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

College Park, MD
Obituaries
Prince George’s County Honors Fallen Police Sergeant 'Known For His Kindness' Prince George’s County Honors Fallen Police Sergeant 'Known For His Kindness' Prince George’s County Honors Fallen Police Sergeant 'Known For His Kindness'
Prince George’s County Honors Fallen Police Sergeant 'Known For His Kindness' A beloved police sergeant in Maryland known for his kindness, sharp humor, and decades of service to the community has died, officials announced. The Prince George’s County Police Department is mourning the death of Sergeant Benjamin Habershon, a 24-year veteran who served in some of the agency’s most critical units.  Habershon joined the force in February 2001 with Session 95 and went on to serve in District III, the Forensic Science Division, and, most recently, the new Real Time Crime Center, according to PGPD.  Officials said he earned multiple awards and citations across his…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Man Walking Dog Killed In Crash; Pet Also Dies After Neighbor Tries To Help In Towson: Police Man Walking Dog Killed In Crash; Pet Also Dies After Neighbor Tries To Help In Towson: Police Man Walking Dog Killed In Crash; Pet Also Dies After Neighbor Tries To Help In Towson: Police
Man Walking Dog Killed In Crash; Pet Also Dies After Neighbor Tries To Help In Towson: Police A man and his dog were both killed in a tragic crash in Maryland, authorities said. The Baltimore County Police Department said the collision happened on Towsontown Boulevard near Emerson Drive at approximately 4:15 p.m., on Wednesday, Nov. 12, when 32-year-old Jordan Sachs and his dog were hit by a 2014 Toyota Camry traveling westbound.  Police said the driver stayed at the scene. Officers said Sachs was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.  His dog was taken to an animal hospital by a nearby resident who stepped in to help. Police said both were pronounced dead …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Vienna, VA
Breaking News
Vienna Home Fully Engulfed As Wind-Driven Fire Tears Through Property Hours After Warning Vienna Home Fully Engulfed As Wind-Driven Fire Tears Through Property Hours After Warning Vienna Home Fully Engulfed As Wind-Driven Fire Tears Through Property Hours After Warning
Vienna Home Fully Engulfed As Wind-Driven Fire Tears Through Property Hours After Warning A Virginia home was fully engulfed in flames during a massive fire on Thursday, hours after officials warned that dry, windy weather could cause flames to rapidly spread. Firefighters from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue raced to the 1900 block of Hunter Mill Road in Vienna early in the afternoon on Nov. 13, where units arrived to “heavy fire showing throughout the home,” according to the department. The fire tore through the structure, fully engulfing the home as crews launched fire suppression and search and rescue operations. A dramatic photo from the scene showed flames shooting several…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Frederick, MD
Breaking News
Frederick Chief Jason Lando Heading Home To Lead Pittsburgh Police: 'Where I Was Born, Raised' Frederick Chief Jason Lando Heading Home To Lead Pittsburgh Police: 'Where I Was Born, Raised' Frederick Chief Jason Lando Heading Home To Lead Pittsburgh Police: 'Where I Was Born, Raised'
Frederick Chief Jason Lando Heading Home To Lead Pittsburgh Police: 'Where I Was Born, Raised' A familiar face is heading back to a familiar place. Frederick Police Chief Jason Lando is leaving Maryland and returning to the city where he spent most of his career after being selected to lead the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Lando, who joined the Frederick Police Department in 2021, spent more than two decades with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police before taking over Frederick’s significantly smaller force five years ago. The City of Frederick announced that his last day will be Friday, Dec. 5. Mayor Michael O’Connor said Lando “has been a transformational leader for Frederick,” noting…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Obituaries
Virginia Boy, 11, Saves Lives Through Organ Donation After Sudden Death: ‘Generous Soul’ Virginia Boy, 11, Saves Lives Through Organ Donation After Sudden Death: ‘Generous Soul’ Virginia Boy, 11, Saves Lives Through Organ Donation After Sudden Death: ‘Generous Soul’
Virginia Boy, 11, Saves Lives Through Organ Donation After Sudden Death: ‘Generous Soul’ A Spotsylvania family is honoring the extraordinary kindness of 11-year-old Cayden Warren, whose "generous soul" is now guiding their final decisions after his sudden medical emergency. According to his family, Warren suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on the evening of Friday, Nov. 7.  He was stabilized at Mary Washington Hospital and flown to VCU, where doctors determined he had no brain activity after a prolonged period without sufficient oxygen. Loved ones describe Warren as "artistic, energetic, and deeply compassionate."  In the GoFundMe organized by Grace Frye, she wrote th…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Human Trafficking Probe Leads To Two Arrests, Recovery Of Missing Girls: State Police Maryland Human Trafficking Probe Leads To Two Arrests, Recovery Of Missing Girls: State Police Maryland Human Trafficking Probe Leads To Two Arrests, Recovery Of Missing Girls: State Police
Maryland Human Trafficking Probe Leads To Two Arrests, Recovery Of Missing Girls: State Police A multi-agency human trafficking investigation has led to the rescue of two missing juvenile girls and the arrests of two men accused of exploiting them, according to Maryland State Police. Troopers announced Thursday, Nov. 13, that Deion Taurence Philip, 32, of New York, and Antoine Miles, 57, of Maryland, have both been charged with sex trafficking of a minor and several related offenses. Police said Philip is being held without bond at the Baltimore County Detention Center. Miles is in custody in Minnesota and awaiting extradition back to Maryland. According to investigators, the case b…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Trail Runner, Dog Lover Haley Zullo Takes On Rare Disease With Community Behind Her Maryland Trail Runner, Dog Lover Haley Zullo Takes On Rare Disease With Community Behind Her Maryland Trail Runner, Dog Lover Haley Zullo Takes On Rare Disease With Community Behind Her
Maryland Trail Runner, Dog Lover Haley Zullo Takes On Rare Disease With Community Behind Her A healthy, active Maryland woman known for running trails, rescuing dogs, and working a demanding construction job is now fighting a rare disease that changed her life in an instant, leaving loved ones pleading for help as she faces a long road ahead. Haley Zullo was diagnosed in September with Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis, an autoimmune disease that affects 1 to 2 people per million in the United States, according to loved ones. The organizers of a GoFundMe set up for Zullo wrote that “her immune system is failing her and it will continue to do so for the rest of her life.” The diagno…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Linganore-New Market, MD
Breaking News
Florida Man Accused Of Killing Ex-Wife, Her BF In New Market Shooting During Dispute: Feds Florida Man Accused Of Killing Ex-Wife, Her BF In New Market Shooting During Dispute: Feds Florida Man Accused Of Killing Ex-Wife, Her BF In New Market Shooting During Dispute: Feds
Florida Man Accused Of Killing Ex-Wife, Her BF In New Market Shooting During Dispute: Feds A Miami man who traveled to Maryland and killed his ex-wife and her current boyfriend during a domestic dispute has been indicted, federal authorities announced. David Turner, 35, is facing serious charges in connection with the double murder of his former spouse, Crimea Baker, and Arlington native Sean Lange in New Market last year. Turner was arrested in September 2024 in Frederick County. According to investigators, Baker was a mother of four, and Turner was the father of one of the children. The arrest was made late in the afternoon on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, by members of the FBI a…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Elkton, MD
Breaking News
CommunityRallies Around UnWined On The Water Staff After Devastating $1M Elkton Waterfront Fire CommunityRallies Around UnWined On The Water Staff After Devastating $1M Elkton Waterfront Fire CommunityRallies Around UnWined On The Water Staff After Devastating $1M Elkton Waterfront Fire
CommunityRallies Around UnWined On The Water Staff After Devastating $1M Elkton Waterfront Fire A beloved Maryland waterfront restaurant may be gone, but the community it built is showing it’s nowhere near finished. UnWined on the Water — a local staple at Triton Marina in Cecil County known for its views, live music, and tight-knit staff — was destroyed in a fast-moving early-morning fire on Thursday, Nov. 6.  Now, as the owners and employees face a total loss, neighbors, musicians, customers, and businesses across Maryland are stepping up to help the people who made the place feel like home. According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, the fire broke out just before 1:40 …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
On Your Side
$1M Powerball Ticket Sold In Virginia Still Unclaimed As Jackpot Soars To $546M $1M Powerball Ticket Sold In Virginia Still Unclaimed As Jackpot Soars To $546M $1M Powerball Ticket Sold In Virginia Still Unclaimed As Jackpot Soars To $546M
$1M Powerball Ticket Sold In Virginia Still Unclaimed As Jackpot Soars To $546M Someone in Virginia is sitting on a million-dollar winning Powerball ticket, and they may not even know it yet. According to the Virginia Lottery, the lucky ticket for the Wednesday, Nov. 12, drawing was sold at the 7-Eleven at 4625 Cleburne Blvd. in Dublin.  Lottery officials said the ticket matched the first five numbers — 29-39-43-51-65 — and missed only the Powerball number, 23. It was the only ticket in Virginia to hit the first five numbers in Wednesday night’s drawing, and one of just two nationwide, officials said. Whoever bought it now has 180 days from the drawing date to c…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Prev Page 427 of 3978 425 426 427 428 429 Next
4,261 - 4,270 of 39,777 articles