Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

[email protected]

FOLLOW ON

Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram

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
Congolese Man Posed As Brother From Virginia DUI Arrest Through Trial, Prosecutors Say Congolese Man Posed As Brother From Virginia DUI Arrest Through Trial, Prosecutors Say Congolese Man Posed As Brother From Virginia DUI Arrest Through Trial, Prosecutors Say
Congolese Man Posed As Brother From Virginia DUI Arrest Through Trial, Prosecutors Say A Virginia traffic stop spiraled into an international deception after a man repeatedly posed as his own brother — in court, under oath, and for years — federal prosecutors said. Daniel Likala Emony, a Congolese national, was sentenced in Alexandria this week after admitting he impersonated his brother during a DUI arrest, trial, and probation, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The scheme began on Sept. 29, 2019, along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, when US Park Police stopped Emony following a reported hit-and-run, authorities said. Durin…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Obituaries
Virginia Teen’s Final Journey Begins After Deadly Crash Leaves Family Heartbroken Virginia Teen’s Final Journey Begins After Deadly Crash Leaves Family Heartbroken Virginia Teen’s Final Journey Begins After Deadly Crash Leaves Family Heartbroken
Virginia Teen’s Final Journey Begins After Deadly Crash Leaves Family Heartbroken A community in Virginia was rocked by heartbreak Sunday night after a teenager was killed in a violent rollover crash on an icy road, leaving his family and community grieving an unimaginable loss. An 18-year-old was killed, and his brother was injured in an icy crash, police say. Troopers were called shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, to a stretch of Freemans Ford Road in Fauquier County, where there was a reported single-vehicle crash. According to state police, a 2016 Ford Fiesta was heading east on the roadway when the driver hit a patch of ice, lost control, and rolled over, …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Obituaries
Virginia Navy Sailor, Coach, Young Father Dies Suddenly: 'Will Hurt For The Rest Of Forever' Virginia Navy Sailor, Coach, Young Father Dies Suddenly: 'Will Hurt For The Rest Of Forever' Virginia Navy Sailor, Coach, Young Father Dies Suddenly: 'Will Hurt For The Rest Of Forever'
Virginia Navy Sailor, Coach, Young Father Dies Suddenly: 'Will Hurt For The Rest Of Forever' In the span of a single night, a life defined by service, laughter, and showing up for others was gone. US Navy sailor and beloved father Michael Campagna died unexpectedly on Friday, Dec. 12, leaving behind a family and a community still trying to understand how someone so present could be taken so suddenly.  He was 36. The loss has rippled far beyond his home in Suffolk, touching fellow sailors, coaches, parents, teammates, and friends across Virginia. He was a devoted husband to his wife, Alyssa, and a proud father to their two young children, Raelynn and Jamison, loved ones …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Peeping Tom Who Filmed Himself Sexually Abusing Sleeping Child In Baltimore Learns Prison Fate Peeping Tom Who Filmed Himself Sexually Abusing Sleeping Child In Baltimore Learns Prison Fate Peeping Tom Who Filmed Himself Sexually Abusing Sleeping Child In Baltimore Learns Prison Fate
Peeping Tom Who Filmed Himself Sexually Abusing Sleeping Child In Baltimore Learns Prison Fate The Maryland man who filmed himself sexually abusing a sleeping underage victim in Maryland will spend decades in prison, federal authorities announced. Baltimore native Zachary Anthony Campbell, 34, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release after admitting to sexually exploiting a minor and producing child porn with hidden cameras, according to the DOJ. According to his guilty plea, Campbell admitted to sexually abusing an 11-year-old, and on at least two occasions in October 2023 and February 2024, he recorded a video of himself sexually a…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
On Your Side
Alexandria Powerball Ticket One Of Five To Hit $50K As Jackpot Nears $1.5B Alexandria Powerball Ticket One Of Five To Hit $50K As Jackpot Nears $1.5B Alexandria Powerball Ticket One Of Five To Hit $50K As Jackpot Nears $1.5B
Alexandria Powerball Ticket One Of Five To Hit $50K As Jackpot Nears $1.5B Five Powerball tickets sold across Virginia turned ordinary lottery runs into $50,000 wins, as the jackpot rolled on and ballooned toward historic territory. More than 87,000 tickets purchased in Virginia won prizes in the Wednesday, Dec. 17, Powerball drawing, Virginia Lottery officials said. Five of those tickets matched four of the first five winning numbers plus the Powerball to score $50,000 each. Those winning tickets were sold at everyday stops across the Commonwealth, stretching from the Eastern Shore to Northern Virginia and Central Virginia. The $50,000-winning tickets were sold …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Riverdale, MD
Your Community
Stabbing Triggers Lockdown At Parkdale High School; Suspect In Custody (DEVELOPING) Stabbing Triggers Lockdown At Parkdale High School; Suspect In Custody (DEVELOPING) Stabbing Triggers Lockdown At Parkdale High School; Suspect In Custody (DEVELOPING)
Stabbing Triggers Lockdown At Parkdale High School; Suspect In Custody (Developing) A stabbing triggered a lockdown at Parkdale High School in Prince George’s County on Wednesday morning, but all students and staff were reported safe, officials said. The incident happened at Parkdale High School in Riverdale Park on Wednesday, December 18, at approximately 10:01 a.m., according to Prince George’s County Public Schools. “Parkdale High School is on lockdown following an isolated stabbing,” PGCPS said in a statement. “Suspect is in custody.” School officials said all students and staff were safe, accounted for, and remaining inside their classrooms as police worked to secure…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Breaking News
Hagerstown Teen Charged As Adult For Broad-Daylight Attempted Murder, Police Say Hagerstown Teen Charged As Adult For Broad-Daylight Attempted Murder, Police Say Hagerstown Teen Charged As Adult For Broad-Daylight Attempted Murder, Police Say
Hagerstown Teen Charged As Adult For Broad-Daylight Attempted Murder, Police Say A shooting that sent two men to the hospital in Maryland has now led to arrests, including a 17-year-old who police say is being charged as an adult. Officers with the Hagerstown Police Department responded to the 800 block of West Washington Street at about 3:54 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, for a reported shooting, police said. Two men were found suffering from gunshot wounds at the scene, according to first responders. Both men were taken to Meritus Medical Center for treatment and evaluation, police said. One man suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The second victi…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Obituaries
Alexandria Teen Remembered For Theater Talent And Love Of Music After Sudden Loss Alexandria Teen Remembered For Theater Talent And Love Of Music After Sudden Loss Alexandria Teen Remembered For Theater Talent And Love Of Music After Sudden Loss
Alexandria Teen Remembered For Theater Talent And Love Of Music After Sudden Loss A Virginia community is mourning the loss of 15-year-old Kristeen Schlak, a bright and talented teen whose life ended far too soon, leaving a family, a school, and an entire community grieving the absence of someone many say made every room warmer just by being in it. Schlak passed away on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, her family confirmed. She was a 10th-grade student at a local high school in Alexandria, where friends and classmates knew her as kind, creative, and quietly confident, according to those close to her. To the people who loved her most, Schlak was many things all at once: a daughter…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Reston, VA
Breaking News
Virginia Man Freed From Custody One Day Before Fatal Reston Shooting, Police Confirm (UPDATED) Virginia Man Freed From Custody One Day Before Fatal Reston Shooting, Police Confirm (UPDATED) Virginia Man Freed From Custody One Day Before Fatal Reston Shooting, Police Confirm (UPDATED)
Virginia Man Freed From Custody One Day Before Fatal Reston Shooting, Police Confirm (Updated) A man now in custody following a fatal shooting inside a Virginia home had been released from jail just one day earlier, Fairfax County Police confirmed. The deadly shooting happened shortly before 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, inside a residence in the 12300 block of Fan Shell Court in Reston, where officers found a man suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.  The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Police later announced that a gunman had been taken into custody and that a handgun was recovered as part of the investigation. According to case records from Fairfax County Gen…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Bel Air, MD
On Your Side
Everything Went Wrong For Popular Harford County Food Truck ‘The Slice Is Right’ In Fiery Loss Everything Went Wrong For Popular Harford County Food Truck ‘The Slice Is Right’ In Fiery Loss Everything Went Wrong For Popular Harford County Food Truck ‘The Slice Is Right’ In Fiery Loss
Everything Went Wrong For Popular Harford County Food Truck ‘The Slice Is Right’ In Fiery Loss For The Slice Is Right, everything went wrong in one devastating moment. For nearly a decade, the Harford County food truck has been more than a place to grab a slice. It’s been a familiar sight. A dependable stop. A small business built the hard way, through long days, late nights, and a lot of heart. Owned and operated by DJ Luongo and his family, The Slice Is Right didn’t start big. It started with a hot dog cart and a leap of faith. Over time, that leap turned into a livelihood. Not just for Luongo and his family, but for the employees who count on the truck for steady work and steady …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Prev Page 386 of 3978 384 385 386 387 388 Next
3,851 - 3,860 of 39,777 articles