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

Allentown, PA
Your Community
T.J. Watt Hospitalized With Lung Ailment, Status For Steelers-Dolphins MNF Game Uncertain T.J. Watt Hospitalized With Lung Ailment, Status For Steelers-Dolphins MNF Game Uncertain T.J. Watt Hospitalized With Lung Ailment, Status For Steelers-Dolphins MNF Game Uncertain
T.J. Watt Hospitalized With Lung Ailment, Status For Steelers-Dolphins MNF Game Uncertain Star Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt has been taken to the hospital for an unspecified lung ailment, the team confirmed on Thursday afternoon. According to reports, Watt, 31, began suffering discomfort at the team's practice facility on Wednesday, knocking him out of Thursday's practice and putting his status for Monday's game against the Miami Dolphins into question. "Watt is currently in a local hospital for further medical evaluation after experiencing discomfort at the facility on Wednesday," Steelers Communications Director Burt Lauten said.  Update on #Steelers LB T…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Obituaries
Virginia Little League Rocked By Sudden Death Of Challenger Coach, 31: 'He Was A Bright Spark' Virginia Little League Rocked By Sudden Death Of Challenger Coach, 31: 'He Was A Bright Spark' Virginia Little League Rocked By Sudden Death Of Challenger Coach, 31: 'He Was A Bright Spark'
Virginia Little League Rocked By Sudden Death Of Challenger Coach, 31: 'He Was A Bright Spark' Garrett Currence spent seven years on the Challenger Little League fields making sure every kid felt like an all-star in Virginia.  Now, a community of families, coaches, and players is grieving the sudden loss of the young man who poured himself into theirs. Currence — a Challenger coach, board member, and familiar face at ballfields across Newport News and Hampton — died unexpectedly on Monday, Dec. 8, at just 31 years old.  His family said he passed while “anxiously awaiting a kidney transplant” after two years of ongoing medical complications. It’s a loss that rippled immedi…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Former Virginia Youth Pastor Hunted Teens On TikTok Before Targeting 15-Year-Old, Feds Say Former Virginia Youth Pastor Hunted Teens On TikTok Before Targeting 15-Year-Old, Feds Say Former Virginia Youth Pastor Hunted Teens On TikTok Before Targeting 15-Year-Old, Feds Say
Former Virginia Youth Pastor Hunted Teens On TikTok Before Targeting 15-Year-Old, Feds Say A former youth pastor in Virginia who "prowled" social media sites trolling for vulnerable underage victims will spend years behind bars, federal authorities announced. Catawba resident Jacob Ryan Barnett, 34, pleaded guilty this week to his attempted coercion and enticement of a 15-year-old girl he sparked a "relationship" with on TikTok, officials say. On Sunday, May 18, prosecutors say that Barnett used the social media app to message "M.V.," and they began chatting. The two then started exchanging texts that got increasingly inappropriate.  According to court documents, to keep the tee…

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by Zak Failla
Woodbridge, VA
Breaking News
Armed ‘ICE’ Imposter Banging On Woodbridge Apartment Door Sparks Scare: Police Armed ‘ICE’ Imposter Banging On Woodbridge Apartment Door Sparks Scare: Police Armed ‘ICE’ Imposter Banging On Woodbridge Apartment Door Sparks Scare: Police
Armed ‘ICE’ Imposter Banging On Woodbridge Apartment Door Sparks Scare: Police A Virginia neighborhood got a scare on Wednesday afternoon from an armed ICE officer impersonator "aggressively banging on doors," police say. Officers from the Prince William County Police Department were called by a resident shortly before 4:30 p.m. to the 12800 block of House Lp in Woodbridge about a suspicious man who had been acting aggressively at the Glen Ridge Commons Apartment complex. Police say that around 1 p.m., an unknown man approached an apartment and proceeded to aggressively bang on the door.  The suspect in question was wearing tactical gear to make himsel…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
Judge Orders Immediate Release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia From ICE Detention Judge Orders Immediate Release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia From ICE Detention Judge Orders Immediate Release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia From ICE Detention
Judge Orders Immediate Release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia From ICE Detention A Maryland judge has ruled that Kilmar Abrego Garcia be released immediately from his immigration detention. US District Judge Paula Xinis ordered that Abrego Garcia be released from the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania, arguing that he was held "without lawful authority."  "Since Abrego Garcia’s return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been re-detained, again without lawful authority," the ruling states. "For this reason, the Court will grant Abrego Garcia's Petition for immediate release from ICE custody."  Abrego Garcia has lived with his family…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Maryland 20-Year-Old Rushed To ICU With Medical Mystery After Heart Stops Without Warning Maryland 20-Year-Old Rushed To ICU With Medical Mystery After Heart Stops Without Warning Maryland 20-Year-Old Rushed To ICU With Medical Mystery After Heart Stops Without Warning
Maryland 20-Year-Old Rushed To ICU With Medical Mystery After Heart Stops Without Warning Gavin Litton should be worrying about work, weekend plans, and where to grab lunch — not waking up in an ICU bed with tubes, monitors, and a medical team trying to understand why his heart suddenly stopped.  But that’s where the 20-year-old Maryland man is, surrounded by family, friends, and an entire community that refuses to let him fight alone. Gavin Litton GoFundMe Litton collapsed at work after going into cardiac arrest, according to a GoFundMe created by close family friend Scott Sonnon. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed CPR and used a defibrillat…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Honduran National Freed Under ‘Catch And Release’ Nearly Kills Woman: Baltimore ICE Honduran National Freed Under ‘Catch And Release’ Nearly Kills Woman: Baltimore ICE Honduran National Freed Under ‘Catch And Release’ Nearly Kills Woman: Baltimore ICE
Honduran National Freed Under ‘Catch And Release’ Nearly Kills Woman: Baltimore ICE A Maryland woman is fighting through a long list of brutal injuries after a head-on collision that federal officials say was caused by a Honduran national who entered the country under “catch and release” and then fled the scene. ICE Baltimore says it arrested Kevin Alexis Mendez-Ortiz late last month, during a targeted operation in Oxon Hill.  According to the agency, Mendez-Ortiz is a Honduran national who crossed into the US illegally in 2022 and was released the same day — and is now accused of causing a violent crash that nearly killed a Maryland woman. The crash happen…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Your Community
No Drones, No Exceptions: Baltimore's Army–Navy Game Is Officially A No-Fly Zone No Drones, No Exceptions: Baltimore's Army–Navy Game Is Officially A No-Fly Zone No Drones, No Exceptions: Baltimore's Army–Navy Game Is Officially A No-Fly Zone
No Drones, No Exceptions: Baltimore's Army–Navy Game Is Officially A No-Fly Zone Fans heading to Baltimore for Saturday’s Army-Navy Game will have plenty to cheer about — as long as they keep their drones at home. Federal officials announced that M&T Bank Stadium and the surrounding area will be a strict No-Drone Zone from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, as tens of thousands pack in for one of America’s most storied football matchups. Kelly O. Hayes, US Attorney for the District of Maryland, laid it out plainly. “Operating a drone in restricted airspace is dangerous and against the law,” Hayes said, adding that a stray drone could threaten the safety of fans…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Body Found In Seven Corners Lake As Detectives Launch Death Investigation (DEVELOPING) Body Found In Seven Corners Lake As Detectives Launch Death Investigation (DEVELOPING) Body Found In Seven Corners Lake As Detectives Launch Death Investigation (DEVELOPING)
Body Found In Seven Corners Lake As Detectives Launch Death Investigation (Developing) A quiet Virginia community woke up to a major police presence on Thursday morning after a man was found unresponsive in a lake, Fairfax County Police said. Fairfax County officers responded at around 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, to the 3300 block of Lakeside View Drive in Seven Corners, where there was a report of an man discovered in a body of water, the department announced. Detectives were called to the scene and have launched a death investigation, according to police. A public information officer is also en route, and additional details are expected to be released as the investigation…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Your Community
Baltimore Orioles, Ravens DJ Bob ‘Woody’ Popik Dies After Courageous Cancer Fight Baltimore Orioles, Ravens DJ Bob ‘Woody’ Popik Dies After Courageous Cancer Fight Baltimore Orioles, Ravens DJ Bob ‘Woody’ Popik Dies After Courageous Cancer Fight
Baltimore Orioles, Ravens DJ Bob ‘Woody’ Popik Dies After Courageous Cancer Fight Longtime Baltimore Orioles and Ravens DJ Bob "Woody" Popik has passed away following a courageous fight with pancreatic cancer. The 59-year-old, best known for setting the soundtracks for some of the city's most exciting sports moments, entered hospice last month and fought until the Orioles confirmed his death on Wednesday, Dec. 10.  We are saddened to learn of the passing of longtime Orioles DJ Bob “Woody” Popik. pic.twitter.com/XKRKkXy2sF — Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) December 11, 2025 Popik was known across Baltimore by a lot of names — Bobby, Woody, Wheel. But the one consta…

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by Zak Failla
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