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

Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Three Cats Killed, Fourth Missing After Fire Tears Through Maryland Family's Home Three Cats Killed, Fourth Missing After Fire Tears Through Maryland Family's Home Three Cats Killed, Fourth Missing After Fire Tears Through Maryland Family's Home
Three Cats Killed, Fourth Missing After Fire Tears Through Maryland Family's Home Three cats were killed and another remains missing after a fire tore through a Maryland family's home, leaving three people displaced and several surviving pets in need of veterinary care. The fire broke out shortly after noon on Sunday, Nov. 8, at a two-story home in the 4000 block of Wrights Wharf Road in Hurlock, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office. The homeowner discovered the blaze, which originated in the kitchen and prompted a response from 30 firefighters with the Hurlock Volunteer Fire Company. It took crews approximately 30 minutes to bring the fire under contro…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Virginia Mail Carrier Robbed At Gunpoint, Then Thieves Sent A Photo Of Their Prize To Maryland Virginia Mail Carrier Robbed At Gunpoint, Then Thieves Sent A Photo Of Their Prize To Maryland Virginia Mail Carrier Robbed At Gunpoint, Then Thieves Sent A Photo Of Their Prize To Maryland
Virginia Mail Carrier Robbed At Gunpoint, Then Thieves Sent A Photo Of Their Prize To Maryland A Virginia mail carrier had just finished a delivery when a masked gunman approached her truck, pointed a handgun at her, and demanded something far more valuable to his accomplices than the mail she was carrying. Her master key. Demarih Lockhart and Deangelo Raquan Martin Harris, both 22, of Virginia Beach, have now been sentenced to federal prison for the July 7, 2023, robbery in Richmond, which prosecutors say was carried out for two men connected to a larger scheme targeting postal workers. According to federal court documents, Lockhart confronted the woman as she returned to her truck…

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Obituaries
Mom, Little Girl Killed On I-95 In Stafford, Leaving Family Facing Two Funerals Mom, Little Girl Killed On I-95 In Stafford, Leaving Family Facing Two Funerals Mom, Little Girl Killed On I-95 In Stafford, Leaving Family Facing Two Funerals
Mom, Little Girl Killed On I-95 In Stafford, Leaving Family Facing Two Funerals A Virginia family is mourning a 27-year-old mother and her 3-year-old daughter who were killed in a crash on I-95, leaving the girl's father fighting for his life. Danna Palacio, 27, and her daughter, Ruby Palacio, 3, were killed on Friday, Nov. 6, when a speeding Dodge Charger driven by an allegedly intoxicated Marine slammed into the back of the family's SUV in Stafford County, according to Virginia State Police. Malik Jeremiah Thomas, 22, is facing two counts of aggravated manslaughter in connection with the crash, according to Commonwealth's Attorney Eric Olsen. Thomas, who identified …

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by Zak Failla
Wheaton-Glenmont, MD
Breaking News
Five People, Four Handguns, Three Arrests: Glenmont Traffic Stop Takes A Turn, Police Say Five People, Four Handguns, Three Arrests: Glenmont Traffic Stop Takes A Turn, Police Say Five People, Four Handguns, Three Arrests: Glenmont Traffic Stop Takes A Turn, Police Say
Five People, Four Handguns, Three Arrests: Glenmont Traffic Stop Takes A Turn, Police Say There were five people inside a Maryland car when police pulled it over. Between them, officers would find four handguns, three of them tucked into passengers' waistbands. The discovery came during a traffic stop on Thursday, Nov. 5, in Montgomery County's Glenmont area, where officers arrested two boys and an adult passenger on weapons charges. Officers with the department's 4th District Community Action Team spotted the vehicle traveling along Randolph Road toward New Hampshire Avenue before pulling it over near East Randolph Road and Kara Lane. Police did not say what prompted the stop.…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Unemployment Insider Turned Fraud Into A Side Hustle, Now She's Going To Prison Maryland Unemployment Insider Turned Fraud Into A Side Hustle, Now She's Going To Prison Maryland Unemployment Insider Turned Fraud Into A Side Hustle, Now She's Going To Prison
Maryland Unemployment Insider Turned Fraud Into A Side Hustle, Now She's Going To Prison Katrina McCant had the kind of access most fraudsters could only dream about. Working inside Maryland's unemployment system, the 41-year-old Baltimore woman could approve documents, remove fraud holds and make changes to claims. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal prosecutors say she used those privileges to line her own pockets. Now she's headed to federal prison. McCant was sentenced on Monday, Nov. 9, to four years behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. She also agreed to pay $753,5…

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by Zak Failla
Leesburg, VA
Breaking News
Leesburg E-Biker Killed In Overnight Crash, Pickup Driver Charged With DUI Manslaughter: Police Leesburg E-Biker Killed In Overnight Crash, Pickup Driver Charged With DUI Manslaughter: Police Leesburg E-Biker Killed In Overnight Crash, Pickup Driver Charged With DUI Manslaughter: Police
Leesburg E-Biker Killed In Overnight Crash, Pickup Driver Charged With DUI Manslaughter: Police A Virginia man riding an electric bicycle was killed in an overnight crash involving a pickup truck whose driver is now facing DUI manslaughter charges, police announced. Clayton P. Templeton, 32, of Middleburg, was arrested following the crash that killed a 38-year-old Leesburg man shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 10, according to the Leesburg Police Department. Officers were called to the intersection of East Market Street and Prosperity Avenue at approximately 12:06 a.m., where an e-bike and pickup truck had been involved in a collision. The e-bike rider suffered fatal injuries i…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
'Kids Are Here To Be Used': DC Man's Chilling Online Words Come Back To Haunt Him 'Kids Are Here To Be Used': DC Man's Chilling Online Words Come Back To Haunt Him 'Kids Are Here To Be Used': DC Man's Chilling Online Words Come Back To Haunt Him
'Kids Are Here To Be Used': DC Man's Chilling Online Words Come Back To Haunt Him "Kids are here to be used."  Those are the words 29-year-old Angel Anthony Rios said while discussing child porn with another like-minded individual on social media. Now, the DC resident is heading to prison for 46 months, according to federal authorities. What began as a social media conversation about topics including politics on Dec. 18, 2025, took a disturbing turn when Rios revealed his sexual interest in children. He went on to share videos showing the sexual abuse of a 3-year-old boy, according to federal prosecutors. Rios was arrested on Jan. 23 and pleaded guilty to possess…

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by Zak Failla
Manchester-Hampstead, MD
Breaking News
Garage Erupts In Flames At Manchester Home As Firefighters Confront Raging Afternoon Blaze Garage Erupts In Flames At Manchester Home As Firefighters Confront Raging Afternoon Blaze Garage Erupts In Flames At Manchester Home As Firefighters Confront Raging Afternoon Blaze
Garage Erupts In Flames At Manchester Home As Firefighters Confront Raging Afternoon Blaze A fire that erupted inside an attached garage at a Maryland home sent flames roaring into the afternoon sky and left an estimated $120,000 in damage, authorities said. The blaze broke out around 2:17 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, at a single-family home on Quantim Court in Manchester, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office. Photos from the scene show bright orange flames engulfing the garage area, with thick black smoke billowing alongside the home and a white SUV parked just feet from the fire. The Manchester Volunteer Fire Department led the response, with approximately 30 firef…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Caught With His Pants Down: Baltimore Drug Dealer's Underwear Secret Exposed After Bike Escape Caught With His Pants Down: Baltimore Drug Dealer's Underwear Secret Exposed After Bike Escape Caught With His Pants Down: Baltimore Drug Dealer's Underwear Secret Exposed After Bike Escape
Caught With His Pants Down: Baltimore Drug Dealer's Underwear Secret Exposed After Bike Escape A Baltimore drug dealer had a dirty little secret tucked away in his underwear, but police weren't about to let him get away with hiding the goods below the belt. Robert Young, 35, pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 9, to federal drug and firearms charges stemming from an October 2024 arrest that began with a series of suspected drug deals and ended with officers finding a stash of cocaine in his underwear, federal prosecutors announced. The trouble began when a Baltimore Police detective monitoring a CitiWatch surveillance camera in the city's Eastern District spotted Young conducting what app…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
100 MPH And One Bad Turn: Virginia Motorcyclist's Getaway Goes Sideways, Sheriff Says 100 MPH And One Bad Turn: Virginia Motorcyclist's Getaway Goes Sideways, Sheriff Says 100 MPH And One Bad Turn: Virginia Motorcyclist's Getaway Goes Sideways, Sheriff Says
100 MPH And One Bad Turn: Virginia Motorcyclist's Getaway Goes Sideways, Sheriff Says A Virginia motorcyclist apparently thought 100 mph was enough to outrun the law, but he wasn't counting on the deputy waiting for him up ahead. David Jo, 22, of Annandale, learned that lesson the hard way on Saturday, Nov. 7, when a ride through Fauquier County ended with him in handcuffs and facing a felony charge, according to the sheriff's office. The trouble began when a deputy stationed along Route 29 spotted a black-and-blue sport motorcycle blowing past him, just as another deputy had warned him to watch for a bike traveling without a license plate. The deputy pulled onto the highwa…

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by Zak Failla
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