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

Arlington, VA
Breaking News
DC Teacher Accused Of Climbing Through Child's Window To Sexually Abuse Her, Feds Say DC Teacher Accused Of Climbing Through Child's Window To Sexually Abuse Her, Feds Say DC Teacher Accused Of Climbing Through Child's Window To Sexually Abuse Her, Feds Say
DC Teacher Accused Of Climbing Through Child's Window To Sexually Abuse Her, Feds Say A history teacher at a Washington DC, public charter school was arrested for allegedly attempting to entice a minor, US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced. John Aaron Gass, 35, was arrested at his Hyattsville home in connection with the production of child pornography and enticement dating back to the spring. According to the charging documents, Gass allegedly sexually abused a minor child beginning earlier this year — and recorded it. On multiple occasions, it is alleged that Gass "climbed through the child’s bedroom window at night to sexually abuse her."  In late Novembe…

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by Zak Failla
Temple Hills-Camp Springs, MD
Breaking News
Woman Found Shot To Death Inside Temple Hills Home Identified By Police Woman Found Shot To Death Inside Temple Hills Home Identified By Police Woman Found Shot To Death Inside Temple Hills Home Identified By Police
Woman Found Shot To Death Inside Temple Hills Home Identified By Police Police have identified the woman who was found shot to death inside her Maryland home, as detectives work to determine who killed her — and why. The victim was identified as 45-year-old Adia Lipscomb Mingo, who was found unresponsive inside her residence in Temple Hills, according to the Prince George’s County Police Department. Officers were called to the 6900 block of Westchester Court at approximately 8:50 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, for a reported shooting, police said.  When officers arrived, they found Mingo inside her home suffering from traumatic injuries. She was pronounced d…

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by Zak Failla
Prince Frederick, MD
Breaking News
Woman Killed In Three-Vehicle Crash Following Traffic Stop Attempt In Prince Frederick: OAG Woman Killed In Three-Vehicle Crash Following Traffic Stop Attempt In Prince Frederick: OAG Woman Killed In Three-Vehicle Crash Following Traffic Stop Attempt In Prince Frederick: OAG
Woman Killed In Three-Vehicle Crash Following Traffic Stop Attempt In Prince Frederick: OAG An innocent woman was killed after a late-night traffic stop attempt ended in a violent three-vehicle crash in Calvert County as another driver attempted to avoid a possible ticket. The fatal police-involved collision happened at around 12:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, in Prince Frederick, according to the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. Investigators say that a deputy from the Calvert County Sheriff's Office spotted a Nissan sedan passing his cruiser in the 500 block of Route 4/Solomons Island Road, prompting an attempted traffic stop. The deputy activated his lights and sirens, bu…

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by Zak Failla
Upper Marlboro, MD
Obituaries
'Social Butterfly' Stephen Nixon Remembered For 'Laughter, Spirit, Love' In Maryland 'Social Butterfly' Stephen Nixon Remembered For 'Laughter, Spirit, Love' In Maryland 'Social Butterfly' Stephen Nixon Remembered For 'Laughter, Spirit, Love' In Maryland
'Social Butterfly' Stephen Nixon Remembered For 'Laughter, Spirit, Love' In Maryland Stephen Nixon didn’t just show up for you — he connected with you. Friends and family are mourning the loss of Nixon, whose passing has sparked an outpouring of love, prayer, and remembrance from the many lives he touched.  While details surrounding his death have not been publicly shared, those closest to him are choosing to focus on how he lived — and how deeply he was loved. A GoFundMe created with the blessing of his mother, Dr. Elfleta Nixon, calls on the community to help honor Nixon “the way God intended and the way he truly deserves.” “Stephen was known as the social butterfl…

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
80+ MPH Chase Through Stafford Traffic Ends In Violent Crash Near I-95, Sheriff Says 80+ MPH Chase Through Stafford Traffic Ends In Violent Crash Near I-95, Sheriff Says 80+ MPH Chase Through Stafford Traffic Ends In Violent Crash Near I-95, Sheriff Says
80+ MPH Chase Through Stafford Traffic Ends In Violent Crash Near I-95, Sheriff Says It started with an illegal U-turn — and ended in a wreck after a high-speed chase through traffic in Virginia. Stafford native Joshua Burton, 30, is behind bars after deputies say he took off from a traffic stop, blasted past 80 mph, ran a red light, and slammed into two other vehicles before being taken into custody near I-95. The chase began on Wednesday, Dec. 10, along Warrenton Road in Stafford, when a deputy spotted a vehicle blocking traffic while attempting an illegal U-turn, according to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. As the deputy slowly approached, giving the driver a chan…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
On Your Side
Maryland Court OKs UnitedHealth–Amedisys $3.3B Deal With Record-Breaking Divestiture: DOJ Maryland Court OKs UnitedHealth–Amedisys $3.3B Deal With Record-Breaking Divestiture: DOJ Maryland Court OKs UnitedHealth–Amedisys $3.3B Deal With Record-Breaking Divestiture: DOJ
Maryland Court OKs UnitedHealth–Amedisys $3.3B Deal With Record-Breaking Divestiture: DOJ If you’ve ever tried to follow the twists and turns of a major health care merger, you know it can feel like trying to read your insurance bill upside down.  But on Wednesday, a federal court in Maryland handed down a ruling that cuts through the noise — and sends a pretty loud message. The Justice Department confirmed that a judge has approved its settlement with UnitedHealth Group over the company’s $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys, a major home health and hospice provider.  And this wasn’t a quiet rubber-stamp deal. Officials said the agreement forces the companies to unl…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
SC Man Came To Virginia To Traffic Teen At Hotels, Truck Stop, Gas Station: Feds SC Man Came To Virginia To Traffic Teen At Hotels, Truck Stop, Gas Station: Feds SC Man Came To Virginia To Traffic Teen At Hotels, Truck Stop, Gas Station: Feds
SC Man Came To Virginia To Traffic Teen At Hotels, Truck Stop, Gas Station: Feds A South Carolina man who sex trafficked a teen girl at seedy spots in Virginia will spend decades in prison, federal authorities announced. Summerville native Johnny Thiel Banks, 30, was sentenced in Virginia to 33 years in prison following his conviction on a host of serious charges. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in July 2024, Banks transported a minor (Jane Doe) across state lines from North Carolina to Virginia on multiple occasions. While in Virginia, he sex trafficked Jane Doe at hotels, a truck stop, and a gas station in Hampton Roads, including in …

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by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Breaking News
Rabid Skunks Found In Washington County, Health Officials Warn Of Deadly Exposure Risk Rabid Skunks Found In Washington County, Health Officials Warn Of Deadly Exposure Risk Rabid Skunks Found In Washington County, Health Officials Warn Of Deadly Exposure Risk
Rabid Skunks Found In Washington County, Health Officials Warn Of Deadly Exposure Risk People across Western Maryland are being urged to stay alert after several skunks in Washington County tested positive for rabies, health officials said. The Washington County Health Department confirmed this week that multiple skunks submitted for testing in the county tested positive, prompting a public warning about potential exposure. Anyone who may have had contact with skunks in Washington County from October to the present is asked to contact the health department at 240-313-3210, officials said. Health officials define exposure as a bite, scratch, or contact with an infected animal…

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by Zak Failla
McLean, VA
Breaking News
Cops Catch Maryland Man After He’s Spotted Lurking In McLean Neighborhoods, Police Say Cops Catch Maryland Man After He’s Spotted Lurking In McLean Neighborhoods, Police Say Cops Catch Maryland Man After He’s Spotted Lurking In McLean Neighborhoods, Police Say
Cops Catch Maryland Man After He’s Spotted Lurking In McLean Neighborhoods, Police Say A Maryland man accused of prowling through Virginia neighborhoods and trying to break into homes was caught after a late-night call sent police flooding the area, authorities said. Officers arrested Brad Edmonds, 52, after responding to multiple reports of attempted burglaries and suspicious activity in McLean earlier this month, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The investigation began around 8:45 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5, when officers were called to the 600 block of Chain Bridge Road in McLean for a larceny report, police said.  Home surveillance footage showed a sus…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Breaking News
Child Porn Probe Ends With Annapolis Man Behind Bars: State Police Child Porn Probe Ends With Annapolis Man Behind Bars: State Police Child Porn Probe Ends With Annapolis Man Behind Bars: State Police
Child Porn Probe Ends With Annapolis Man Behind Bars: State Police A Maryland man who was at the center of a state police probe into an online child sex abuse material purchasing operation was arrested on Thursday, authorities announced. Annapolis resident Shawn Livingston, 38, was taken into custody on Dec. 11 and charged with multiple offenses related to the solicitation of a minor. The investigation began in April 2025 when troopers launched a probe into an illicit online child sex abuse material purchasing operation in Anne Arundel County. Investigators identified Livingston as a suspect accused of sexually soliciting a minor. Troopers from the Maryl…

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by Zak Failla
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