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

Hagerstown, MD

Breaking News

Body Found Inside Burning Van In Hagerstown As Deputies Scramble For Evidence (Developing) Maryland deputies are investigating after a body was found inside a burning van in a Hagerstown neighborhood early Wednesday morning, authorities said. Deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 17 to the 11400 block of Longview Drive in the Greenberry Hills neighborhood for reports of a van fire, officials said. When deputies arrived, they found a van that had struck several other vehicles, according to the Sheriff’s Office. During the response, deputies discovered a deceased individual inside the van, authorities said. The victi…

by Zak Failla

12/17/2025

Towson, MD

Breaking News

Former Baltimore Teacher Gets Max Sentence For Child Sex Assault: State's Attorney A former Maryland teacher has been sentenced to the maximum possible prison term after being convicted of sexually abusing a minor, prosecutors announced. Mustafa Pitts, 48, was sentenced to 55 years in prison on Wednesday, Dec. 17, after being found guilty of two counts of sexual abuse of a minor, according to the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City. The sentence was handed down in Baltimore following a jury verdict in the case, prosecutors said. “No amount of time in prison can atone for this defendant’s devastating exploitation and abuse of our children,” State’s Attorney …

by Zak Failla

12/17/2025

Arlington, VA

Your Community

Maryland Congressman Introduces Bill To Preserve White House After East Wing Demolition A Maryland congressman is moving to lock down the future of the White House after President Donald Trump tore down the East Wing to make way for what critics have dubbed a “Marie Antoinette ballroom,” officials announced in Washington, DC. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland’s 8th Congressional District introduced the People’s White House Historic Preservation Act, legislation designed to protect the historic character of the White House by forcing future renovations to go through a formal public review process, according to his office. The bill comes after Trump demolished the East Win…

by Zak Failla

12/17/2025

Towson, MD

Breaking News

Arrest Made Week After Teen Gunned Down On Baltimore Street, Police Say A Baltimore man has been arrested and charged with murder following a deadly shooting that left a 19-year-old dead in Maryland last week, police said. Investigators arrested 22-year-old Devin Shadle in connection with the homicide of Davon Smallwood, who was fatally shot in the Southern District, Baltimore Police announced on Wednesday, Dec. 17. The shooting happened on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at approximately 5:15 p.m., when Southern District officers responded to the 1900 block of Harman Avenue for a reported shooting, police said. When officers arrived, they found Smallwood suffering from a g…

by Zak Failla

12/17/2025

Lexington Park, MD

Breaking News

Man Who Killed Missing Teen, Dumped Body In St. Mary's County Gets Life Sentence: Prosecutors A "known associate" of a missing man found shot dead in Southern Maryland will spend the rest of his life behind bars, authorities announced. Lee Richardson, 24, of Capitol Heights, was apprehended by the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Prince George’s County earlier this year on an arrest warrant charging him with the murder of Matthew Skye Keister, according to the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office. This week, prosecutors announced that Richardson has been sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder of the 19-year-old in January. Deputies from the St. Mary’s Cou…

by Zak Failla

12/17/2025

Manassas, VA

Breaking News

Manassas Townhouse Fire Turns Fatal After Two Elderly Women Trapped Inside: Police Two elderly women died after a townhouse fire in Virginia left them trapped on the third floor and unable to escape, officials said. Firefighters responded to a three-story townhouse in Manassas on Monday, Dec. 15, after reports of a garage fire with occupants trapped inside, according to Prince William Professional Firefighters. Engine crews arrived to find fire showing from the garage, officials said. Firefighters were advised by Prince William County 911 Communications that two occupants were trapped on the third floor of the home and could not get out, according to the department. Res…

by Zak Failla

12/17/2025

Hagerstown, MD

Breaking News

Hagerstown Prison Death Under Investigation After Inmate Altercation: State Police A state prison inmate died after an altercation inside a Maryland correctional facility, prompting a homicide investigation by Maryland State Police. The inmate, Wenhui Sun, 36, was pronounced dead by emergency medical services personnel at the Maryland Correctional and Training Center, Hagerstown, on Tuesday, Dec. 16, according to authorities. Police said two other inmates have been identified as suspects, but their names are being withheld pending the filing of charges. At approximately 3 p.m., investigators with the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Internal Investig…

by Zak Failla

12/17/2025

Reston, VA

Breaking News

Gunman Arrested After Man Killed In Reston Home, Police Confirm (Updated) A gunman is in custody in Virginia and a possible murder weapon was recovered following an extensive search and investigation in Fairfax County, police say. Officers responded to a residence shortly before 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, in the 12300 block of Fan Shell Court in Reston, after reports of a shooting inside the home, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. When officers arrived, they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds inside the residence, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. Detectives remained on scene investigating the fatal …

by Zak Failla

12/17/2025

Chantilly, VA

Breaking News

Chantilly Predator Who Targeted Minors Online Convicted In Federal Court: DOJ A Virginia man who federal prosecutors say targeted children online for sexual exploitation has been convicted following a trial in US District Court, officials announced. Chantilly resident Michael Logan Bourne, 55, was convicted in Alexandria on Wednesday, Dec. 17, on charges of sexual exploitation of children and coercion and enticement of minors to engage in illegal sexual activity, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Court records and evidence presented at trial showed that between Feb. 9, 2022, and April 18, 2023, Bourne sexually exploited and e…

by Zak Failla

12/17/2025

Alexandria, VA

Obituaries

Virginia Police Trooper Steven Ball Remembered For Lifetime Of Quiet Service To Others Virginia State Police officials are mourning one of their own after the unexpected death of Senior Trooper Steven Ball over the weekend. Loved ones say that Ball spent his life showing up for others, and the outpouring of grief following his death has made one thing clear: he did it more often, and more quietly, than most people ever realized. The 44-year-old passed away on Sunday, Dec. 14, according to Virginia State Police. Virginia State Police A proud graduate of the 128th Basic Session, Ball served the Commonwealth in Area 42 in Martinsville, where he built a reputation not on…

by Zak Failla

12/17/2025

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