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

McLean, VA
Breaking News
McLean Man Ran $1.5M Ponzi Scheme, Blew It On Supercars, Luxury Homes & Chanel Bags: Feds McLean Man Ran $1.5M Ponzi Scheme, Blew It On Supercars, Luxury Homes & Chanel Bags: Feds McLean Man Ran $1.5M Ponzi Scheme, Blew It On Supercars, Luxury Homes & Chanel Bags: Feds
McLean Man Ran $1.5M Ponzi Scheme, Blew It On Supercars, Luxury Homes & Chanel Bags: Feds A Virginia executive who promised quick profits on precious metals instead ran a $1.5 million Ponzi scheme — then spent investor money on supercars, luxury homes, and designer shopping sprees, federal prosecutors said. Warith Deen Muhammad, 39, of McLean, was convicted on Wednesday, Feb. 4, following a trial tied to a precious metals investment scam that targeted more than a dozen victims, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Prosecutors said Muhammad, the owner and operator of Niagara Gold and Silver LLC, falsely told investors beginning in November 2…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Sickening Case: Man Charged After Bodily Fluids Were Secretly Ingested In Baltimore County: PD Sickening Case: Man Charged After Bodily Fluids Were Secretly Ingested In Baltimore County: PD Sickening Case: Man Charged After Bodily Fluids Were Secretly Ingested In Baltimore County: PD
Sickening Case: Man Charged After Bodily Fluids Were Secretly Ingested In Baltimore County: PD A months-long criminal investigation ended with a disturbing arrest after detectives say people unknowingly consumed items that had been contaminated with another man’s bodily fluids. Detectives with the Baltimore County Police Department arrested 36-year-old paramedic Christopher Carroll on Tuesday, Feb. 4, following an investigation that began in November 2025, police said. According to detectives, the investigation was launched after reports surfaced that Carroll had tampered with items and contaminated them before they were later consumed.  As the case developed, detectives obtain…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
New Measles Case Confirmed In Northern Virginia, Exposure Sites Identified By Health Department New Measles Case Confirmed In Northern Virginia, Exposure Sites Identified By Health Department New Measles Case Confirmed In Northern Virginia, Exposure Sites Identified By Health Department
New Measles Case Confirmed In Northern Virginia, Exposure Sites Identified By Health Department Virginia health officials are investigating a confirmed case of measles in Northern Virginia and warning residents who may have crossed paths with the infected individual to monitor for symptoms and report potential exposure. The Virginia Department of Health confirmed an adult resident of Northern Virginia tested positive for measles, Richmond, Tuesday, Feb. 4.  To protect the patient’s privacy, no additional identifying details were released. Health officials are now working to identify people who may have been exposed during a series of visits to public locations in Fairfax County …

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Your Community
DOJ Investigating Baltimore Health Department Over Alleged Segregated Training (DEVELOPING) DOJ Investigating Baltimore Health Department Over Alleged Segregated Training (DEVELOPING) DOJ Investigating Baltimore Health Department Over Alleged Segregated Training (DEVELOPING)
DOJ Investigating Baltimore Health Department Over Alleged Segregated Training (Developing) The US Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into the Baltimore City Health Department over allegations that employees were separated by race during workplace training. The probe was opened by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to determine whether the department engaged in employment practices that discriminated against workers based on race, color, or national origin, authorities announced on Wednesday, Feb. 4. “Separating employees into training groups based on their race is discriminatory, illegal, and un-American,” said Assistant Attorney General H…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
DC Fire Battalion Chief Keith Long Dies In Line Of Duty: ‘Rest Easy, Chief’ DC Fire Battalion Chief Keith Long Dies In Line Of Duty: ‘Rest Easy, Chief’ DC Fire Battalion Chief Keith Long Dies In Line Of Duty: ‘Rest Easy, Chief’
DC Fire Battalion Chief Keith Long Dies In Line Of Duty: ‘Rest Easy, Chief’ A longtime DC Fire and EMS leader has died in the line of duty, prompting an outpouring of grief and solidarity across the region's first responder community. Battalion Fire Chief Keith T. Long passed away suddenly while on duty on Wednesday, Feb. 4, according to the DC Fire and EMS Department. Chief Long was appointed to the department on Dec. 19, 1988, and spent 38 years serving residents and visitors of Washington, DC, officials said.  At the time of his death, he was serving as a Safety Battalion Chief. “The Department regrets to announce the line-of-duty death of Battalion Fire …

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by Zak Failla
Sterling, VA
Breaking News
‘Under $10K,’ They Say — CBP Finds Nearly $120K Anyway At Dulles Airport ‘Under $10K,’ They Say — CBP Finds Nearly $120K Anyway At Dulles Airport ‘Under $10K,’ They Say — CBP Finds Nearly $120K Anyway At Dulles Airport
‘Under $10K,’ They Say — CBP Finds Nearly $120K Anyway At Dulles Airport Not so fast. Four travelers who told federal officers they were carrying less than $10,000 were instead found with stacks of cash totaling nearly $120,000 at Washington Dulles International Airport, authorities said. US Customs and Border Protection officers seized $119,178 in unreported currency from four international travelers at Dulles last month as travelers tried to pull fast ones on agents. In each case, officers said travelers were clearly informed of US currency reporting laws and then declared — verbally and in writing — that they were carrying less than $10,000.  Lies. In…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Obituaries
Virginia Father Survived 30 Years Of Service — Then Died Racing Home To His Injured Daughter Virginia Father Survived 30 Years Of Service — Then Died Racing Home To His Injured Daughter Virginia Father Survived 30 Years Of Service — Then Died Racing Home To His Injured Daughter
Virginia Father Survived 30 Years Of Service — Then Died Racing Home To His Injured Daughter After more than three decades of military service, a Virginia father survived a career spent protecting others — only to lose his life just as he was trying to get home to protect his own. Matt Hill, a recently retired serviceman with more than 30 years in uniform, died of a heart attack overseas as he was rushing home to be with his daughter Grace, who suffered serious injuries in a car crash, according to his family. When Hill learned of his daughter’s injuries, he immediately began trying to return home from overseas, where he had been working as a contractor after retiring from the mili…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
ICE Agent Struck By Hit-Run Driver While Directing Traffic In Maryland, Sheriff Says ICE Agent Struck By Hit-Run Driver While Directing Traffic In Maryland, Sheriff Says ICE Agent Struck By Hit-Run Driver While Directing Traffic In Maryland, Sheriff Says
ICE Agent Struck By Hit-Run Driver While Directing Traffic In Maryland, Sheriff Says An investigation has been launched after a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Maryland.  Shortly after 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3, members of the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office were called to the area of Pemberton Drive and Diamondback Drive in Salisbury, where there was a reported crash involving the ICE agent. Investigators say that the agent was struck by a passing driver while directing traffic at the intersection. The motorist then took off without stopping. "The suspect in the incident left the area without attempting to contac…

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by Zak Failla
Frederick, MD
Breaking News
Armed Bank Robber At Large After Stealing Cash From Frederick PNC Branch: Sheriff (DEVELOPING) Armed Bank Robber At Large After Stealing Cash From Frederick PNC Branch: Sheriff (DEVELOPING) Armed Bank Robber At Large After Stealing Cash From Frederick PNC Branch: Sheriff (DEVELOPING)
Armed Bank Robber At Large After Stealing Cash From Frederick PNC Branch: Sheriff (Developing) A bank robbery suspect is at large after targeting a Marlyand bank and making off with an undisclosed amount of cash, officials say. Shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, deputies from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office were called to the PNC Bank branch in the 8900 branch of Fingerboard Road, where there was a panic alarm alert. According to the sheriff's office, a man entered the bank, implied he was armed with a handgun and demanded cash before leaving on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. In a photo released by the agency, the man can be seen wearing a gray hooded sw…

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by Zak Failla
Fort Washington, MD
On Your Side
Going For Gold: Fort Washington Keno Winner Headed To 2028 Summer Olympics In LA Going For Gold: Fort Washington Keno Winner Headed To 2028 Summer Olympics In LA Going For Gold: Fort Washington Keno Winner Headed To 2028 Summer Olympics In LA
Going For Gold: Fort Washington Keno Winner Headed To 2028 Summer Olympics In LA A Maryland woman is packing her bags for Los Angeles — again — after a winning Keno ticket sent the Fort Washington resident to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. Jocelyn Johnson landed a VIP trip for two through a Maryland Lottery second-chance promotion, turning a routine habit into an all-expenses-paid return to a city she and her husband fell in love with more than a decade ago. Back then, it was Venice Beach, Malibu, and Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles. This time, it’s the Olympics. “We always wanted to go back,” Johnson said. The prize includes round-trip airfare, five nights at a delux…

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by Zak Failla
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