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

Germantown, MD

Breaking News

'I Can't Breathe': Maryland Officers Won't Face Charges After Man's Death Ruled Homicide A Maryland man's death was ruled a homicide. Seven police officers were involved. Not one will face criminal charges. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown announced on Friday, Nov. 13, that no charges will be filed in connection with the death of Jamal Khari Thompson, 31, of Silver Spring. Thompson died a week after a struggle with Montgomery County police officers responding to reports that he was experiencing a mental health crisis. According to the Attorney General's investigative report, a friend called 911 around 8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, requesting an ambulance at The Chateau apa…

by Zak Failla

11/13/2026

Lexington Park, MD

Breaking News

Bad Neighbor: Maryland Man Accused Of Torching Home Of Sheriff's Deputy With Police K-9 Andrew Lee Ransley allegedly set fire to his neighbor's Maryland home. He may have picked the wrong neighbor. The 38-year-old Pittsville man is facing a host of charges after investigators determined that a fire at the home of a Wicomico County sheriff's deputy who handles a police K-9 was deliberately set, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office. The trouble began shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, when firefighters were called to a home in the 35000 block of Wango Road in Pittsville. Crews had the fire under control within 10 minutes, but not before the flames…

by Zak Failla

11/13/2026

Lexington Park, MD

Breaking News

Maryland Man 'In Position Of Trust' Convicted Of Raping Child Under 14 Living Under His Roof A Maryland man has been convicted of sexually abusing a child younger than 14 who lived in his own home. Widler Etienne, 27, of Salisbury, was found guilty on multiple sex offense and assault charges following a two-day trial in Wicomico County Circuit Court, State's Attorney Jamie Dykes announced. Prosecutors said the abuse occurred in 2025, when the child was living in the same household as Etienne. The child later took the stand and testified against Etienne, helping secure the jury's guilty verdict on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Etienne was convicted of: Sexual abuse of a minor; Two counts of…

by Zak Failla

11/13/2026

Gaithersburg, MD

Breaking News

Violent Attack Inside Montgomery County Jail Turns Deadly As Police Identify Victim (Updated) A violent attack inside a Maryland jail has turned deadly, with police identifying the 35-year-old victim who succumbed to his injuries a day later. Carlos Marcano Becerra, who had no fixed address, died on Thursday, Nov. 12, one day after he was found with severe injuries to his head and upper body at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Boyds, according to police. Officers and fire rescue personnel were called around 11:12 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, to the facility in the 22800 block of Whelan Lane, where they discovered Becerra suffering from severe trauma, officials said. He…

by Zak Failla

11/13/2026

Fairfax, VA

Obituaries

Mother In Honduras Pleads For Help Bringing Son Home After Deadly Virginia Crash A mother thousands of miles away is fighting to bring her son home after a deadly crash in Virginia. Henrico resident Manuel Cortez Pineda, 31, was killed around 2:25 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, when he was struck by a Dodge Durango on Staples Mill Road near Bremner Boulevard, according to the Henrico Police Department. Investigators say the SUV was traveling east on Staples Mill Road when it struck Pineda, who was standing in the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver remained at the scene, but a fundraiser launched on Pineda's family's behalf claims the motorist was uni…

by Zak Failla

11/13/2026

Arlington, VA

Breaking News

Shotgun, Rifle, Handgun: Police Reveal New Details In Deadly DC Doctor Shooting A DC doctor had three guns at his disposal during a deadly shooting rampage in Northwest Washington, but none were registered to him in the District, police revealed. Matt Wade Lambert, 55, was identified as the gunman who killed 46-year-old James Stuart and wounded four others on Thursday, Nov. 12, near VIDA Fitness in the 1500 block of 15th Street NW, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Investigators recovered a shotgun, rifle, and handgun from Lambert's apartment, and police confirmed that all three weapons were used in the shooting. None were registered to Lambert in DC, t…

by Zak Failla

11/13/2026

Arlington, VA

Your Community

Washington Commanders QB Sam Hartman Trades Football For Roses As ABC's New Bachelor A Washington Commanders quarterback is preparing to tackle a whole new challenge, but finding the end zone might be easier than finding true love on national television. Sam Hartman, 27, who is on Washington's practice squad, was officially unveiled as the next star of ABC's The Bachelor during an appearance on Good Morning America on Friday, Nov. 13, putting the NFL quarterback in the spotlight for the reality dating show's milestone 30th season. View this post on Instagram And while Hartman is accustomed to facing down opposing defenses, the…

by Zak Failla

11/13/2026

Towson, MD

Obituaries

Musicians Mourn Saxophonist Killed While Riding Bicycle Through Baltimore Park: 'Lost A Giant' John Dierker, who spent decades making Baltimore sing, was brutally silenced when he was stabbed to death while riding his bicycle through a city park. The 62-year-old musician and Towson University instructor was attacked on Tuesday afternoon near an entrance to the Gwynns Falls Trail in Baltimore's Leakin Park, according to police. Officers were called shortly before 4 p.m. on Nov. 10 to the 4200 block of North Franklintown Road, where Dierker was found suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. "A Baltimore native, John and his family have called our…

by Zak Failla

11/13/2026

Clifton-Fairfax Station, VA

Obituaries

Virginia Native Anthony Clark, Star Of 'Yes, Dear' And 'Boston Common,' Dies At 62 A Virginia native who went from growing up on a tobacco farm to making audiences laugh on network television has died, prompting a touching tribute from one of his longtime friends and former co-stars. Anthony Clark, a Lynchburg native best known for starring in the CBS sitcoms "Yes, Dear" and "Boston Common," died on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the age of 62. His death was announced the following day by fellow actor and comedian Mike O'Malley, who starred alongside Clark on "Yes, Dear" for six seasons. "Anthony Clark died yesterday. He was a hilarious guy," O'Malley wrote in a social media tribu…

by Zak Failla

11/12/2026

McLean, VA

Your Community

Hundreds Of Teens, Underage Drinking, Fireworks Lead To Charges For McLean Parents: Police A Virginia mom and dad may have earned some serious cool-parent points with their teenager, but police weren't nearly as impressed with their party-planning skills. Lisa Vaughan, 45, and Aubrey Vaughan, 55, of McLean, are facing criminal charges after police say a party they organized for their teenager drew hundreds of young revelers, underage drinking, and fireworks before spiraling out of control. The party came crashing down shortly after 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, when multiple 911 callers reported an out-of-control gathering in the 1400 block of Woodacre Drive, with an estimated 100 to…

by Zak Failla

11/12/2026

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