Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

[email protected]

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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

Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Burglar Hits Wrong Note After Breaking Into DC Elementary School To Steal Violins: Police Burglar Hits Wrong Note After Breaking Into DC Elementary School To Steal Violins: Police Burglar Hits Wrong Note After Breaking Into DC Elementary School To Steal Violins: Police
Burglar Hits Wrong Note After Breaking Into DC Elementary School To Steal Violins: Police A burglar broke into a DC elementary school in the middle of the night, damaged property to reach a classroom, and made off with violins, police say. The Metropolitan Police Department is asking for the public's help identifying the suspect, who was caught on surveillance cameras during the break-in at John Burroughs Elementary School in Northeast DC. The burglary happened at approximately 1:18 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, at the school in the 1900 block of Newton Street NE, according to investigators. Police said the suspect damaged property to force their way into the building, then caused ad…

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by Zak Failla
Leesburg, VA
Breaking News
Leesburg E-Bike Rider Killed In Crash With Suspected Drunk Driver ID'd By Police (UPDATED) Leesburg E-Bike Rider Killed In Crash With Suspected Drunk Driver ID'd By Police (UPDATED) Leesburg E-Bike Rider Killed In Crash With Suspected Drunk Driver ID'd By Police (UPDATED)
Leesburg E-Bike Rider Killed In Crash With Suspected Drunk Driver ID'd By Police (Updated) A Virginia man killed while riding an electric bicycle in an overnight crash involving a pickup truck driven by a suspected drunk driver has been identified, authorities announced. Orlando Castaneda Henriquez, 38, of Leesburg, was identified as the victim of the fatal crash on Wednesday, Nov. 11, according to the Leesburg Police Department. Henriquez was riding an e-bike shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 10, when he was involved in a collision with a pickup truck near the intersection of East Market Street and Prosperity Avenue. Officers responded to the scene at approximately 12:06 …

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by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Breaking News
Rabid Raccoon Sparks Health Warning In Waldorf After Testing Positive Near Homes Rabid Raccoon Sparks Health Warning In Waldorf After Testing Positive Near Homes Rabid Raccoon Sparks Health Warning In Waldorf After Testing Positive Near Homes
Rabid Raccoon Sparks Health Warning In Waldorf After Testing Positive Near Homes A raccoon has tested positive for rabies in Maryland, prompting a warning from health officials for anyone who may have come into contact with the infected animal. The Charles County Department of Health confirmed that the raccoon tested positive on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in the area of Poplar Hill Road and Breconridge Drive in Waldorf. Health officials are urging anyone who recently had contact with a raccoon in that area, or whose pet may have encountered one, to contact the department immediately at 301-609-6768. Rabies is a potentially fatal viral disease that can spread to humans and anima…

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by Zak Failla
Manassas, VA
Breaking News
Naresh Bhatt Convicted Of Murdering Missing Manassas Park Wife Whose Body Has Never Been Found Naresh Bhatt Convicted Of Murdering Missing Manassas Park Wife Whose Body Has Never Been Found Naresh Bhatt Convicted Of Murdering Missing Manassas Park Wife Whose Body Has Never Been Found
Naresh Bhatt Convicted Of Murdering Missing Manassas Park Wife Whose Body Has Never Been Found A Virginia man who admitted to dismembering his wife but insisted he never killed her has been convicted of her murder more than two years after she vanished without a trace. Naresh Bhatt, 39, of Manassas Park, was found guilty of first-degree murder, concealing a dead body, and defiling a dead body in the death of his wife, 28-year-old Mamta Kafle Bhatt, on Tuesday, Nov. 10, according to multiple reports. The verdict came after a nearly six-week trial in Prince William County, during which Bhatt took the witness stand and admitted to cutting up his wife's body and disposing of her remains …

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by Zak Failla
Mount Airy-Woodbine, MD
Breaking News
Woodbine House Fire Sends Flames Shooting Through Roof, Displaces Six: (PHOTOS) Woodbine House Fire Sends Flames Shooting Through Roof, Displaces Six: (PHOTOS) Woodbine House Fire Sends Flames Shooting Through Roof, Displaces Six: (PHOTOS)
Woodbine House Fire Sends Flames Shooting Through Roof, Displaces Six: (Photos) Flames lit up the night sky as a raging fire tore through a Maryland home, sending thick smoke pouring from the roof. Six people, including a child, were displaced by the blaze, which broke out in the 2500 block of Red Cedar Drive in Woodmore at approximately 7:17 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, according to the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department. Firefighters arrived to find flames shooting through the roof of the two-story, single-family home, prompting crews to battle the blaze as it spread through the structure. Photos shared by the department show towering flames engulfing a portion…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Two Inmates Eyed As Suspects After Prisoner Dies Inside Maryland Max-Security Prison (UPDATED) Two Inmates Eyed As Suspects After Prisoner Dies Inside Maryland Max-Security Prison (UPDATED) Two Inmates Eyed As Suspects After Prisoner Dies Inside Maryland Max-Security Prison (UPDATED)
Two Inmates Eyed As Suspects After Prisoner Dies Inside Maryland Max-Security Prison (Updated) Two inmates have been identified as suspects in the death of a fellow prisoner at a Maryland correctional facility, prompting a State Police investigation late Monday night. The inmate was pronounced dead by emergency medical services personnel at North Branch Correctional Institution in Cumberland, according to Maryland State Police on Tuesday, Nov. 10. His identity is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin. Neither suspect has been charged or publicly identified. Shortly before midnight on Monday, Nov. 9, the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit was contacted by investiga…

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by Zak Failla
Sterling, VA
Breaking News
Firefighters Battle Sterling House Fire From Above As Smoke Billows Over Neighborhood Firefighters Battle Sterling House Fire From Above As Smoke Billows Over Neighborhood Firefighters Battle Sterling House Fire From Above As Smoke Billows Over Neighborhood
Firefighters Battle Sterling House Fire From Above As Smoke Billows Over Neighborhood A Virginia family was already safely outside when firefighters arrived to find smoke pouring from their home and flames threatening to consume part of the roof. Firefighters were called to the 100 block of East Meadowland Lane in Sterling on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 10, where they encountered a house fire that prompted a large emergency response, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. Crews arrived to find flames and smoke coming from the home, prompting officials to request a Rapid Intervention Taskforce to bring additional resources to the scene. Photos shared by the department show…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Wanted Baltimore Man Goes Live On Instagram, Gives Cops A Front-Row Seat To His Location Wanted Baltimore Man Goes Live On Instagram, Gives Cops A Front-Row Seat To His Location Wanted Baltimore Man Goes Live On Instagram, Gives Cops A Front-Row Seat To His Location
Wanted Baltimore Man Goes Live On Instagram, Gives Cops A Front-Row Seat To His Location A Maryland fugitive went live on Instagram. The cops were watching. Ronald Jones, 30, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty to federal gun charges and violating the terms of his supervised release on Tuesday, Nov. 10, more than two years after his decision to livestream gave police exactly what they needed to track him down. According to prosecutors, Baltimore Police officers spotted Jones on Instagram Live on July 9, 2024, while he had an active warrant out for his arrest. Unfortunately for Jones, the background was a little too familiar. Officers recognized the West Baltimore residence where he …

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by Zak Failla
Crofton, MD
Your Community
Look Up: Police Drone Will Soon Be Flying Over Waugh Chapel Shopping District Look Up: Police Drone Will Soon Be Flying Over Waugh Chapel Shopping District Look Up: Police Drone Will Soon Be Flying Over Waugh Chapel Shopping District
Look Up: Police Drone Will Soon Be Flying Over Waugh Chapel Shopping District Shoppers in one Maryland community may soon notice something unusual flying overhead as police prepare to deploy a new crime-fighting tool just in time for the holiday rush. The Anne Arundel County Police Department will launch a drone pilot program on Wednesday, Nov. 11, providing aerial support around Waugh Chapel Towne Centre, the Route 3 commercial corridor, and nearby neighborhoods in Gambrills, Odenton, and Crofton. The compact, unmanned aircraft will operate from an automated docking station near Evergreen Road and Waugh Chapel Way, where it can launch in response to emergency calls …

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by Zak Failla
Severn, MD
Breaking News
Severn Woman Convicted Of Strangling Child Over Oil: 'You'll Never Be Stronger Than Me' Severn Woman Convicted Of Strangling Child Over Oil: 'You'll Never Be Stronger Than Me' Severn Woman Convicted Of Strangling Child Over Oil: 'You'll Never Be Stronger Than Me'
Severn Woman Convicted Of Strangling Child Over Oil: 'You'll Never Be Stronger Than Me' “You’ll never be stronger than me.” Those were the words a Maryland woman used as she grabbed a child by the throat during a violent confrontation over missing anointing oil that ended with her being convicted of child abuse, prosecutors said. Tekecia Brown-Murdock, 41, of Severn, was found guilty of second-degree child abuse, second-degree assault, and reckless endangerment following a trial in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court on Friday, Nov. 6. The case dates back to Oct. 2, 2025, when police were called to a home on Village Square Court in Severn for a reported disturbance. According …

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by Zak Failla
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