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

Bel Air, MD
Breaking News
When Christmas Lights Turn Deadly: Bel Air Home, Pets Perish In Christmas Eve Fire (PHOTOS) When Christmas Lights Turn Deadly: Bel Air Home, Pets Perish In Christmas Eve Fire (PHOTOS) When Christmas Lights Turn Deadly: Bel Air Home, Pets Perish In Christmas Eve Fire (PHOTOS)
When Christmas Lights Turn Deadly: Bel Air Home, Pets Perish In Christmas Eve Fire (Photos) A drive through a Maryland neighborhood to admire Christmas lights took a devastating turn when a Good Samaritan spotted smoke instead of sparkle — and a deadly fire was already burning. The fire broke out around 6:33 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24, at a two-story single-family home in the 500 block of Flintlock Drive in Bel Air, according to the State Fire Marshal. Investigators said the blaze was discovered by a passerby who was driving through the neighborhood to look at decorations when they saw flames inside the home’s living room. Witnesses rushed to help, telling investigators they hear…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Off-Duty Fairfax County Cop Arrested For DUI, Placed On Administrative Leave: Police Off-Duty Fairfax County Cop Arrested For DUI, Placed On Administrative Leave: Police Off-Duty Fairfax County Cop Arrested For DUI, Placed On Administrative Leave: Police
Off-Duty Fairfax County Cop Arrested For DUI, Placed On Administrative Leave: Police A four-year veteran of the Fairfax County Police Department has been placed on administrative leave after being arrested on a DUI charge while off duty in Virginia, authorities said. Officers from the department’s DWI Squad arrested Springfield resident Austin Wilkerson, 26, on Tuesday, December 23, following an off-duty incident, Fairfax County Police said. Wilkerson, who was assigned to the Mount Vernon District at the time of the arrest, was charged with driving under the influence, according to the department. Following the arrest, Wilkerson was placed on administrative leave pending t…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Driver Returns To Scene After Pedestrian Is Struck, Killed On Fairfax County Parkway: Police Driver Returns To Scene After Pedestrian Is Struck, Killed On Fairfax County Parkway: Police Driver Returns To Scene After Pedestrian Is Struck, Killed On Fairfax County Parkway: Police
Driver Returns To Scene After Pedestrian Is Struck, Killed On Fairfax County Parkway: Police A man was killed after being struck by a vehicle along a busy Virginia roadway, police said on Wednesday, as detectives continue working to determine exactly what happened. Officers from the Fairfax County Police Department were called shortly before 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 23, to the intersection of Fairfax County Parkway and Old Plains Road in the Fair Oaks area, according to the agency. Upon arrival, they found a man unresponsive lying in the grass median, police said. The pedestrian, a 50-year-old man with no fixed address, was pronounced dead at the scene, investigators said. His i…

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by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Breaking News
Ghost Guns, PCP, And Cash Taken Off Charles County Streets In Explosive Drug Bust, Sheriff Says Ghost Guns, PCP, And Cash Taken Off Charles County Streets In Explosive Drug Bust, Sheriff Says Ghost Guns, PCP, And Cash Taken Off Charles County Streets In Explosive Drug Bust, Sheriff Says
Ghost Guns, PCP, And Cash Taken Off Charles County Streets In Explosive Drug Bust, Sheriff Says More than $15,000 worth of drugs, multiple illegal firearms, and cash are off the streets after a narcotics raid in Maryland that led to the arrests of two local suspects. Detectives with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Section served a search warrant in the 3000 block of Gallery Place in Waldorf on Monday, Dec. 22, as part of an ongoing drug distribution investigation, police said. During the search, investigators recovered five ounces of suspected PCP, more than 70 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine, and MDMA, along with drug production and manufacturing equipmen…

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by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Breaking News
Waldorf Man ‘Weaponized’ SUV During Argument, Mowed Down Victim In Parking Lot: Sheriff Waldorf Man ‘Weaponized’ SUV During Argument, Mowed Down Victim In Parking Lot: Sheriff Waldorf Man ‘Weaponized’ SUV During Argument, Mowed Down Victim In Parking Lot: Sheriff
Waldorf Man ‘Weaponized’ SUV During Argument, Mowed Down Victim In Parking Lot: Sheriff An enraged man is being held behind bars without bond after police say he intentionally ran down another man with an SUV during an argument in a Maryland parking lot. Officers were called shortly before 3 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, to the 2600 block of Rooks Head Place in Waldorf, where there were reports of a man who had been struck by a vehicle, according to the Charles County Sheriff's Office. When officers arrived, they found a man lying in the parking lot suffering from multiple injuries. The victim was flown to a hospital in serious condition, deputies said on Wednesday, Dec. 24. A p…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
ICE Agents Open Fire After Driver Rams Vehicles During Glen Burnie Operation (UPDATED) ICE Agents Open Fire After Driver Rams Vehicles During Glen Burnie Operation (UPDATED) ICE Agents Open Fire After Driver Rams Vehicles During Glen Burnie Operation (UPDATED)
ICE Agents Open Fire After Driver Rams Vehicles During Glen Burnie Operation (Updated) A routine ICE enforcement operation in Maryland erupted into chaos when a driver allegedly turned his van into a weapon, ramming federal vehicles and driving straight at officers — forcing agents to open fire to protect their lives, officials said. The incident unfolded in Glen Burnie on Wednesday, Dec. 24, during a targeted immigration enforcement operation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Federal officials said agents identified the driver of the van as Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, "an illegal alien from Portugal," with …

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Houseguest Visiting St. Mary's County Sexually Abused Child During Overnight Stay: Prosecutors Houseguest Visiting St. Mary's County Sexually Abused Child During Overnight Stay: Prosecutors Houseguest Visiting St. Mary's County Sexually Abused Child During Overnight Stay: Prosecutors
Houseguest Visiting St. Mary's County Sexually Abused Child During Overnight Stay: Prosecutors A West Virginia man who was staying overnight as a houseguest in Maryland was found guilty of sexually abusing a minor, prosecutors announced. Collin Andrew Hixson, 34, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was convicted following a bench trial after a May incident in St. Mary’s County, according to the State's Attorney's Office. Specifically, Hixson was found guilty before Judge Joseph Stanalonis of sex abuse of a minor and second-degree assault, prosecutors said. “The defendant, who was an overnight guest, abused his access to a child. The child courageously escaped the attack and sought h…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Breaking News
Annapolis Man Gets Who Pistol-Whipped Taxi Driver Over $40 Fare Learns Prison Fate Annapolis Man Gets Who Pistol-Whipped Taxi Driver Over $40 Fare Learns Prison Fate Annapolis Man Gets Who Pistol-Whipped Taxi Driver Over $40 Fare Learns Prison Fate
Annapolis Man Gets Who Pistol-Whipped Taxi Driver Over $40 Fare Learns Prison Fate A Maryland man will spend the next decade behind bars after a jury convicted him of pistol-whipping and robbing a taxi driver during a violent ride that turned into a nightmare in Anne Arundel County, prosecutors announced. Jermaine Donte Mitchell, 44, of Annapolis, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with all but 10 years suspended, followed by five years of supervised probation, according to the Office of the State’s Attorney. The sentence stems from an armed robbery in May in Severna Park, where prosecutors said Mitchell attacked a taxi driver during a dispute over a $40 fare. Acco…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Your Community
Christmas Miracle? Police In Fredericksburg Try To Return Large Sum Of Lost Cash Before Holiday Christmas Miracle? Police In Fredericksburg Try To Return Large Sum Of Lost Cash Before Holiday Christmas Miracle? Police In Fredericksburg Try To Return Large Sum Of Lost Cash Before Holiday
Christmas Miracle? Police In Fredericksburg Try To Return Large Sum Of Lost Cash Before Holiday Police in Virginia are hoping to pull off a Christmas miracle after a large amount of cash was found and turned in just days before the holiday. The Fredericksburg Police Department said a “special person” turned in a large quantity of cash that had been packaged inside a distinctive envelope after it was found around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 22, in the Central Park area. Police did not disclose the exact amount of money but said they are working to reunite it with its rightful owner before Christmas. Anyone who believes the money belongs to them is asked to contact the Fredericksburg Pol…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Army Errors, Disabled Safety System Led To Deadly DCA Midair Collision: Congressional Report Army Errors, Disabled Safety System Led To Deadly DCA Midair Collision: Congressional Report Army Errors, Disabled Safety System Led To Deadly DCA Midair Collision: Congressional Report
Army Errors, Disabled Safety System Led To Deadly DCA Midair Collision: Congressional Report The Army helicopter was flying blind. That’s the conclusion of a congressional investigation into the mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people, finding the crash was the result of preventable military mistakes, broken safety systems, and failures that continued even after the tragedy. A 15-page bipartisan report released Monday, Dec. 22, by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs places direct blame on the US Army for a Jan. 29, 2025, collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and Amer…

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by Zak Failla
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