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

Gainesville, VA
Your Community
Friendly Neighborhood Cat Tests Positive For Rabies In Gainesville, Four Others Monitored Friendly Neighborhood Cat Tests Positive For Rabies In Gainesville, Four Others Monitored Friendly Neighborhood Cat Tests Positive For Rabies In Gainesville, Four Others Monitored
Friendly Neighborhood Cat Tests Positive For Rabies In Gainesville, Four Others Monitored A familiar feline face in a Virginia neighborhood has tested positive for rabies, raising concerns about possible exposure among residents and their pets who may have crossed paths with the infected cat. The warning comes from the Prince William County Police Department after a calico cat found in the 15500 block of Thoroughfare Road in Gainesville was confirmed to have rabies. Unlike many rabies cases involving wild animals, this cat was known to socialize with people and other pets in the area, making it possible that residents unknowingly came into contact with the infected animal. Now,…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Round Hill, VA
Breaking News
Nearly $1M In Damage, But Smoke Alarm May Have Saved Four Lives In Round Hill Nearly $1M In Damage, But Smoke Alarm May Have Saved Four Lives In Round Hill Nearly $1M In Damage, But Smoke Alarm May Have Saved Four Lives In Round Hill
Nearly $1M In Damage, But Smoke Alarm May Have Saved Four Lives In Round Hill A smoke alarm may have saved four lives in Northern Virginia, but it couldn't save their home from a fire that caused nearly $1 million in damage. A family of four was forced from their home in the 17200 block of Arrowood Place in Round Hill after a fire broke out on Friday, Oct. 16, leaving behind an estimated $940,000 in damage, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. The family might not have had time to escape if not for a working smoke alarm that woke the homeowner, who discovered flames burning in the living room. By the time firefighters arrived, smoke was pouring from the sing…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Her Boyfriend Beat Her Toddler To Death, Then This DC Mom Tried To Cover It Up: Feds Her Boyfriend Beat Her Toddler To Death, Then This DC Mom Tried To Cover It Up: Feds Her Boyfriend Beat Her Toddler To Death, Then This DC Mom Tried To Cover It Up: Feds
Her Boyfriend Beat Her Toddler To Death, Then This DC Mom Tried To Cover It Up: Feds A. 28-year-old woman who lied to police in an attempt to cover up for her boyfriend's deadly abuse of her toddler son copped to the crime in DC Superior Court. Monet Jones pleaded guilty on Friday for lying to a grand jury about the violent beating death of 2-year-old Mars Jones, who suffered traumatic injuries at the hands of Desean Matthews, federal authorities announced. On Oct. 13, 2022, the couple took Mac to Dunkin before noon, where Matthews was caught on camera striking the boy with a closed fist and causing him to fall and slam against a metal railing. Later that same day, wh…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Wife Grabbed Gun, Husband Pulled Trigger: Lexington Park Couple Convicted Of Murder Wife Grabbed Gun, Husband Pulled Trigger: Lexington Park Couple Convicted Of Murder Wife Grabbed Gun, Husband Pulled Trigger: Lexington Park Couple Convicted Of Murder
Wife Grabbed Gun, Husband Pulled Trigger: Lexington Park Couple Convicted Of Murder Giving someone a ride to work shouldn't cost a person their life, but that's exactly what happened to a Maryland man who found himself trapped in a driveway with an increasingly hostile husband and wife. Now, nearly a year after the deadly confrontation in Lexington Park, David Scott Jones, 59, and his wife, Djhonna Mari Jones, 47, have both been convicted of first-degree murder for their roles in the Oct. 27, 2025, shooting. The victim had arrived at the couple's home to pick up someone for work, and everything appeared routine until another vehicle pulled in behind him as he was backing o…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Your Community
He's Fought For His Country, Now This 'Ultimate Girl Dad' Faces A Different Battle In DC He's Fought For His Country, Now This 'Ultimate Girl Dad' Faces A Different Battle In DC He's Fought For His Country, Now This 'Ultimate Girl Dad' Faces A Different Battle In DC
He's Fought For His Country, Now This 'Ultimate Girl Dad' Faces A Different Battle In DC Apolinar "Nuney" Nunez has worn three uniforms in his life: first in service of his country, then for his community. The third doesn't come with a badge, but it's the one he may cherish most: Dad. Now, he's facing a different kind of battle after being diagnosed with cancer. For his wife and five young daughters, the diagnosis has brought uncertainty, with his fellow officers hoping to ease the family's financial burden so Nunez can focus on treatment. "Those who know 'Nuney' know the kind of man he is: a devoted husband, the ultimate girl dad, a loyal friend, and a brother in blue," the …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
McLean, VA
Breaking News
Off-Duty Fairfax County Officer Arrested After Woman Reports Assault In McLean: Police Off-Duty Fairfax County Officer Arrested After Woman Reports Assault In McLean: Police Off-Duty Fairfax County Officer Arrested After Woman Reports Assault In McLean: Police
Off-Duty Fairfax County Officer Arrested After Woman Reports Assault In McLean: Police For the second time this month, a member of the Fairfax County Police Department has found himself on the wrong side of the law in Virginia. Brandon Moore, 35, a three-year veteran of the agency, was arrested on Thursday night, Oct. 15, following a reported domestic assault in McLean. Officers were called around 9 p.m. to the 1600 block of Sunstone Drive, where a woman reported being assaulted following a verbal argument with the off-duty officer. As the investigation unfolded, additional reports of assault surfaced, leading to three criminal charges against the McLean District Station off…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Your Community
Marine, Cop, Congressional Hopeful: Maryland Veteran Now Fighting For His Life In Florida Marine, Cop, Congressional Hopeful: Maryland Veteran Now Fighting For His Life In Florida Marine, Cop, Congressional Hopeful: Maryland Veteran Now Fighting For His Life In Florida
Marine, Cop, Congressional Hopeful: Maryland Veteran Now Fighting For His Life In Florida Tony "Rome" Emanuel has spent much of his life on the front lines, and not always in uniform. From serving in the Marines to decades protecting Maryland communities, Emanuel's career eventually took him to the US Virgin Islands, where he traded police work for gun violence prevention and even set his sights on Congress. A proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Emanuel's commitment to brotherhood and service has followed him throughout his life, including a distinguished career in the military and more than 30 years policing in his community. That included time with the Montgomery Coun…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Gaithersburg, MD
Breaking News
Silver Spring Woman, 72, ID'd By Police As Pedestrian Killed Crossing Busy Maryland Highway Silver Spring Woman, 72, ID'd By Police As Pedestrian Killed Crossing Busy Maryland Highway Silver Spring Woman, 72, ID'd By Police As Pedestrian Killed Crossing Busy Maryland Highway
Silver Spring Woman, 72, ID'd By Police As Pedestrian Killed Crossing Busy Maryland Highway An off-duty police officer came upon a grim scene along a busy Maryland road, where a 72-year-old woman had been struck by a passing vehicle. Silver Spring resident Enyish Sergawie Asemahegne, 72, has been identified by the Montgomery County Police Department as the pedestrian killed trying to cross a busy roadway during the morning commute on Wednesday.  Shortly after 7 a.m. on Oct. 14, an off-duty Montgomery County police officer spotted the collision at the intersection of Randolph Road and Locksley Lane, police say.  Responding officers and Montgomery County Fire and Res…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Jessup, MD
Breaking News
New Video Shows Aftermath Of Fatal Jessup Police Chase: ' Why'd You Have To Hit Me?' New Video Shows Aftermath Of Fatal Jessup Police Chase: ' Why'd You Have To Hit Me?' New Video Shows Aftermath Of Fatal Jessup Police Chase: ' Why'd You Have To Hit Me?'
New Video Shows Aftermath Of Fatal Jessup Police Chase: ' Why'd You Have To Hit Me?' The Attorney General's Office has released new video showing the police pursuit that preceded a fatal crash in Maryland last month. Anthony Bowers Jr., 20, of Baltimore, was identified as the person who died following a Sunday, Sept. 6 crash in Jessup, according to the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division. The incident began at approximately 2:17 a.m., when the Infiniti struck an occupied, parked Howard County Police cruiser in the 7100 block of Montevideo Road and fled. The beginning of the pursuit in Maryland. Maryland OAG PFC Amir Parker pursued the In…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Woman Stabbed To Death, Man Charged With Murder After Argument In Baltimore: Police Woman Stabbed To Death, Man Charged With Murder After Argument In Baltimore: Police Woman Stabbed To Death, Man Charged With Murder After Argument In Baltimore: Police
Woman Stabbed To Death, Man Charged With Murder After Argument In Baltimore: Police An argument turned fatal in Maryland, leaving a 40-year-old woman dead and a man facing murder charges. Dominique Wilson was stabbed on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in the 2400 block of Druid Hill Avenue in West Baltimore, where officers responding to a reported cutting around 5:24 p.m. found her seriously wounded. Police attempted to save Wilson, administering first aid and CPR before paramedics rushed her to an area hospital, but she died a short time later. By then, officers had already detained a person of interest at the scene. That man has since been identified as Anthony Thomas, 51, who inv…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Prev Page 1 of 3949 1 2 3 4 5 Next
1 - 10 of 39,486 articles