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

Gaithersburg, MD
Breaking News
Germantown Family Loses Home In $400K Fire As Community Rushes In To Help Germantown Family Loses Home In $400K Fire As Community Rushes In To Help Germantown Family Loses Home In $400K Fire As Community Rushes In To Help
Germantown Family Loses Home In $400K Fire As Community Rushes In To Help A devastating house fire that tore through a Germantown home has now sparked an outpouring of support from neighbors, classmates, and strangers across Maryland. The fire broke out at a large single-family home in the 11000 block of Brink Road in Germantown on Tuesday, Jan. 27, when improperly discarded fireplace ashes ignited combustible materials inside a garage, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue officials said. The blaze quickly spread from the garage into the home’s crawl space and walls, triggering a massive response that included 10 engines, five ladder trucks, a heavy rescue unit, six…

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by Zak Failla
Frederick, MD
Obituaries
A Million Miles Together: Frederick Family Steps Up After Trucker Loses Beloved Road Dog A Million Miles Together: Frederick Family Steps Up After Trucker Loses Beloved Road Dog A Million Miles Together: Frederick Family Steps Up After Trucker Loses Beloved Road Dog
A Million Miles Together: Frederick Family Steps Up After Trucker Loses Beloved Road Dog A Maryland family is rallying behind a heartbroken truck driver after a violent crash thousands of miles from home took the life of a dog who wasn’t just a pet — she was family. Honeybear, a Shih Tzu who spent her days riding shotgun on cross-country hauls, was killed while traveling through Wyoming when extreme winds caused a tractor-trailer to overturn, according to a fundraiser launched by a Frederick County organizer. The campaign was started by Deborah Harris to support Shawn Slagle and his wife, Deborah, as they grieve the sudden loss of the tiny co-pilot who shared nearly every …

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by Zak Failla
Williamsport, MD
Your Community
Washington County Says Its Hands Are Tied As DHS Considers ICE Facility In Williamsport Washington County Says Its Hands Are Tied As DHS Considers ICE Facility In Williamsport Washington County Says Its Hands Are Tied As DHS Considers ICE Facility In Williamsport
Washington County Says Its Hands Are Tied As DHS Considers ICE Facility In Williamsport Washington County officials say they are effectively powerless to block a proposed US Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility after the US Department of Homeland Security notified the county it is evaluating a site in Maryland. Earlier this month, county officials confirmed that the Planning and Zoning Department and Historic District Commission received a letter from DHS about possibly purchasing a warehouse in Williamsport. The proposed site would be at 10900 Hopewell Road, also known as 16220 Wright Road, which would be used as a new ICE Baltimore Processing Facility…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Jackknifed Tractor-Trailer Shuts Down I-95 Northbound In Baltimore County Jackknifed Tractor-Trailer Shuts Down I-95 Northbound In Baltimore County Jackknifed Tractor-Trailer Shuts Down I-95 Northbound In Baltimore County
Jackknifed Tractor-Trailer Shuts Down I-95 Northbound In Baltimore County A jackknifed tractor-trailer is causing major delays on I-95 in Maryland, closing multiple lanes and backing up traffic late Wednesday morning, officials said. The crash happened just after 10:5 a.m. on Jan. 28, in the northbound lanes of the interstate past Exit 49A for I-695, near the southwest corner of the Baltimore Beltway, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation. Maryland State Highway Administration officials said the tractor-trailer jackknifed in the northbound lanes, forcing the closure of three right travel lanes and the right shoulder. Traffic data shows three of …

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Breaking News
Skipped Scrape Injures Sheriff After Flying Ice Smashes Cruiser In Anne Arundel County Skipped Scrape Injures Sheriff After Flying Ice Smashes Cruiser In Anne Arundel County Skipped Scrape Injures Sheriff After Flying Ice Smashes Cruiser In Anne Arundel County
Skipped Scrape Injures Sheriff After Flying Ice Smashes Cruiser In Anne Arundel County A flying sheet of ice blasted through a cop’s windshield on a Maryland highway after peeling off another vehicle Monday morning. Now, officials are advising drivers to exercise caution as the region continues to thaw out from the latest snowstorm. On Wednesday, Jan. 28, a deputy from the Anne Arundel County Sheriff's Office was traveling on I-97 when a large sheet of ice slid off another vehicle and struck his windshield, causing it to shatter. Anne Arundel County Fire Department Undeterred, despite the impact, the deputy was able to maintain control of his cruiser and safely made h…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Breaking News
Harwood Couple Found Dead In Home Identified As Detectives Zero In On Domestic Shooting Harwood Couple Found Dead In Home Identified As Detectives Zero In On Domestic Shooting Harwood Couple Found Dead In Home Identified As Detectives Zero In On Domestic Shooting
Harwood Couple Found Dead In Home Identified As Detectives Zero In On Domestic Shooting Police in Maryland have identified the two people found dead inside a Harwood home last week, as investigators continue probing what they now believe was a domestic-related shooting. Officers from the Anne Arundel County Police Department were first called around 1:40 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22, to a home in the 100 block of Harwood Road to check on the welfare of the residents, police said. A person familiar with the couple raised concerns after not seeing or hearing from them for several days. When officers entered the home, they found a woman dead on the main level and a man dead on the …

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Raging Morning House Fire In West Springfield Traps Resident, Injures Firefighters Raging Morning House Fire In West Springfield Traps Resident, Injures Firefighters Raging Morning House Fire In West Springfield Traps Resident, Injures Firefighters
Raging Morning House Fire In West Springfield Traps Resident, Injures Firefighters A morning house fire in Northern Virginia sent residents and firefighters to the hospital after flames tore through a home in West Springfield, forcing dramatic rescues and a large emergency response, officials said. Crews from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department were dispatched around 7:09 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28, to the 7900 block of Jansen Court, where callers reported a fire inside a single-family home with a person trapped, according to the department. Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire coming from the rear of the residence, officials said. Crews immediately launched …

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by Zak Failla
Bel Air, MD
Breaking News
WATCH: Police K9 Finds Missing Teen As Officer Gives Shirt Off His Back In Bel Air Snowstorm WATCH: Police K9 Finds Missing Teen As Officer Gives Shirt Off His Back In Bel Air Snowstorm WATCH: Police K9 Finds Missing Teen As Officer Gives Shirt Off His Back In Bel Air Snowstorm
Watch: Police K9 Finds Missing Teen As Officer Gives Shirt Off His Back In Bel Air Snowstorm A Maryland police officer literally gave the shirt off his back after a K9-led search located a missing teenager during a dangerous winter storm. In Harford County, police K9 Margo is being hailed as a hero — and a good boy — after leading the search for a 15-year-old who was reported missing in Bel Air and found shaken, cold, but relatively unharmed. Body-worn camera footage shows how rapid police response, K-9 tracking, and community tips helped locate a missing juvenile during severe winter conditions in Bel Air. Bel Air Police According to the Bel Air Police Department, on Monda…

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by Zak Failla
Gaithersburg, MD
Breaking News
Firefighter Hurt, Family Displaced After Fireplace Ashes Spark $400K Germantown House Fire Firefighter Hurt, Family Displaced After Fireplace Ashes Spark $400K Germantown House Fire Firefighter Hurt, Family Displaced After Fireplace Ashes Spark $400K Germantown House Fire
Firefighter Hurt, Family Displaced After Fireplace Ashes Spark $400K Germantown House Fire A winter fireplace meant to keep a Maryland family warm ended with flames tearing through their home — injuring a firefighter and forcing four into the cold. Firefighters were dispatched to a large single-family home in the 11000 block of Brink Road in Germantown on Tuesday, Jan. 27, after residents reported smoke coming from the garage, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue officials. Crews arrived to find a garage fire that had already extended into the home, with flames spreading through the crawl space and walls. The fire quickly escalated, prompting a massive response that in…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
DC Man Charged With Murder Nearly A Year After Toddler’s Drug-Related Death: DOJ DC Man Charged With Murder Nearly A Year After Toddler’s Drug-Related Death: DOJ DC Man Charged With Murder Nearly A Year After Toddler’s Drug-Related Death: DOJ
DC Man Charged With Murder Nearly A Year After Toddler’s Drug-Related Death: DOJ A District man has been arrested and charged nearly a year after the death of a toddler in Southeast DC, authorities announced. The Metropolitan Police Department and the US Attorney’s Office for DC said 76-year-old Lawrence Perryman was arrested and charged in connection with the March 12, 2025, death of 17-month-old Quamir Johnson. Police were called at approximately 7:10 a.m. that morning to a residence in the 2600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Southeast, for a report of an unconscious child, MPD said. Officers arrived to find a boy unresponsive and not breathing. Despite…

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by Zak Failla
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