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

Towson, MD
Breaking News
Body Of Missing 36-Year-Old Swimmer Recovered From Beaver Dam Quarry In Cockeysville (UPDATED) Body Of Missing 36-Year-Old Swimmer Recovered From Beaver Dam Quarry In Cockeysville (UPDATED) Body Of Missing 36-Year-Old Swimmer Recovered From Beaver Dam Quarry In Cockeysville (UPDATED)
Body Of Missing 36-Year-Old Swimmer Recovered From Beaver Dam Quarry In Cockeysville (Updated) The body of the man who went missing at the Beaver Dam Swimming Club in Baltimore County over the weekend has been located, according to officials. Michael Randle, 36, went missing after struggling and going underwater in Cockeysville at around 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 17.  On Tuesday, Aug. 19, officials confirmed that Randle's body has been located after an extensive two-day search. Divers have located the swimmer identified as 36-year-old Michael Randle. #BCoPD Underwater Recovery Team (URT) along... Posted by Baltimore County Police Department on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 Off…

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by Zak Failla
Westminster, MD
Breaking News
Two Barns Collapse, Tractors Destroyed In $500K Fire At Cold Springs Farm Two Barns Collapse, Tractors Destroyed In $500K Fire At Cold Springs Farm Two Barns Collapse, Tractors Destroyed In $500K Fire At Cold Springs Farm
Two Barns Collapse, Tractors Destroyed In $500K Fire At Cold Springs Farm Flames tore through a Carroll County farm Tuesday afternoon, burning down two barns and destroying multiple tractors in a blaze that caused more than half a million dollars in damage, officials said. The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said the fire broke out just after noon on Tuesday, Aug. 19, at Cold Springs Farm on Hawks Hill Road in New Windsor. Office Of The Maryland State Fire Marshal A passerby spotted flames around 12:10 p.m. and called for help, officials said. More than 50 firefighters from New Windsor and surrounding departments battled the two-alarm fire for three hours …

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Fredericksburg Shoplifting Suspect Bit Officer So Hard He Broke Finger During Arrest: Police Fredericksburg Shoplifting Suspect Bit Officer So Hard He Broke Finger During Arrest: Police Fredericksburg Shoplifting Suspect Bit Officer So Hard He Broke Finger During Arrest: Police
Fredericksburg Shoplifting Suspect Bit Officer So Hard He Broke Finger During Arrest: Police A shoplifting stop in Virginia turned violent when a handcuffed suspect spat on arresting officers, biting one so hard his finger broke, police said. Fredericksburg Police said 45-year-old Clifton Rhines was taken into custody on Wednesday, Aug. 13, following a shoplifting incident at a CVS on Emancipation Highway that rapidly escalated.  Officers said Rhines was initially compliant after being handcuffed behind his back, but quickly grew agitated, refused commands, and threatened to spit on officers repeatedly. As officers attempted to restrain him, Rhines spat on one of them before …

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
Wawa Turns Into Rodeo As Cowboy Hat-Sporting Suspect Fights Deputies, Stafford Sheriff Says Wawa Turns Into Rodeo As Cowboy Hat-Sporting Suspect Fights Deputies, Stafford Sheriff Says Wawa Turns Into Rodeo As Cowboy Hat-Sporting Suspect Fights Deputies, Stafford Sheriff Says
Wawa Turns Into Rodeo As Cowboy Hat-Sporting Suspect Fights Deputies, Stafford Sheriff Says It wasn’t deputies’ first rodeo at a Virginia Wawa, but this one ended with a cowboy hat-wearing suspect squaring off with deputies, assaulting one, and landing in jail. Stafford County deputies said 43-year-old Samuel Thompson IV, who has no fixed address, caused chaos outside the Wawa on South Gateway Drive just after midnight Sunday, Aug. 17. Callers reported a man in a sleeveless shirt and cowboy hat was kicking cars and threatening to punch a woman in the face. When deputies showed up around 12:15 a.m., Thompson bolted toward the nearby Clarion Inn, the sheriff’s office said. But inst…

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by Zak Failla
Bowie, MD
Breaking News
Child Gunned Down At July 4 Bowie Cookout: Shooter Convicted After Arrest In South America Child Gunned Down At July 4 Bowie Cookout: Shooter Convicted After Arrest In South America Child Gunned Down At July 4 Bowie Cookout: Shooter Convicted After Arrest In South America
Child Gunned Down At July 4 Bowie Cookout: Shooter Convicted After Arrest In South America The man responsible for the fatal shooting of 6-year-old Ahsan Payton on the Fourth of July last year in Maryland is facing decades in prison after being arrested in South America last year, authorities announced. Rakeem Gilgeours, 34, who opened fire during a neighborhood event on July 4, 2024, has been convicted of assault and other offenses after the child was shot and killed in crossfire, according to the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office. During a neighborhood celebration over the holiday in Temple Hills, gunshots rang out at around 7:50 p.m. in the 4500 block of Akron S…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Pastor Detained By ICE Reunited With Family After Harrowing Journey (PHOTOS) Maryland Pastor Detained By ICE Reunited With Family After Harrowing Journey (PHOTOS) Maryland Pastor Detained By ICE Reunited With Family After Harrowing Journey (PHOTOS)
Maryland Pastor Detained By ICE Reunited With Family After Harrowing Journey (Photos) The longtime Maryland pastor who was detained by ICE and shipped to several detention centers — despite living in the state legally for decades — has been reunited with his family after a heartbreaking months-long journey. Pastor Daniel Fuentes Espinal, of Easton, the head of Iglesia del Nazareno Jesus Te Ama (Church of the Nazarene Jesus Loves You), was picked up while shopping at a local Lowe's last month. Fuentes Espinal — who has been in the country for 24 years, has no criminal record, and leads a congregation of dozens in Easton — was taken into custody by ICE agents, and tr…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Virginia Private Christian School Teacher Accused Of Sex With Child: Reports Virginia Private Christian School Teacher Accused Of Sex With Child: Reports Virginia Private Christian School Teacher Accused Of Sex With Child: Reports
Virginia Private Christian School Teacher Accused Of Sex With Child: Reports An educator at a private Christian school in Virginia is facing charges for allegedly having sex with a child, according to multiple reports. Katelin Campbell, 34, an English teacher at the grades 7–12 CH Friend School in Halifax County, is facing charges that include having consensual intercourse with a child, jail records show. Campbell was arrested once the accusation was made public, and the school then advised the police, who launched an investigation. Her arrest was first reported by WSET, who obtained a statement from the school. "We chose integrity instead of it being swept under …

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by Zak Failla
Capitol Heights-District Heights, MD
Breaking News
Blue Ford Pick-Up Wanted After Fatal E-Bike Hit-Run In Capitol Heights: Police Blue Ford Pick-Up Wanted After Fatal E-Bike Hit-Run In Capitol Heights: Police Blue Ford Pick-Up Wanted After Fatal E-Bike Hit-Run In Capitol Heights: Police
Blue Ford Pick-Up Wanted After Fatal E-Bike Hit-Run In Capitol Heights: Police A 45-year-old man riding an e-bike was killed in a Maryland hit-and-run, and police say they are searching for the driver of a pick-up truck driver who fled the scene after hitting him. Prince George’s County Police say 45-year-old Dameian Wilson of Capitol Heights died after being struck in a hit-and-run on Friday night, Aug. 15, possibly by a blue Ford F-150 that now has front-end damage. Officers responded around 8 p.m. to Shell Street and Billings Avenue, where they found Wilson in the roadway suffering from traumatic injuries.  He was pronounced dead at the scene by first respond…

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by Zak Failla
Pikesville, MD
Breaking News
Beloved Dogs Barely Survive Lightning-Sparked Blaze That Gutted Pikesville Home Beloved Dogs Barely Survive Lightning-Sparked Blaze That Gutted Pikesville Home Beloved Dogs Barely Survive Lightning-Sparked Blaze That Gutted Pikesville Home
Beloved Dogs Barely Survive Lightning-Sparked Blaze That Gutted Pikesville Home A pair of beloved dogs who were trapped inside a burning home that was gutted by a fire sparked by a lightning strike are fighting for their lives, and a Maryland family is picking up the pieces after losing everything. Crews in Baltimore County were called to the 1800 block of Rambling Ridge Lane in Pikesville for a reported fire that broke out inside an area home following a reported strike report from CoreLogic. The incident occurred shortly after the National Weather Service issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Baltimore County at 3:33 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14. The scene of…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Explosion Aboard Vessel Shuts Down Baltimore Harbor Channel Near Key Bridge Site: Coast Guard Explosion Aboard Vessel Shuts Down Baltimore Harbor Channel Near Key Bridge Site: Coast Guard Explosion Aboard Vessel Shuts Down Baltimore Harbor Channel Near Key Bridge Site: Coast Guard
Explosion Aboard Vessel Shuts Down Baltimore Harbor Channel Near Key Bridge Site: Coast Guard An explosion aboard a massive coal ship in Baltimore Harbor has shut down the Fort McHenry Federal Channel, the same stretch of water where the Key Bridge collapsed earlier this year, officials said. The Coast Guard said the blast happened around 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 18, aboard the 751-foot merchant vessel W-Sapphire as it was leaving Baltimore Harbor with 23 crew members and two pilots on board. The W-Sapphire, carrying coal, reported the explosion while it was south of Fort Carroll. A fire broke out but was later extinguished, officials said. No injuries were reported. The cause of the…

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by Zak Failla
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