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
Repeat Pennsylvania Offender Arrested In DC After Threatening Lawmaker: Capitol Police Repeat Pennsylvania Offender Arrested In DC After Threatening Lawmaker: Capitol Police Repeat Pennsylvania Offender Arrested In DC After Threatening Lawmaker: Capitol Police
Repeat Pennsylvania Offender Arrested In DC After Threatening Lawmaker: Capitol Police A Pennsylvania man with a history of harassing government officials was stopped in DC before he could enter a Senate office building — after allegedly threatening to kill a sitting Member of Congress, according to US Capitol Police. The US Capitol Police said their Rapid Response Team arrested 43-year-old Richard Griffin around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, after spotting him from a BOLO bulletin issued days earlier. Authorities said Griffin was intercepted outside the Delaware Avenue Door of the Russell Senate Office Building before he could attempt to go through security screening. Grif…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Spotsy Man Accused Of Animal Abuse Offenses In Child Exploitation Investigation: Sheriff Spotsy Man Accused Of Animal Abuse Offenses In Child Exploitation Investigation: Sheriff Spotsy Man Accused Of Animal Abuse Offenses In Child Exploitation Investigation: Sheriff
Spotsy Man Accused Of Animal Abuse Offenses In Child Exploitation Investigation: Sheriff A Virginia man is facing a long list of disturbing charges after investigators say he was caught with obscene material involving animals and allegedly met with an underage girl, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said. Jason Zirkle II was arrested after the sheriff’s office received a report on Monday, Nov. 3, about a man meeting with an underage girl, according to the agency. Members of the Child Victim’s Unit/Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC) responded and began investigating, officials said. After obtaining search warrants and reviewing evidence, Zirkle was charged with…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Motorcyclist Killed Crashing Into Volvo Near Busy Baltimore County Intersection, Police Say Motorcyclist Killed Crashing Into Volvo Near Busy Baltimore County Intersection, Police Say Motorcyclist Killed Crashing Into Volvo Near Busy Baltimore County Intersection, Police Say
Motorcyclist Killed Crashing Into Volvo Near Busy Baltimore County Intersection, Police Say A 50-year-old motorcyclist was killed in a crash over the weekend in Baltimore County, authorities said. According to Baltimore County Police, officers were called to the area of Black Rock and Mount Zion roads in Upperco around 2:45 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, for reports of a serious crash. Detectives determined that a 2023 Kawasaki motorcycle was traveling south on Black Rock Road when it collided with a 2020 Volvo. The driver of the motorcycle, identified as John Sayo, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Members of the department’s Crash Team are continuing to investigate the ci…

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by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Breaking News
Hagerstown Man Set High Rise Blaze After Blocking Door With Fridge, Fire Marshal Says Hagerstown Man Set High Rise Blaze After Blocking Door With Fridge, Fire Marshal Says Hagerstown Man Set High Rise Blaze After Blocking Door With Fridge, Fire Marshal Says
Hagerstown Man Set High Rise Blaze After Blocking Door With Fridge, Fire Marshal Says A Washington County firebug is behind bars after investigators say he intentionally set multiple fires inside his Potomac Towers apartment, forcing the evacuation of nearly 200 residents and injuring a firefighter. According to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, 33-year-old Stephen Jones was arrested after an investigation revealed he set several fires inside his apartment on the eighth floor of the 14-story complex on West Baltimore Street. The fire broke out just after 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26, when the Hagerstown Fire Department was dispatched for an automatic alarm at the 326…

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by Zak Failla
Silver Spring, MD
Breaking News
Man On The Run After Stabbing Family, Good Samaritan Who Intervened In Derwood: Police Man On The Run After Stabbing Family, Good Samaritan Who Intervened In Derwood: Police Man On The Run After Stabbing Family, Good Samaritan Who Intervened In Derwood: Police
Man On The Run After Stabbing Family, Good Samaritan Who Intervened In Derwood: Police The search is on for a 30-year-old Maryland man wanted after allegedly stabbing family members — and a Good Samaritan who tried to help — according to police. Members of the Montgomery County Department of Police were called around 9:20 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 3, to a home on Indian Hills Court in Derwood, where there were reports of a domestic incident. Investigators say Octavio Antonio Estevez got into a dispute that turned violent and stabbed two family members during an argument at the Derwood home. When a third person tried to intervene, Estevez allegedly stabbed him as well before fleei…

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by Zak Failla
Beltsville, MD
Your Community
Beltsville Resident, Middle School Teacher Competes On Jeopardy!: Here's How It Went Beltsville Resident, Middle School Teacher Competes On Jeopardy!: Here's How It Went Beltsville Resident, Middle School Teacher Competes On Jeopardy!: Here's How It Went
Beltsville Resident, Middle School Teacher Competes On Jeopardy!: Here's How It Went The champ is here.  North Penn High School graduate and longtime Montgomery County educator Joseph Evans will be back in the bright lights after a stirring win in his first Jeopardy! appearance on Tuesday night. The Takoma Park Middle School teacher who hails from Beltsville went into Final Jeopardy! with a modest $9,000, behind Long Island stay-at-home-dad Aaron Himmel's $15,000 and ahead of defending champion Joyelle McSweeney's $3,600. Then came the final category: "Literary Characters."  Perfect for a teacher (Evans technically teaches World Studies at Takoma Park Middle School, but i…

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by Zak Failla
Glen Burnie, MD
Breaking News
Shots-Fired Call In Glen Burnie Leads To Seizure Of Ghost Gun, Meth, Coke, And Pills: Police Shots-Fired Call In Glen Burnie Leads To Seizure Of Ghost Gun, Meth, Coke, And Pills: Police Shots-Fired Call In Glen Burnie Leads To Seizure Of Ghost Gun, Meth, Coke, And Pills: Police
Shots-Fired Call In Glen Burnie Leads To Seizure Of Ghost Gun, Meth, Coke, And Pills: Police A shots-fired call at a Maryland apartment complex led to a major bust that turned up a “ghost gun,” ammo, and a stash of suspected cocaine, meth, and pills, according to police. Officers were called around 4:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3, to the 7800 block of Burton Drive in Glen Burnie, where they found evidence of gunfire inside one of the apartments, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department.  Investigators from the Northern District Detective Unit secured the scene and obtained a search warrant that uncovered a cache of drugs, ammunition, and packaging materials. Police …

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
Virginia Man Accused Of Trying To Break Into Garage That Towed His Car, Stafford Sheriff Says Virginia Man Accused Of Trying To Break Into Garage That Towed His Car, Stafford Sheriff Says Virginia Man Accused Of Trying To Break Into Garage That Towed His Car, Stafford Sheriff Says
Virginia Man Accused Of Trying To Break Into Garage That Towed His Car, Stafford Sheriff Says A Virginia man didn’t take kindly to getting towed — and deputies say he came back swinging. The strange scene played out around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, at Heflin’s Garage on Warrenton Road in Stafford, authorities say. The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said 23-year-old Jonathan Quintanilla Perla, of Richmond, tried to break into the business that had hauled his car off earlier that day. Deputies arrived to find a door with fresh pry marks, and an employee advised them the same guy had been hanging around the lot, acting sketchy, ever since the tow. Turns out, Perla didn’t just sto…

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by Zak Failla
La Plata, MD
Your Community
La Plata Teen Fighting Cancer Uses Make-A-Wish To Kickstart Dream Nursing Career La Plata Teen Fighting Cancer Uses Make-A-Wish To Kickstart Dream Nursing Career La Plata Teen Fighting Cancer Uses Make-A-Wish To Kickstart Dream Nursing Career
La Plata Teen Fighting Cancer Uses Make-a-wish To Kickstart Dream Nursing Career She’s tough, talented, and already inspiring everyone around her. Charles County native Janiah, 18, from La Plata, isn’t letting lymphoma slow her down.  The student-athlete, who loves lacrosse, soccer, track, and swimming, kept doing what she loved even through treatment — and now she’s setting her sights on something even bigger. Through Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, Janiah wished for tuition assistance to help her chase her dream of becoming a nurse.  View this post on Instagram She said she wants to help others “just as she has bee…

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by Zak Failla
Parkville-Carney, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Jazz Community Rallies Behind Tinku Bhattacharyya After Hemorrhagic Stroke Maryland Jazz Community Rallies Behind Tinku Bhattacharyya After Hemorrhagic Stroke Maryland Jazz Community Rallies Behind Tinku Bhattacharyya After Hemorrhagic Stroke
Maryland Jazz Community Rallies Behind Tinku Bhattacharyya After Hemorrhagic Stroke When Tinku Bhattacharyya suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on the night of Sunday, Oct. 12, everything changed in an instant for her and her husband, jazz pianist and professor Marc Cary. According to Cary’s stepson, Ahmad Cary, emergency crews rushed Bhattacharyya to the hospital just before 10:15 p.m., where doctors performed an operation to open her skull and remove blood from the hemorrhage to relieve pressure on her brain. “She spent the following 11 days in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit before being moved to the Intermediate Care Unit where she is currently being stabilized and prepped fo…

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by Zak Failla
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