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
Key Bridge Costs ‘Balloon,’ Trump Officials Blast Maryland On Worsening Beltway Gridlock Key Bridge Costs ‘Balloon,’ Trump Officials Blast Maryland On Worsening Beltway Gridlock Key Bridge Costs ‘Balloon,’ Trump Officials Blast Maryland On Worsening Beltway Gridlock
Key Bridge Costs ‘Balloon,’ Trump Officials Blast Maryland On Worsening Beltway Gridlock Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is turning up the heat on Maryland as costs rise for the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild and DMV traffic sits among the worst in the nation, according to federal officials.  Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy will meet with Maryland Governor Wes Moore in Washington, DC, to address concerns over the rising cost of rebuilding Baltimore’s Key Bridge and delays on major traffic projects, the US Department of Transportation announced. The department said the price tag for the Key Bridge rebuild has “ballooned,” prompting fresh scrutiny from the feder…

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by Zak Failla
Gaithersburg, MD
Breaking News
Gaithersburg Rape, Kidnapping Suspect Found, Arrested 2,800 Miles Away In California: Police Gaithersburg Rape, Kidnapping Suspect Found, Arrested 2,800 Miles Away In California: Police Gaithersburg Rape, Kidnapping Suspect Found, Arrested 2,800 Miles Away In California: Police
Gaithersburg Rape, Kidnapping Suspect Found, Arrested 2,800 Miles Away In California: Police A Maryland investigation that began with a woman’s terrifying crash and hospital exam nearly a year ago has ended with the cross-country arrest of a California man tied to the assault through DNA, police said. Mauricio Martinez-Garcia is being held across the country following a months-long investigation into a harrowing report of sexual abuse and multiple rapes in Gaithersburg and Prince George's County, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. The investigation began after a reported sexual assault in Montgomery County nearly a year ago. At approximately 7 p.m. on Dec. 18…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Obituaries
Fredericksburg Family Honors Shannon Stone After 8-Year Leukemia Battle: 'Hold Onto Your Peace' Fredericksburg Family Honors Shannon Stone After 8-Year Leukemia Battle: 'Hold Onto Your Peace' Fredericksburg Family Honors Shannon Stone After 8-Year Leukemia Battle: 'Hold Onto Your Peace'
Fredericksburg Family Honors Shannon Stone After 8-Year Leukemia Battle: 'Hold Onto Your Peace' Shannon Lee Stone spent eight years fighting leukemia with the same heart, strength, and faith that shaped every part of his life.  When the Fredericksburg husband, father, Pop-pop, minister, musician, and third-generation carpenter died late last month, his family said the loss was profound — even though he had spent years battling the disease. Stone, 60, passed at VCU Medical Center in Richmond surrounded by family, according to his obituary. Born in Newport News, Stone followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, becoming a third-generation carpenter and later co-foundi…

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by Zak Failla
Fort Belvoir, VA
Breaking News
Off-Duty Officer Among Three Hospitalized After Fairfax County Parkway Crash: Police Off-Duty Officer Among Three Hospitalized After Fairfax County Parkway Crash: Police Off-Duty Officer Among Three Hospitalized After Fairfax County Parkway Crash: Police
Off-Duty Officer Among Three Hospitalized After Fairfax County Parkway Crash: Police An off-duty Virginia police officer was among three hospitalized in a multi-vehicle crash early on Wednesday morning in Fairfax County, a police spokesperson confirmed. Shortly before 7 a.m. on Dec. 10, officers were called to a stretch of Fairfax County Parkway near John J Kingman Road in Fort Belvior, where there were reports of a crash that shut down the roadway. According to the Fairfax County Police Department, three adults were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries - including an off-duty officer who was also injured. No details about the crash or the victims were …

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by Zak Failla
Dundalk, MD
Breaking News
Dundalk Man Killed After Firing At Police During Mental-Health Call, Review Finds Dundalk Man Killed After Firing At Police During Mental-Health Call, Review Finds Dundalk Man Killed After Firing At Police During Mental-Health Call, Review Finds
Dundalk Man Killed After Firing At Police During Mental-Health Call, Review Finds A Maryland man who opened fire at police during a mental-health call was shot dead, and the state’s watchdog now says the responding officer broke no laws, the Independent Investigations Division (IID) announced. On May 18, 2025, at roughly 7:30 p.m., two officers from the Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD) responded to a 911 call about a “mental health crisis” in the 8200 block of North Boundary Road, Dundalk, officials said. One officer knocked on the front door, while the other moved to the alley — that’s when the man, Glenn Pettie, Jr., 43, fired a shot from inside the house.&nbs…

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by Zak Failla
Gaithersburg, MD
Obituaries
Nephew Leads Heartfelt Effort To Honor Uncle Steve Gardner After Unexpected Maryland Death Nephew Leads Heartfelt Effort To Honor Uncle Steve Gardner After Unexpected Maryland Death Nephew Leads Heartfelt Effort To Honor Uncle Steve Gardner After Unexpected Maryland Death
Nephew Leads Heartfelt Effort To Honor Uncle Steve Gardner After Unexpected Maryland Death Steve Gardner’s family didn’t expect to be planning his funeral this week.  His nephew, Bruce Gardner, said his uncle passed unexpectedly, leaving loved ones grieving and trying to make sense of the sudden loss. Bruce, who described Steve as a beloved son, father, uncle, cousin, friend, and neighbor, is now leading a heartfelt effort to honor his memory.  He created a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and give his uncle “the honor he deserves,” a mission he’s been pushing forward with the help of friends, family, and strangers who have stepped in to support him. “Some of y…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Baltimore Man, 20, Linked To Two Separate Baltimore Shootings Months Apart, Police Say Baltimore Man, 20, Linked To Two Separate Baltimore Shootings Months Apart, Police Say Baltimore Man, 20, Linked To Two Separate Baltimore Shootings Months Apart, Police Say
Baltimore Man, 20, Linked To Two Separate Baltimore Shootings Months Apart, Police Say A Baltimore man is now linked to two separate shootings that happened two months apart, police said on Tuesday. Investigators said 20-year-old Davon Matthews was arrested in connection with two unrelated shootings that happened in July and September in Baltimore's Central District. Police said the first shooting happened shortly before 12:30 a.m. in the 400 block of South Broadway on July 12, 2025, Baltimore Police said.  Officers arrived and found a 24-year-old man with gunshot wounds. Police said the victim was taken to a hospital, and his injuries were considered non-life-threateni…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Spotsylvania Driver Dies After Pickup Slams Into Tree In Early Morning Crash, Sheriff Says Spotsylvania Driver Dies After Pickup Slams Into Tree In Early Morning Crash, Sheriff Says Spotsylvania Driver Dies After Pickup Slams Into Tree In Early Morning Crash, Sheriff Says
Spotsylvania Driver Dies After Pickup Slams Into Tree In Early Morning Crash, Sheriff Says A Virginia man was killed early on Monday morning when a pickup ran off the road and slammed into a tree, officials confirmed. Saul Amaya Argueta, 36, has been identified as the driver who was killed at around 4:20 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 8 in a single-vehicle crash on Courthouse Road, according to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office. The Spotsylvania resident was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. According to the sheriff's office, deputies arrived at the scene of the crash, where they were met by a 2008 Nissan Titan off the road and resting against a tree. Investigators…

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by Zak Failla
Owings Mills, MD
Obituaries
Owings Mills Mom Courtney Jennings-Smith Mourned As ‘The Best Of Us’ After Sudden Death Owings Mills Mom Courtney Jennings-Smith Mourned As ‘The Best Of Us’ After Sudden Death Owings Mills Mom Courtney Jennings-Smith Mourned As ‘The Best Of Us’ After Sudden Death
Owings Mills Mom Courtney Jennings-Smith Mourned As ‘The Best Of Us’ After Sudden Death Courtney Jennings-Smith had a way of filling every room she entered, friends said, and now her sudden loss has left that space painfully quiet. The Owings Mills resident died unexpectedly on Sunday, Nov. 30, according to her husband, Bryan Smith. She was 36. She was born in March 1989, and fate, her family says, brought her to her mother Brenda later that same year, beginning a bond that shaped every part of her life.  Jennings-Smith grew up in Maryland, graduating from Garrison Forest School in 2007, where she built friendships that lasted three decades. She later graduated from the …

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Virginia Officer’s Camper Goes Up In Flames One Day After Son’s Brain Surgery Virginia Officer’s Camper Goes Up In Flames One Day After Son’s Brain Surgery Virginia Officer’s Camper Goes Up In Flames One Day After Son’s Brain Surgery
Virginia Officer’s Camper Goes Up In Flames One Day After Son’s Brain Surgery A Virginia security officer is getting a wave of community support after her camper burned to the ground the morning after her son underwent brain surgery, according to a fundraiser created for the family. Officer Melanie Burner, a well-known security officer at Indian Acres in Spotsylvania County, lost her home and belongings when her camper went up in flames this week. Photos shared by community members show the RV completely destroyed, leaving almost nothing behind. A GoFundMe created by C. Zimmer said the timing made the loss even more devastating. “Yesterday, Officer Melanie Burner — …

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by Zak Failla
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