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

North East, MD
Breaking News
Police Chief Rushes Into Burning North East Home To Save Elderly Couple Police Chief Rushes Into Burning North East Home To Save Elderly Couple Police Chief Rushes Into Burning North East Home To Save Elderly Couple
Police Chief Rushes Into Burning North East Home To Save Elderly Couple A police chief in Northern Maryland is being hailed as a hero after helping an elderly family escape a house fire that broke out on Tuesday morning. Shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 20, first responders were called to the unit block of East Wallace Avenue in North East, where there was a reported house fire with smoke showing from the residence. According to the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal, a senior couple heard noises coming from their basement and later discovered smoke, prompting a 911 call — though a police official in the area immediately jumped into action. At the time…

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by Zak Failla
College Park, MD
On Your Side
Prince George's County Army Veteran Makes Lottery History With Record $660K Racetrax Win Prince George's County Army Veteran Makes Lottery History With Record $660K Racetrax Win Prince George's County Army Veteran Makes Lottery History With Record $660K Racetrax Win
Prince George's County Army Veteran Makes Lottery History With Record $660K Racetrax Win The luck of the Irish is real. An Army veteran in Maryland made Lottery history, claiming the largest prize ever won on the game Racetrax since its inception in August 2006. The lucky lotto winner from Prince George's County was on the verge of tears, officials said, when he was on hand to claim a $660,414 prize at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. He almost didn't make it. After finishing the paperwork involved with making his claim, he shared stories about his life, including the tale of discovering his big win. “I’m surprised I didn’t have a heart attack,” he mused. The winner,…

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
Stafford Teen Blamed ‘Mystery Driver’ After Wild Police Chase — Investigators Didn’t Buy It Stafford Teen Blamed ‘Mystery Driver’ After Wild Police Chase — Investigators Didn’t Buy It Stafford Teen Blamed ‘Mystery Driver’ After Wild Police Chase — Investigators Didn’t Buy It
Stafford Teen Blamed ‘Mystery Driver’ After Wild Police Chase — Investigators Didn’t Buy It A teenage driver tried to pull investigators off her trail after a wild late-night pursuit in Virginia, claiming someone else was behind the wheel — but deputies later concluded the story didn’t add up. A Stafford County deputy was near Garrisonville Road and Salisbury Drive around 11:45 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, when he heard what sounded like squealing tires coming from the Mine Road Commuter Lot. When the deputy arrived, smoke filled the parking lot, and two vehicles began driving away, officials said. One of them took off when a traffic stop was attempted, sparking a pursuit through the are…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Inmate Dies At Inova Fairfax Hospital While In Alexandria Sheriff’s Office Custody (DEVELOPING) Inmate Dies At Inova Fairfax Hospital While In Alexandria Sheriff’s Office Custody (DEVELOPING) Inmate Dies At Inova Fairfax Hospital While In Alexandria Sheriff’s Office Custody (DEVELOPING)
Inmate Dies At Inova Fairfax Hospital While In Alexandria Sheriff’s Office Custody (Developing) An inmate behind bars died early on Monday morning while receiving treatment at a Northern Virginia hospital, officials confirmed. Ricardo Roberts, a 60-year-old Alexandria man, died at Inova Fairfax Hospital while being treated for chronic medical issues, according to the sheriff's office on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Roberts had been in custody since Wednesday, Dec. 24 and was being held without bond on multiple counts of violation of a protective order, officials said.  He had been receiving medical care at Inova Alexandria Hospital since Dec. 31 before being transferred early Monday mornin…

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by Zak Failla
Rockville, MD
Breaking News
Lane Closed Near I-495 In Montgomery County After Sewage Overflow Prompts Health Warning Lane Closed Near I-495 In Montgomery County After Sewage Overflow Prompts Health Warning Lane Closed Near I-495 In Montgomery County After Sewage Overflow Prompts Health Warning
Lane Closed Near I-495 In Montgomery County After Sewage Overflow Prompts Health Warning A sewage overflow from a major wastewater line shut down a lane near the Capital Beltway and triggered a public health warning after untreated wastewater was seen spilling into the C & O Canal area near the Clara Barton Parkway, officials said. DC Water crews were rushed to the scene after flow was observed coming out of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line near the I-495 interchange in Montgomery County on Monday evening, according to the agency.  Contractors were also mobilized to contain the overflow, assess the damage, and begin repairs. As a precaution, the right inbound lane o…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Your Community
Former Gov. Larry Hogan Says It’s 'Time To Look Forward, Not Back' On His Political Future Former Gov. Larry Hogan Says It’s 'Time To Look Forward, Not Back' On His Political Future Former Gov. Larry Hogan Says It’s 'Time To Look Forward, Not Back' On His Political Future
Former Gov. Larry Hogan Says It’s 'Time To Look Forward, Not Back' On His Political Future A familiar face will NOT be on the ballot in November when Maryland voters head to the polls. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan ended months of speculation about his political future on Tuesday, announcing that he has no intention to seek re-election in the fall. "I care deeply about the state of Maryland, and I remain concerned about the direction of our nation’s politics, but I have no intention of running for office again," Hogan wrote in a statement released on Tuesday. "It was an honor to serve, but it’s time to look forward, not back. The fight for Maryland and America’s future doe…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Stolen U-Haul Leads Police On Wild Multi-County Chase Across Virginia: Police Stolen U-Haul Leads Police On Wild Multi-County Chase Across Virginia: Police Stolen U-Haul Leads Police On Wild Multi-County Chase Across Virginia: Police
Stolen U-Haul Leads Police On Wild Multi-County Chase Across Virginia: Police A stolen U-Haul box truck fleeing police through Virginia was stopped after a dangerous pursuit that crossed county lines and put deputies and civilians at riskd. The chase began when an Automatic License Plate Reader flagged a stolen U-Haul from Prince William County traveling southbound on Route 17 in Fauquier County. A Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted the truck minutes later on Route 29 near Warrenton and tried to pull it over, but the driver refused to stop and took off. Investigators said the truck fled north, turned onto Broad Run Church Road, and attempted to ram …

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Knife-Wielding Man Shot By Officers During Baltimore Barricade Amid Mental Health Issue: Police Knife-Wielding Man Shot By Officers During Baltimore Barricade Amid Mental Health Issue: Police Knife-Wielding Man Shot By Officers During Baltimore Barricade Amid Mental Health Issue: Police
Knife-Wielding Man Shot By Officers During Baltimore Barricade Amid Mental Health Issue: Police A man suffering from a mental health crisis was shot by officers during a barricade situation that played out in Maryland on Monday morning, police say.  Shortly after 10:30 a.m., officers from the Baltimore Police Department were called to the 1100 block of Park Avenue, where there were reports of an armed man who was "attempting to harm people," according to Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley. Upon arrival, officers found the man in question standing in the hallway of an apartment building armed with a knife before retreating into an apartment while screaming. The man did …

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by Zak Failla
Temple Hills-Camp Springs, MD
Breaking News
DC Man Dies 15 Months After He Was Hit By Driver In Temple Hills, Police Say DC Man Dies 15 Months After He Was Hit By Driver In Temple Hills, Police Say DC Man Dies 15 Months After He Was Hit By Driver In Temple Hills, Police Say
DC Man Dies 15 Months After He Was Hit By Driver In Temple Hills, Police Say More than a year after being struck by a vehicle in Maryland, a DC man has died from his injuries, authorities announced. Kelvin Eugene Jackson, 41, passed away on Sunday, January 11, after he was struck by a vehicle in Prince George’s County and suffered critical injuries that left him hospitalized for months. According to police, officers were called around 11 p.m. on Thursday, October 24, 2024, to the 3100 block of Branch Avenue in Temple Hills, where they found Jackson in the roadway after he was struck by a vehicle. Jackson was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, wh…

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by Zak Failla
Gainesville, VA
Breaking News
Good Samaritans Subdue Woman Who Exposed Herself, Fought Officer At Gainesville GNC: Police Good Samaritans Subdue Woman Who Exposed Herself, Fought Officer At Gainesville GNC: Police Good Samaritans Subdue Woman Who Exposed Herself, Fought Officer At Gainesville GNC: Police
Good Samaritans Subdue Woman Who Exposed Herself, Fought Officer At Gainesville GNC: Police Shoppers inside a busy Virginia nutrition store were caught off guard when a routine trip turned chaotic, police said. Officers were called to the GNC on Linton Hall Road in Gainesville just after 11:25 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, after reports of a disorderly woman inside the store, Prince William County police said on Monday. Investigators said Danielle Maria Blaser Diaz, 36, entered the business and began aggressively approaching customers, creating a disturbance inside the store.  Then things took a strange turn when she later stepped outside and exposed herself to customers throug…

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by Zak Failla
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