The department’s Office of Professional Standards was notified on Tuesday, April 14, that Ploor was involved in an off-duty incident that triggered a criminal investigation into allegations of assault. Following that probe, the Criminal Investigation Division sought charges, and on Thu…

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by Zak Failla
Hyattsville, MD
Breaking News
Hyattsville Man Ordered To Repay $7M After Laundering Millions In Fraud Scheme, Feds Say Hyattsville Man Ordered To Repay $7M After Laundering Millions In Fraud Scheme, Feds Say Hyattsville Man Ordered To Repay $7M After Laundering Millions In Fraud Scheme, Feds Say
Hyattsville Man Ordered To Repay $7M After Laundering Millions In Fraud Scheme, Feds Say A Maryland man tied to a multi-million-dollar money laundering scheme has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to repay more than $7 million. In Baltimore, Victor Killen, 33, of Hyattsville, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for his role in a sprawling conspiracy that laundered millions in fraud proceeds, according to the US Attorney’s Office. A judge also ordered Killen to pay $7,070,656.46 in restitution and forfeit $3 million tied to the scheme. Prosecutors say Killen admitted to personally laundering at least $3 million as part of a broader operation that moved more than $20…

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by Zak Failla
Aldie, VA
Breaking News
Virginia Navy Reservist Accused Of Killing Wife, Hiding Body In Freezer Captured Abroad: FBI Virginia Navy Reservist Accused Of Killing Wife, Hiding Body In Freezer Captured Abroad: FBI Virginia Navy Reservist Accused Of Killing Wife, Hiding Body In Freezer Captured Abroad: FBI
Virginia Navy Reservist Accused Of Killing Wife, Hiding Body In Freezer Captured Abroad: FBI A Virginia Navy reservist accused of killing his wife and hiding her body in a freezer is now back in US custody after a months-long international manhunt, authorities announced. 38-year-old David Varela was taken into federal custody in Hong Kong and returned to the United States on Wednesday, April 15, following an overseas apprehension, according to police and federal authorities. Investigators say Varela had been on the run for more than two months after his wife, Lina M. Guerra, 39, was found dead inside their Norfolk home earlier this year. Officers made the discovery on Feb. 5 insid…

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by Zak Failla
Reisterstown, MD
Breaking News
Maryland 911 Dispatcher Goes From Taking Calls To Getting Jail Time After DUI Chase Maryland 911 Dispatcher Goes From Taking Calls To Getting Jail Time After DUI Chase Maryland 911 Dispatcher Goes From Taking Calls To Getting Jail Time After DUI Chase
Maryland 911 Dispatcher Goes From Taking Calls To Getting Jail Time After DUI Chase A 911 dispatcher who found herself on the wrong side of the law will be spending time behind bars following her arrest for drinking and driving in Maryland. Reisterstown resident Nadene Letonya Smith, 42, was sentenced to spend 45 days in jail following her arrest in November last year in Harford County, the state's attorney's office announced. According to prosecutors, on Nov. 16, 2025, Harford County Sheriff's deputies spotted Smith's SUV swerving along Philadelphia Road before she began reversing in the middle of a roundabout in the wrong direction. Deputies attempted to conduct a traff…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Young Boy Dies After Being Pulled From Anacostia River In DC (DEVELOPING) Young Boy Dies After Being Pulled From Anacostia River In DC (DEVELOPING) Young Boy Dies After Being Pulled From Anacostia River In DC (DEVELOPING)
Young Boy Dies After Being Pulled From Anacostia River In DC (Developing) A young boy drowned in the Anacostia River late on Thursday afternoon, the Metropolitan Police Department confirmed. Officers were called around 7:30 p.m. on April 16 to Anacostia Park, where a boy was pulled from the river. According to police, the child was rushed by US Park Police to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Incident: MPD is on scene of Anacostia Park where a young juvenile male was located in the Anacostia River. The boy was transported by @usparkpolicepio to an area hospital and sadly pronounced dead. MPD is handling the investigation into this apparent…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Police Probing Death After 19-Year-Old Found Hanging From Tree In DC: MPD Police Probing Death After 19-Year-Old Found Hanging From Tree In DC: MPD Police Probing Death After 19-Year-Old Found Hanging From Tree In DC: MPD
Police Probing Death After 19-Year-Old Found Hanging From Tree In DC: MPD A 19-year-old was found hanging from a tree in Washington, DC, in a case that investigators say is being treated as a suicide. Officers were called around 1:30 p.m. on Monday, April 13, to the 900 block of Quackenbos Street NW after a report of an unconscious person, the Metropolitan Police Department said. When they arrived, they found the teen hanging from a tree limb, unresponsive and not breathing. DC Fire and EMS attempted lifesaving efforts at the scene, but he was pronounced dead. The teen, identified only as a 19-year-old Hispanic man, was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical …

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by Zak Failla
Ashburn, VA
Breaking News
Bank Robbery Suspect Behind Bars Days After Deadly Loudoun County Barricade, Police Say Bank Robbery Suspect Behind Bars Days After Deadly Loudoun County Barricade, Police Say Bank Robbery Suspect Behind Bars Days After Deadly Loudoun County Barricade, Police Say
Bank Robbery Suspect Behind Bars Days After Deadly Loudoun County Barricade, Police Say The tale of a Northern Virginia bank robbery keeps growing larger. Days after a barricade that ended one man dead, authorities in Loudoun County announced that Paul Peter Gerardi, Jr., 40, has been arrested and charged for his role in the incident. The Leesburg resident has been taken into custody for his role in a robbery earlier this week that resulted in a deadly barricade and Gerardi behind bars. On April 1, police say a man walked into the Capital One Bank on Gateway Center Drive in Gainesville, jumped over the counter, and demanded money from tellers before fleeing with an undisclose…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Your Community
Massaponax HS Student Walks Into School With Gun, Scanner Immediately Flags Backpack: Sheriff Massaponax HS Student Walks Into School With Gun, Scanner Immediately Flags Backpack: Sheriff Massaponax HS Student Walks Into School With Gun, Scanner Immediately Flags Backpack: Sheriff
Massaponax HS Student Walks Into School With Gun, Scanner Immediately Flags Backpack: Sheriff A Virginia high school student was caught bringing a gun onto campus after a weapons detection system flagged something suspicious in his backpack, authorities said. An 18-year-old student was arrested on Wednesday, April 16, at Massaponax High School after a pistol was discovered inside his book bag, according to the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office. The incident unfolded when a school administrator directed the student to pass through the school’s Evolv weapons detection system at the entrance, officials said. The system alerted staff to a "concerning area," prompting a closer inspection. …

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by Zak Failla
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