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

Silver Spring, MD
Breaking News
Silver Spring Man Broke Into Senior Living Facility, Attempted To Rape Resident, Police Say Silver Spring Man Broke Into Senior Living Facility, Attempted To Rape Resident, Police Say Silver Spring Man Broke Into Senior Living Facility, Attempted To Rape Resident, Police Say
Silver Spring Man Broke Into Senior Living Facility, Attempted To Rape Resident, Police Say A Silver Spring man who terrorized a senior living facility in Maryland is facing charges after allegedly attempting to sexually assault a resident, police say.  Darrell Dwayne Cousar, 31, was arrested by members of the Montgomery County Department of Police on Wednesday following a series of emergency calls from residents after he forced his way into the building. Officers were called shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 8 to The Oaks at Four Corners on University Boulevard West for a reported burglary. Further investigation led to more troubling charges. According to investigators, Cou…

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by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Breaking News
Hagerstown Man Torches Storage Unit With Woman Inside During Fiery Argument: Officials Hagerstown Man Torches Storage Unit With Woman Inside During Fiery Argument: Officials Hagerstown Man Torches Storage Unit With Woman Inside During Fiery Argument: Officials
Hagerstown Man Torches Storage Unit With Woman Inside During Fiery Argument: Officials A woman living in a storage unit had to barrel through flames after a fire was intentionally set in Maryland during an argument. Leviathan Godwin, 23, is facing attempted murder and other charges in Washington County after allegedly torching a storage unit amid a disagreement that sent a woman to the hospital after she was trapped inside. Firefighters were called around 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, to Halfway Self Storage on Virginia Avenue, where they found an 8-by-40-foot unit fully engulfed, officials from the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said. Inside that unit, investigators say Go…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
'Hidden In Plain Swipe': Fairfax Detectives Bust Multi-State Credit Card Skimming Scheme 'Hidden In Plain Swipe': Fairfax Detectives Bust Multi-State Credit Card Skimming Scheme 'Hidden In Plain Swipe': Fairfax Detectives Bust Multi-State Credit Card Skimming Scheme
'Hidden In Plain Swipe': Fairfax Detectives Bust Multi-State Credit Card Skimming Scheme A high-tech credit card skimming operation that stretched from Northern Virginia into Maryland has been busted — and detectives say the mastermind was "hiding in plain swipe." Detectives from the Fairfax County Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit uncovered an elaborate skimming network targeting ATMs and payment devices at multiple convenience stores along the Richmond Highway corridor, the department announced. The operation began after police found two skimming devices in early September, prompting a joint investigation with the US Secret Service. By Sept. 11, the task force discov…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Obituaries
‘A Lion Of Our Family’: Roanoke College’s Eddie Kaufman Dies At 20 After Bold Leukemia Battle ‘A Lion Of Our Family’: Roanoke College’s Eddie Kaufman Dies At 20 After Bold Leukemia Battle ‘A Lion Of Our Family’: Roanoke College’s Eddie Kaufman Dies At 20 After Bold Leukemia Battle
‘A Lion Of Our Family’: Roanoke College’s Eddie Kaufman Dies At 20 After Bold Leukemia Battle Eddie Kaufman played hard on the field, but fought even harder off the diamond before losing his fight with leukemia at the age of 20.  The Roanoke College sophomore passed away this week following a lengthy battle with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, his family confirmed. "Eddie’s spirit and courage touched us all and inspired hundreds of Maroons to turn out for a National Bone Marrow drive this past April in the hopes of finding a match," the college announced on Wednesday, Oct. 8.  Eddie Kaufman Facebook via Roanoke College "We are holding Eddie’s family, fri…

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
No Outlet, No Problem: Stafford Man Breaks Into Lowe’s To Power Up Dying Phone, Sheriff Says No Outlet, No Problem: Stafford Man Breaks Into Lowe’s To Power Up Dying Phone, Sheriff Says No Outlet, No Problem: Stafford Man Breaks Into Lowe’s To Power Up Dying Phone, Sheriff Says
No Outlet, No Problem: Stafford Man Breaks Into Lowe’s To Power Up Dying Phone, Sheriff Says There are few things more stressful as a dying cellphone. Markus Lancaster took that to a new level on Wednesday in Virginia. The 36-year-old Stafford man is being held behind bars after breaking into Lowe's so he could plug his phone in, officials said. Deputies from the Stafford County Sheriff's Office were called shortly before 3 a.m. on Oct. 8 to Lowe's in the 1300 block of Stafford Market Place, where there was a report of a breaking and entering. When they arrived, the deputies found that the glass door in front of the business had been kicked in, and a staff member advised that a pe…

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by Zak Failla
Silver Spring, MD
Breaking News
Horror On Maryland Street: 11-Year-Old Hit, Killed By MCPS Bus In Montgomery County (UPDATED Horror On Maryland Street: 11-Year-Old Hit, Killed By MCPS Bus In Montgomery County (UPDATED Horror On Maryland Street: 11-Year-Old Hit, Killed By MCPS Bus In Montgomery County (UPDATED
Horror On Maryland Street: 11-Year-Old Hit, Killed By Mcps Bus In Montgomery County (Updated A Montgomery County community is reeling after an 11-year-old child was struck and killed by a Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) bus Thursday afternoon, Oct. 9, near Russett Road and Bauer Drive, officials said. Details surrounding the crash remain under investigation, but county leaders are already expressing heartbreak and support for the family and students affected. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich released a statement Thursday evening calling the incident “every parent’s worst nightmare” and urging residents to rally around the community as they grieve. “This afternoon’s …

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
Convicted Felon Barricades Himself In Stafford County Home Before SWAT Moves In: Sheriff Convicted Felon Barricades Himself In Stafford County Home Before SWAT Moves In: Sheriff Convicted Felon Barricades Himself In Stafford County Home Before SWAT Moves In: Sheriff
Convicted Felon Barricades Himself In Stafford County Home Before SWAT Moves In: Sheriff A convicted felon did not go down quietly in Virginia after a terse standoff with members of the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. It took a SWAT team to apprehend Gregory Pitts, 65, a South Stafford resident, who barricaded himself inside an area home as deputies investigated reports of shots fired. Members of the sheriff's office were called shortly before 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8, to Belle Plains Road, where callers advised they heard yelling and several gunshots coming from a residence. Upon arrival, deputies found Pitts outside, but when they announced that they were law enforce…

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
‘Catch Me If You Can’: Red Kia Rams Trooper, Bolts After I-95 Chase In Virginia: State Police ‘Catch Me If You Can’: Red Kia Rams Trooper, Bolts After I-95 Chase In Virginia: State Police ‘Catch Me If You Can’: Red Kia Rams Trooper, Bolts After I-95 Chase In Virginia: State Police
‘Catch Me If You Can’: Red Kia Rams Trooper, Bolts After I-95 Chase In Virginia: State Police Virginia State Police are asking for help tracking down a driver who hit a trooper’s cruiser and took off after a high-speed pursuit on I-95. It happened just after 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 6, when a state trooper tried pulling over a red Kia Forte for reckless driving on northbound I-95 in Stafford County, according to Virginia State Police. Instead of stopping, the driver took off — sparking a pursuit that continued into Prince William County, where the suspect exited the highway and tried to lose the trooper on surface roads. The chase ended on Cardinal Drive, where the driver tried makin…

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by Zak Failla
Frederick, MD
Obituaries
‘He Was Our Rock’: Maryland Dad Killed In Crash Remembered For His Love, Laughter, 'FUNESTY' ‘He Was Our Rock’: Maryland Dad Killed In Crash Remembered For His Love, Laughter, 'FUNESTY' ‘He Was Our Rock’: Maryland Dad Killed In Crash Remembered For His Love, Laughter, 'FUNESTY'
‘He Was Our Rock’: Maryland Dad Killed In Crash Remembered For His Love, Laughter, 'Funesty' A Maryland family is living through unthinkable heartbreak after Remington James Jones — known for his "FUNESTY" — died unexpectedly in a car crash at 35. Jones died on Sunday, Oct. 5, leaving behind two young daughters, Jah’daya and Miyarah, and a community still trying to process the shock of his death.  His loved ones say his absence has left “an enormous void” in their lives. “He was our rock, our sole provider,” Moleata Weedon said. “As we navigate through our grief, we are also faced with the daunting reality of financial uncertainty.” Jones was remembered by loved ones for his "rad…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Historic Jaguar Tags On Truck Lead To Coke Bust, Arrest In Lexington Park: Sheriff Historic Jaguar Tags On Truck Lead To Coke Bust, Arrest In Lexington Park: Sheriff Historic Jaguar Tags On Truck Lead To Coke Bust, Arrest In Lexington Park: Sheriff
Historic Jaguar Tags On Truck Lead To Coke Bust, Arrest In Lexington Park: Sheriff A traffic stop in Lexington Park turned into a full-on drug bust when deputies found cocaine, a scale, and paraphernalia inside a truck sporting the wrong tags, according to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. Shortly before 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8, a deputy on patrol in Lexington Park spotted a Mazda B3000 pickup with historic tags that triggering a license plate reader alert. The historic tags on the Mazda had a Maryland Vehicle Administration tag pickup order and were registered to a Jaguar, prompting a traffic stop. During the stop, it was determined that the driver, 25-year-ol…

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by Zak Failla
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