Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

zfailla@dailyvoice.com

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 Man With 'Top Secret' Security Clearance Accused Of Espionage In DC: DOJ Silver Spring Man With 'Top Secret' Security Clearance Accused Of Espionage In DC: DOJ
Silver Spring Man With 'Top Secret' Security Clearance Accused Of Espionage In DC: DOJ A government contractor living in Maryland has been accused of espionage by federal officials in Washington, DC, authorities announced. Abraham Teklu Lemma, 50, a naturalized US citizen from Ethiopia who lives in Silver Spring is facing series charges for allegedly conspiring with a foreign government, according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Thursday. Lemma worked as an IT administrator for the Department of State and as a Management Analyst for the Department of Justice, which led to him being granted a "TOP SECRET" security clearance and access to classified systems. Prosecutors sa…
Rabid Raccoon Found In Anne Arundel Neighborhood Rabid Raccoon Found In Anne Arundel Neighborhood
Rabid Raccoon Found In Anne Arundel Neighborhood Alarm bells are sounding in Anne Arundel County after a raccoon tested positive for rabies.  The Anne Arundel County Department of Health issued an alert on Thursday warning that anyone who came into contact with a raccoon in the 1500 block of Mayfield Road in the Woodland Beach community in Edgewater may have been exposed to the virus. The raccoon, which was found on Tuesday, Sept. 19, tested positive, according to the agency. Anyone who may have had contact with the infected animal, or whose pets have unexplained wounds, is being instructed to contact the Department of Health. …
Maryland's Most Wanted: Samuel Lee Rose Helped Traffic Kilos Of Drugs Through DMV, FBI Says Maryland's Most Wanted: Samuel Lee Rose Helped Traffic Kilos Of Drugs Through DMV, FBI Says
Maryland's Most Wanted: Samuel Lee Rose Helped Traffic Kilos Of Drugs Through DMV, FBI Says An alleged drug trafficker who goes by many names is on the run from the FBI after helping to run a massive scheme throughout the DMV region. Samuel Lee Rose, 44, who moved kilograms of cocaine, heroin, and crack from Maryland to West Virginia is among the state's most wanted after running what federal authorities described as "a sophisticated operation" that lined his pockets with hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rose stands accused of his role in a conspiracy to traffic large amounts of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine hydrochloride from Hagerstown into Berkeley County in West…
Community Rallies To Send Beloved Maryland Teacher's Body Back To Paraguay Community Rallies To Send Beloved Maryland Teacher's Body Back To Paraguay
Community Rallies To Send Beloved Maryland Teacher's Body Back To Paraguay Rosa María Benítez-Ozuna was a mother-like figure to both her children and students before she was shot and killed in a fateful triple shooting in Montgomery County, loved ones say. In early September, Benítez-Ozuna was among three victims who were targeted and shot by Layhill resident Manuel Alejandro Ayala inside the home they shared, and now the community is rallying to support her family. Benítez-Ozuna, who was 65 years old, emigrated to the country from her hometown of Asuncion-Paraguay, and became “an exceptional teacher who touched the lives of many children and families,” Ociel Vega…
Tropical Storm Warning Issued For Parts Of DMV Region Ahead Of Rainy Weekend Tropical Storm Warning Issued For Parts Of DMV Region Ahead Of Rainy Weekend
Tropical Storm Warning Issued For Parts Of DMV Region Ahead Of Rainy Weekend It might be a rain-soaked weekend in the DMV, forecasters are warning. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued in parts of the region as a storm continues to develop and make its way up the East Coast. MDEM ALERT: Tropical Storm Warning for Worcester County in MD. #mdwx — Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) (@MDMEMA) September 21, 2023 The storm is expected to pick up steam in the Southeast before weakening by the time it gets to the region, though gusty winds, rain, and potential flooding are all possible. "There is the potential for life-threatening surge inundation f…
Shooter Accused Of Killing Beloved Son, Brother In Baltimore Shooter Accused Of Killing Beloved Son, Brother In Baltimore
Shooter Accused Of Killing Beloved Son, Brother In Baltimore Three weeks after a fatal shooting took out a beloved family man in Baltimore, a 32-year-old man has been arrested for the murder. Police say that city resident Kyle Cooper has been arrested and charged after being tipped off that he allegedly shot 66-year-old Eric Gill in the 6100 block of Edlynne Road late last month. Shortly after 6:20 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31, officers were called to Edlynne Road, where there was a report of a man - later identified as Gill - suffering from a gunshot wound in the street. First responders pronounced him dead at the site of the shooting. Cooper was arr…
Suspected Dealer Busted After Vehicle, Foot Pursuit With Deputies In Lexington Park: Sheriff Suspected Dealer Busted After Vehicle, Foot Pursuit With Deputies In Lexington Park: Sheriff
Suspected Dealer Busted After Vehicle, Foot Pursuit With Deputies In Lexington Park: Sheriff Ky'ree Truvell Miles did all that he could to escape members of the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office during a pursuit in Lexington Park. On Tuesday afternoon, deputies were able to apprehend and arrest the 27-year-old Lexington Park resident who was wanted and spotted while they were working the "Slow Down St. Mary's" initiative in the 21600 block of Great Mills Road. The deputies confirmed that Miles was wanted for an assault charge, and when they attempted to stop him, he refused to yield and instead sped away and launched a police pursuit. Miles didn't make it far, striking a curb and…
Cousins Killed In Double Prince George's County Shooting Remembered As 'Incredible Fathers' Cousins Killed In Double Prince George's County Shooting Remembered As 'Incredible Fathers'
Cousins Killed In Double Prince George's County Shooting Remembered As 'Incredible Fathers' Support is swelling for the family of two cousins who were gunned down in a double fatal Oxon Hill shooting in Prince George's County. Charles Oxley, 28, of Oxon Hill, and Washington, DC resident Lamont Oxley, 30, have been identified by police as the victims who were gunned down on Sunday, Sept. 10. The shooting was reported at approximately 11:10 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 10 in the 5500 block of Livingston Terrace. Upon arrival, officers say that they pronounced Charles Oxley dead at the scene, while Lamont Oxley was rushed to an area hospital where he later died from his gunshot wounds. Ac…
Second Murder Suspect Seized For Shooting Of 24-Year-Old Man In Prince George's County: Police Second Murder Suspect Seized For Shooting Of 24-Year-Old Man In Prince George's County: Police
Second Murder Suspect Seized For Shooting Of 24-Year-Old Man In Prince George's County: Police A 30-year-old woman has become the second charged in connection to a fatal shooting in Prince George's County earlier this year. Silver Spring resident Karen Andrade and Alex Quinteros, 28, of Takoma Park, have now both been charged for their roles in the midday murder of Rudy Perez Gutierrez in April, authorities announced. On April 14, officers from the Prince George's County Police Department were called to the 2100 block of Guilford Road, where they found Perez Gutierrez and another victim suffering from gunshot wounds. The 24-year-old Hyattsville was pronounced dead at the scene, and …
Drug Dealer Selling Crack Cocaine To Stroke Victim Gets Time For Killing Man's Son In DC: DOJ Drug Dealer Selling Crack Cocaine To Stroke Victim Gets Time For Killing Man's Son In DC: DOJ
Drug Dealer Selling Crack Cocaine To Stroke Victim Gets Time For Killing Man's Son In DC: DOJ The drug dealer who fatally shot a man in the back over a confrontation about drug sales to his father will spend years behind bars. It will be 24 years in prison for 24-year-old District resident Shaka Haltiwanger, who was convicted of murdering Anthony Kelley in 2021 in Southeast DC over money he believed his victim's family owed him, federal officials announced. On Sept. 10, 2021, Kelley, 39, arrived at his father's apartment building to take him to the grocery store after he suffered a stroke and was unable to drive. However, when he got to his father's apartment, he found Ha…
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