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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

Traffic
All Lanes Shut Down On I-95 In Howard County As Crash Triggers Miles-Long Delays (DEVELOPING) All Lanes Shut Down On I-95 In Howard County As Crash Triggers Miles-Long Delays (DEVELOPING)
All Lanes Shut Down On I-95 In Howard County As Crash Triggers Miles-Long Delays (Developing) A parking lot on I-95. Thousands of drivers in Maryland spent part of their Father's Day staring at brake lights after a crash shut down all northbound travel lanes on one of the state's busiest stretches of highway, triggering miles-long backups. The collision was reported shortly after 4:10 p.m. on Sunday, June 21, on I-95 north near mile marker 39 in Howard County, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation. As of approximately 4:30 p.m., all four northbound traffic lanes were closed while emergency crews worked at the scene. One of the two northbound shoulders was also shut…

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by Zak Failla
Obituaries
Nicholas Thanh Dies Unexpectedly At 31 In Virginia, Remembered As Friend Who Always Checked In Nicholas Thanh Dies Unexpectedly At 31 In Virginia, Remembered As Friend Who Always Checked In
Nicholas Thanh Dies Unexpectedly At 31 In Virginia, Remembered As Friend Who Always Checked In The text was simple. "Hey brother, how's it going? Haven't talked in a while." For one grieving friend, it's now a reminder of exactly who Nicholas Khoa Thanh was. The sudden death of the 31-year-old Virginia native has left family and friends mourning far more than a son, brother, uncle, and friend.  They're remembering a sneaker-loving entrepreneur, basketball teammate, anime fan, and loyal friend who never seemed to lose touch with the people he cared about. Thanh, known to friends as Nick, died unexpectedly in Virginia, according to his family. In the days since his passing, tr…

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by Zak Failla
News
F-16 Intercepts Plane Violating Restricted Airspace Over Hagerstown: NORAD (VIDEO) F-16 Intercepts Plane Violating Restricted Airspace Over Hagerstown: NORAD (VIDEO)
F-16 Intercepts Plane Violating Restricted Airspace Over Hagerstown: NORAD (Video) A Maryland pilot got an unexpected escort from the US military on Saturday afternoon. A NORAD F-16 fighter jet intercepted a civilian aircraft after it entered restricted airspace over Hagerstown, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The violation occurred around 12:20 p.m. Saturday, June 20, when the general aviation aircraft entered a VIP Temporary Flight Restriction area over Washington County, officials said. That's when NORAD stepped in. Military officials said the F-16 intercepted the aircraft over Hagerstown before monitoring it as it safely landed at a nearby…

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by Zak Failla
Traffic
Motorcyclist Killed After Two Bikes Traveling Together Go Down In Rockville: PD (DEVELOPING) Motorcyclist Killed After Two Bikes Traveling Together Go Down In Rockville: PD (DEVELOPING)
Motorcyclist Killed After Two Bikes Traveling Together Go Down In Rockville: PD (Developing) Two motorcycles traveling together went down near a busy Maryland intersection overnight, leaving one rider dead and another unharmed, police say. The collision was reported shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday, June 21, when first responders were called to the area of Norbeck Road and Hannans Way in Rockville to investigate a crash, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. Investigators say the riders were traveling together westbound on Norbeck Road on Honda motorcycles when the bikes made contact, causing both riders to lose control. One rider suffered fatal injuries and was p…

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
Driver Bails From Car During Beltway Chase, Leaves It Rolling Into Fiery Crash: VSP Driver Bails From Car During Beltway Chase, Leaves It Rolling Into Fiery Crash: VSP
Driver Bails From Car During Beltway Chase, Leaves It Rolling Into Fiery Crash: VSP A driver fleeing Virginia State Police after midnight on the Beltway didn't just run from his car. He left it in drive. Moments later, the unmanned vehicle slammed into a parked car and burst into flames, according to investigators. The pursuit began shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, June 21, when a Virginia State Police trooper spotted a vehicle speeding along I-495 near Telegraph Road in Fairfax County, police said. When the trooper attempted a traffic stop, the driver refused to pull over and took off. The chase continued through the Mixing Bowl and onto I-395 northbound before the driver…

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by Zak Failla
Business
First Unionized Apple Store In America Closes For Good In Towson Town Center Tonight First Unionized Apple Store In America Closes For Good In Towson Town Center Tonight
First Unionized Apple Store In America Closes For Good In Towson Town Center Tonight "Thank you, Towson." That's the message greeting customers on Saturday, June 20, as one of Maryland's most historic retail locations prepares to close its doors for the final time. Apple Towson Town Center in Baltimore County will permanently shut down at 8 p.m. on Saturday night, ending the run of the store that became the first unionized Apple retail location in the United States. The company posted a farewell message on the store's webpage ahead of its final day, directing customers to other Apple locations, online ordering options, and support services. Located in Towson, the store dr…

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by Zak Failla
News
$24M Pot Bust: Baltimore CBP Seizes 5 Tons Of Marijuana Hidden In Shipment Bound For England $24M Pot Bust: Baltimore CBP Seizes 5 Tons Of Marijuana Hidden In Shipment Bound For England
$24M Pot Bust: Baltimore CBP Seizes 5 Tons Of Marijuana Hidden In Shipment Bound For England Somebody tried to send more than five tons of marijuana from Maryland to England disguised as a shipment of men's shirts. It didn't make it past Baltimore. US Customs and Border Protection officers seized 10,615 pounds of marijuana from a shipping container at the Port of Baltimore on Thursday, June 18, though the massive bust actually happened on May 29, according to CBP. CBP officers seized five tons of marijuana in a shipping container in Baltimore. CBP The container had arrived from Nassau County on Long Island and was headed for Liverpool, England. On paper, it carried men's …

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by Zak Failla
Police & Fire
6 Shot, Crowd Scatters During Early-Morning Chaos In Anne Arundel County: Police (DEVELOPING) 6 Shot, Crowd Scatters During Early-Morning Chaos In Anne Arundel County: Police (DEVELOPING)
6 Shot, Crowd Scatters During Early-Morning Chaos In Anne Arundel County: Police (Developing) A chaotic early-morning gathering in Maryland ended with six people shot and scattered across multiple hospitals before investigators could piece together what happened. The gunfire was reported around 4:40 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, when officers were called to the 1300 block of Charwood Road in Hanover for reports of an unknown disturbance involving possible shooting victims, according to Anne Arundel County Police. When officers arrived, they found one man suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso. He was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatenin…

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by Zak Failla
News
Pharmacy Workers Ordered To Their Knees, Phones Stolen At Gunpoint: DC Robbery Boss Learns Fate Pharmacy Workers Ordered To Their Knees, Phones Stolen At Gunpoint: DC Robbery Boss Learns Fate
Pharmacy Workers Ordered To Their Knees, Phones Stolen At Gunpoint: DC Robbery Boss Learns Fate One robbery ended with a pharmacy employee zip-tied inside a narcotics vault. Another forced a worker to his knees before being struck in the head. And after a yearlong robbery spree that stretched from Maryland to New Jersey, the man prosecutors say helped orchestrate it all has finally learned where the getaway route ends. D'Marrell Mitchell, a 36-year-old DC man known as "Baby," was sentenced to 224 months in prison for helping lead a violent robbery crew that terrorized pharmacies and cellphone stores across the DMV and beyond, federal prosecutors announced. For nearly a year, from May…

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by Zak Failla
Sports
Penguins Reporter Axed From Dream Job Fresh Off Honeymoon, She Says Penguins Reporter Axed From Dream Job Fresh Off Honeymoon, She Says
Penguins Reporter Axed From Dream Job Fresh Off Honeymoon, She Says Hailey Hunter had just gotten married, returned from her honeymoon, and settled into the life she spent years building in Pittsburgh. Then the dream job disappeared. The popular SportsNet Pittsburgh reporter confirmed this week that she is no longer with the network after three seasons covering the Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates, sparking backlash from fellow broadcasters and fans. "Unfortunately, I was told the Penguins have decided that they simply wanted to move in a different direction with the role," Hunter told TribLive. "I really wasn't given any details, but I understan…

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by Zak Failla
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