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

Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Speeding Alexandria Driver Killed In Early Morning Single-Vehicle Crash On I-66: State Police Speeding Alexandria Driver Killed In Early Morning Single-Vehicle Crash On I-66: State Police Speeding Alexandria Driver Killed In Early Morning Single-Vehicle Crash On I-66: State Police
Speeding Alexandria Driver Killed In Early Morning Single-Vehicle Crash On I-66: State Police A Virginia man was killed early Wednesday morning in a single-vehicle crash on I-66, state police said. The driver, Alexandria resident Nurelen Befekadu, 35, was taken to an area hospital after the crash, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Virginia State Police said the crash happened at approximately 5:36 a.m. on Jan. 21 on I-66 westbound at the ramp to Route 28 in Fairfax County. The preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle was traveling too fast for the ramp, lost control, and struck a sound wall. No other vehicles were involved. The investigation into the circumstances …

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Maryland, DC Prepare For Road Closures As Fallen MPD Officer Terry Bennett Is Laid To Rest Maryland, DC Prepare For Road Closures As Fallen MPD Officer Terry Bennett Is Laid To Rest Maryland, DC Prepare For Road Closures As Fallen MPD Officer Terry Bennett Is Laid To Rest
Maryland, DC Prepare For Road Closures As Fallen MPD Officer Terry Bennett Is Laid To Rest Rolling road closures are expected across Maryland and Washington, DC on Friday afternoon as funeral services are held for Metropolitan Police Department Officer Terry Bennett, who died earlier this month after being struck while helping a stranded motorist. Funeral services for Officer Bennett will take place on Friday, Jan. 23, in Prince George’s County, with a procession that will travel through DC before ending in Laurel, according to MPD. Commuters across the region are being urged to plan ahead, as rolling closures are expected between approximately 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., impacting …

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by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Breaking News
Garage Fire Rips Through Waldorf Home Before Dawn, Leaving Family Displaced (PHOTOS) Garage Fire Rips Through Waldorf Home Before Dawn, Leaving Family Displaced (PHOTOS) Garage Fire Rips Through Waldorf Home Before Dawn, Leaving Family Displaced (PHOTOS)
Garage Fire Rips Through Waldorf Home Before Dawn, Leaving Family Displaced (Photos) Two Maryland residents were displaced early Wednesday morning after a garage fire gutted a two-story single-family home in Waldorf. Fire and EMS crews in Charles County were dispatched around 5:45 a.m. to the 3500 block of Catskill Street after 911 callers reported smoke coming from a residential garage, officials said. All occupants safely exited the home before firefighters arrived. First responders were met with smoke throughout the residence and confirmed active fire conditions inside the garage, prompting the establishment of incident command and the start of fire suppression and v…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Suspect Goes Down Swinging, Kicks Deputy, Spits On Officer During Arrest, Spotsy Sheriff Says Suspect Goes Down Swinging, Kicks Deputy, Spits On Officer During Arrest, Spotsy Sheriff Says Suspect Goes Down Swinging, Kicks Deputy, Spits On Officer During Arrest, Spotsy Sheriff Says
Suspect Goes Down Swinging, Kicks Deputy, Spits On Officer During Arrest, Spotsy Sheriff Says Donald Nichelson went down fighting before his arrest in Virginia. The spitting-mad Fredericksburg man is facing a host of charges after becoming combative with members of the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office attempting to arrest him for trespassing, according to authorities. Deputies were called around 10:20 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, to the 3400 block of Shannon Park Drive, where there were reports of a man trespassing in the area. Upon arrival, deputies were advised that a man — later identified as Nichelson — was trespassing on the property after being told to leave.  According…

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by Zak Failla
Elkridge, MD
Breaking News
Electric Vehicle Fire Sparks Hazard Response On I-95 In Howard County (UPDATED) Electric Vehicle Fire Sparks Hazard Response On I-95 In Howard County (UPDATED) Electric Vehicle Fire Sparks Hazard Response On I-95 In Howard County (UPDATED)
Electric Vehicle Fire Sparks Hazard Response On I-95 In Howard County (Updated) An electric vehicle caught fire on I-95 in Maryland on Wednesday morning, prompting a hazardous response and lengthy lane closures. Firefighters with the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services responded around 9:00 a.m. to the southbound lanes of the interstate at Route 100 after receiving reports of a vehicle fire, according to officials. Crews arrived to find an electric passenger vehicle fully involved and quickly worked to get water on the fire. Due to the potential toxicity associated with electric vehicle fires, Special Operations units responded to the scene, offi…

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by Zak Failla
Columbia, MD
Breaking News
Howard County Officer Identified By AG After Fiery Fatal Crash That Killed Young Girl Howard County Officer Identified By AG After Fiery Fatal Crash That Killed Young Girl Howard County Officer Identified By AG After Fiery Fatal Crash That Killed Young Girl
Howard County Officer Identified By AG After Fiery Fatal Crash That Killed Young Girl A Maryland police officer involved in a fatal crash that killed a young girl over the weekend has been identified by the Attorney General's Office. The Independent Investigations Division of the AG's Office said Police Officer First Class Brian Maurantonio, a four-year veteran assigned to the department’s Traffic Enforcement Section, was involved in the collision that occurred in Columbia on Saturday, Jan. 17. The crash happened at approximately 1:50 a.m. on Route 29 near Johns Hopkins Road, according to investigators. Officials said the officer was in an unmarked cruiser conducting traffi…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
On Your Side
Someone In Virginia Is Sitting On A $1M Lottery Ticket And May Not Know It Someone In Virginia Is Sitting On A $1M Lottery Ticket And May Not Know It Someone In Virginia Is Sitting On A $1M Lottery Ticket And May Not Know It
Someone In Virginia Is Sitting On A $1M Lottery Ticket And May Not Know It Somewhere in Virginia, a lottery ticket worth a cool $1 million is still waiting for its owner. The winning ticket matched all six numbers in the Virginia Lottery’s Bank a Million drawing on Saturday, Jan. 17, turning a routine purchase into a seven-figure mystery. The ticket was sold at Cargo Oil, located in the 700 block of North Main Street in Marion, Lottery officials said. The winning numbers were 8-15-20-23-27-37. The Bonus Ball number was 19, but it wasn’t needed — matching the first six numbers exactly was enough to lock in the top prize. In Bank a Million, the advertised top priz…

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by Zak Failla
Glen Burnie, MD
On Your Side
Glen Burnie Carpenter Turns $30 Lottery Scratcher Into $50K Birthday Surprise For Wife Glen Burnie Carpenter Turns $30 Lottery Scratcher Into $50K Birthday Surprise For Wife Glen Burnie Carpenter Turns $30 Lottery Scratcher Into $50K Birthday Surprise For Wife
Glen Burnie Carpenter Turns $30 Lottery Scratcher Into $50K Birthday Surprise For Wife A Maryland man who turned $30 into a five-figure jackpot has big plans for his winnings — and a very special benefactor. Glen Burnie resident "Mega Money Mike" says he plans to take his wife on a birthday getaway after winning a $50,000 Mega Money scratcher that he picked up on his way home from work, according to Lottery officials. The carpenter said that he was in a good mood on the way home from work, and his wife of nearly four decades "had a feeling something exciting had happened."  She could not have been more right. "She knows her husband well," officials mused. "He had just …

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by Zak Failla
Silver Spring, MD
Breaking News
Detectives Searching For Toyota After Fatal Hit-Run Of 73-Year-Old In Silver Spring (UPDATED) Detectives Searching For Toyota After Fatal Hit-Run Of 73-Year-Old In Silver Spring (UPDATED) Detectives Searching For Toyota After Fatal Hit-Run Of 73-Year-Old In Silver Spring (UPDATED)
Detectives Searching For Toyota After Fatal Hit-Run Of 73-Year-Old In Silver Spring (Updated) Seen it?  There have been renewed calls to action after a 73-year-old Maryland woman was killed by a hit-and-run driver while crossing the road. More than a week later, investigators are still attempting to locate the Toyota involved. Detectives from the Montgomery County Department of Police Collision Reconstruction Unit said Florence L. Chumbow, 73, of Silver Spring, was fatally struck while crossing Columbia Pike near Fairland Road shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12. Third District officers and Fire Rescue personnel responded to southbound Columbia Pike (Route 29) and Fair…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Hundreds Of Miles From Home, NY Man Busted In Virginia With Stolen Minivan, Sheriff Says Hundreds Of Miles From Home, NY Man Busted In Virginia With Stolen Minivan, Sheriff Says Hundreds Of Miles From Home, NY Man Busted In Virginia With Stolen Minivan, Sheriff Says
Hundreds Of Miles From Home, NY Man Busted In Virginia With Stolen Minivan, Sheriff Says A New York man was busted hundreds of miles from home when deputies in Virginia stopped a stolen minivan with Pennsylvania plates and were fed a series of stories that quickly fell apart, officials said. A Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched to the area of Lee Highway just after 2:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, after an automated license plate reader flagged a possible stolen vehicle traveling through the county. The deputy was looking for a Dodge minivan displaying stolen Pennsylvania registration plates. After a brief wait, the vehicle passed the deputy near the intersec…

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by Zak Failla
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