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

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
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
One Man Escaped, Two Were Cut As Alleged Arlington Knife Attacks Took Bizarre Turn: Police One Man Escaped, Two Were Cut As Alleged Arlington Knife Attacks Took Bizarre Turn: Police One Man Escaped, Two Were Cut As Alleged Arlington Knife Attacks Took Bizarre Turn: Police
One Man Escaped, Two Were Cut As Alleged Arlington Knife Attacks Took Bizarre Turn: Police A Virginia man allegedly went from one person to the next with a knife, leaving two people injured before bystanders stepped in and put an end to the violence, police say. David Lamont Bates, 48, was arrested following a series of confrontations on Monday night, Nov. 9, that began when a man was simply unloading items from his vehicle, according to Arlington County Police. Officers were called to the 2100 block of South Clark Street at approximately 9:38 p.m. for a reported stabbing. Investigators say the first victim was removing items from his vehicle when Bates allegedly approached and …

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Vehicle Fire Shuts Down Multiple I-64 Lanes In Virginia During Rush Hour (DEVELOPING) Vehicle Fire Shuts Down Multiple I-64 Lanes In Virginia During Rush Hour (DEVELOPING) Vehicle Fire Shuts Down Multiple I-64 Lanes In Virginia During Rush Hour (DEVELOPING)
Vehicle Fire Shuts Down Multiple I-64 Lanes In Virginia During Rush Hour (Developing) A major fire on I-64 in Virginia brought traffic to a crawl during the Tuesday afternoon rush hour, shutting down multiple westbound lanes as emergency crews responded to the scene. The incident was reported at approximately 4:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, near mile marker 176.3 in Henrico County, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Traffic cameras showed a heavy emergency response, with multiple fire trucks, police vehicles, and first responders positioned across the westbound lanes. VDOT reported that the left, center, and right lanes, along with the left should…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Armed Man Near White House Heard Voices Telling Him To Kill President Trump, Feds Say Armed Man Near White House Heard Voices Telling Him To Kill President Trump, Feds Say Armed Man Near White House Heard Voices Telling Him To Kill President Trump, Feds Say
Armed Man Near White House Heard Voices Telling Him To Kill President Trump, Feds Say The voices in his head allegedly told him to kill President Donald Trump. He apparently took them seriously enough to show up near the White House, federal officials say. Ronny Guanipa-Chrinos, 26, a Venezuelan national, is facing charges after Secret Service officers found him near the White House late on Thursday, Nov. 5, with three firearms and dozens of rounds of ammunition inside a stolen pickup truck, federal prosecutors announced. The bizarre encounter began around 11:42 p.m., when an officer on patrol spotted a blue Ford F-150 parked along Constitution Avenue NW, just south of the W…

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by Zak Failla
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