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

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
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Secret Service Motor Cop Critically Injured In DC Crash Secret Service Motor Cop Critically Injured In DC Crash Secret Service Motor Cop Critically Injured In DC Crash
Secret Service Motor Cop Critically Injured In DC Crash A routine trip to work took a terrifying turn for a US Secret Service motorcycle officer who was critically injured in a crash near the National Zoo in DC, leaving his family facing an uncertain road to recovery. Officer Chase Lettrich, a member of the Secret Service's Motorcade Support Unit, was riding to work on Tuesday morning, Nov. 10, when his motorcycle collided with an SUV on Connecticut Avenue NW near Devonshire Place. The crash happened shortly after 6 a.m., leaving Chase unconscious but breathing when emergency crews rushed him to the hospital, according to multiple reports. The …

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by Zak Failla
Brandywine, MD
Breaking News
100 MPH, Four Minutes, One Dead: No Charges For Charles County Deputies After Police Chase 100 MPH, Four Minutes, One Dead: No Charges For Charles County Deputies After Police Chase 100 MPH, Four Minutes, One Dead: No Charges For Charles County Deputies After Police Chase
100 MPH, Four Minutes, One Dead: No Charges For Charles County Deputies After Police Chase A Maryland woman was killed when a police pursuit reached speeds approaching 100 mph and ended in a head-on crash, but the two sheriff's officers who chased the fleeing vehicle will not face criminal charges, according to state investigators. Alexis Cummings, 33, of Temple Hills, was riding in the back seat of a Toyota sedan when the driver fled a traffic stop on Tuesday, Aug. 25, setting off a roughly four-minute pursuit that ended in Brandywine, according to the Maryland Attorney General's Independent Investigations Division (IID). On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Attorney General Anthony Brown annou…

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by Zak Failla
Landover, MD
Your Community
From Valedictorian To ICE Custody: PG County Teen's College Dreams Face An Uncertain Future From Valedictorian To ICE Custody: PG County Teen's College Dreams Face An Uncertain Future From Valedictorian To ICE Custody: PG County Teen's College Dreams Face An Uncertain Future
From Valedictorian To ICE Custody: PG County Teen's College Dreams Face An Uncertain Future A Maryland teenager who graduated at the top of her high school class and earned a full scholarship to college is now facing a future far different from the one she spent years working toward. Maria Flores Garcia, 19, was detained alongside her mother during a scheduled immigration check-in in Baltimore before both were transferred to an ICE facility in Louisiana, according to loved ones. Flores Garcia, the 2026 valedictorian at Parkdale High School in Prince George’s County, is now a freshman at the University of Maryland, pursuing a future in public health. Her boyfriend, Cesar Saavedra,…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Obituaries
He Plays Drums Just Like Dad: Family Comes Together For Virginia Boy, 9, After Father's Murder He Plays Drums Just Like Dad: Family Comes Together For Virginia Boy, 9, After Father's Murder He Plays Drums Just Like Dad: Family Comes Together For Virginia Boy, 9, After Father's Murder
He Plays Drums Just Like Dad: Family Comes Together For Virginia Boy, 9, After Father's Murder A 9-year-old Virginia boy who shares his father's love of drumming and martial arts is facing a future without him after his dad was found murdered, leaving his family determined to protect the opportunities ahead of him while preserving the memories of the man he adored. Joshua-Michael Odell Cochran, 44, was found dead in Alexandria in October after being reported missing, leaving behind his son, Finn, and a grieving family now coming together to make sure the little boy has the support he needs as he grows up. For Finn, that means continuing to do the things he loves, including some that …

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by Zak Failla
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