Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

[email protected]

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

Police ID Wrong-Way Driver Killed In Head-On Virginia Crash With Tesla Police ID Wrong-Way Driver Killed In Head-On Virginia Crash With Tesla Police ID Wrong-Way Driver Killed In Head-On Virginia Crash With Tesla
Police ID Wrong-Way Driver Killed In Head-On Virginia Crash With Tesla An 81-year-old man died after crashing his SUV while driving on the wrong side of the road in Fairfax County, according to police. Fairfax Station resident Sidney Brooks has been identified by investigators as the person who was killed after crashing his Chevy Trailblazer into a Tesla shortly after midnight on Thursday morning. Officers from the Fairfax County Police Department were called to the intersection of Fairfax County Parkway north of the intersection with Ox Road to investigate the two-vehicle crash. Police say that Brooks was traveling north on Fairfax County Parkway in the sout…
Teen Arrested With Weapon On School Grounds That Led To Lockdown In Arlington: Police Teen Arrested With Weapon On School Grounds That Led To Lockdown In Arlington: Police Teen Arrested With Weapon On School Grounds That Led To Lockdown In Arlington: Police
Teen Arrested With Weapon On School Grounds That Led To Lockdown In Arlington: Police An 18-year-old student at an Arlington County high school was arrested after being caught with a gun on school grounds by administrators.  Tashawn Carter was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon following an investigation into reports of a weapon that was found at the Langston High School Continuation Program, where there was an alarm. Police say that a school administrator located a firearm in Carter's possession, prompting a temporary lockdown while responding officers investigated. The Arlington native was taken into custody without incident and charged with possession of…
Stars Align For Woman Who Hit $2M Lottery Jackpot On Ticket Sold At Maryland Liquor Store Stars Align For Woman Who Hit $2M Lottery Jackpot On Ticket Sold At Maryland Liquor Store Stars Align For Woman Who Hit $2M Lottery Jackpot On Ticket Sold At Maryland Liquor Store
Stars Align For Woman Who Hit $2M Lottery Jackpot On Ticket Sold At Maryland Liquor Store One Maryland city is the place to be for lucky Lottery players looking to cash in big. For the second time this week, a winning ticket worth a seven-figure jackpot that was sold in Cumberland was cashed in, this time at Parkview Liquors on a "$2,000,000 Gold Rush" scratcher, just days after a player claimed a million dollar prize.  The retired state employee says she follows a strict routine when she plays her tickets by only scratching off the numbers without displaying the prizes. She then compares those numbers to the winning numbers to determine if Lady Luck was shining down o…
Bus Riding Bank Robber Busted With Stolen Cash In Clarendon: Police Bus Riding Bank Robber Busted With Stolen Cash In Clarendon: Police Bus Riding Bank Robber Busted With Stolen Cash In Clarendon: Police
Bus Riding Bank Robber Busted With Stolen Cash In Clarendon: Police Public transportation didn't serve a bank robber well in Arlington who was busted after being spotted getting off of an ART bus after her heist. Local resident Asia Strong is facing charges following an early-morning robbery at TD Bank in the 3000 block of Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon on Wednesday, officials say. According to the Arlington County Police Department, shortly before 8:30 a.m. on March 13, officers responded to the bank, where Strong allegedly walked into the building, approached a teller, and demanded cash. At no point was a weapon implied or displayed. No injuries were repo…
Heroic Neighbor Thwarts Burglary, Assault Of Woman In Virginia, Police Say Heroic Neighbor Thwarts Burglary, Assault Of Woman In Virginia, Police Say Heroic Neighbor Thwarts Burglary, Assault Of Woman In Virginia, Police Say
Heroic Neighbor Thwarts Burglary, Assault Of Woman In Virginia, Police Say A Fairfax County man went above and beyond the call of duty to assist a neighbor who was being assaulted in her Fairfax County apartment during a burglary, police say. Alexandria resident Deon Omar Traynham, 32, was arrested on Wednesday after being interrupted by a neighbor when he broke into a woman's home and attacked her in the 4500 block of Colony Court in Woodlawn. Shortly before 5:45 p.m. on March 13, officers from the Fairfax County Police Department were called to the apartment to investigate a reported burglary in process involving Traynham and a woman who was home alone at t…
Predator Posing As Teen To Target 14-Year-Old Girl Admits To Sexually Abusing Her In VA Hotel Predator Posing As Teen To Target 14-Year-Old Girl Admits To Sexually Abusing Her In VA Hotel Predator Posing As Teen To Target 14-Year-Old Girl Admits To Sexually Abusing Her In VA Hotel
Predator Posing As Teen To Target 14-Year-Old Girl Admits To Sexually Abusing Her In VA Hotel A North Carolina man who posed as a teen boy to coerce a 14-year-old girl he met on Instagram admitted to traveling to a Virginia hotel to have sex with her, federal authorities announced. Raleigh native Rayvon Birden, 26, pleaded guilty this week to preying on the minor through social media while representing himself as a 16-year-old named "Nolan." According to court documents, Birden contacted the girl through a Direct Message on Instagram, and the pair exchanged phone numbers, communicating regularly through texts and FaceTime calls.  During those conversations, prosecutors say tha…
Virginia Man Behind Bars After Being Busted With Child Porn On His Devices: Police Virginia Man Behind Bars After Being Busted With Child Porn On His Devices: Police Virginia Man Behind Bars After Being Busted With Child Porn On His Devices: Police
Virginia Man Behind Bars After Being Busted With Child Porn On His Devices: Police A wide-ranging, "extensive" investigation involving multiple agencies led to the apprehension of a 42-year-old man in Virginia who is facing child porn charges. Leesburg resident Luke Mulligan, 42, was arrested on Thursday morning after being tied to illicit materials that were tracked back to his electronic devices by local, state, and federal investigators. On March 14, members of the Leesburg Police Department arrested Mulligan and executed a search warrant in the 600 block of Rockbridge Drive, SE, "which was obtained after a thorough investigation stemming from the discovery of sex…
Murder Suspect Arrested Six Weeks After Midday Southeast DC Shooting: MPD Murder Suspect Arrested Six Weeks After Midday Southeast DC Shooting: MPD Murder Suspect Arrested Six Weeks After Midday Southeast DC Shooting: MPD
Murder Suspect Arrested Six Weeks After Midday Southeast DC Shooting: MPD A 24-year-old man has been arrested weeks after David Coe was gunned down in Southeast DC, the Metropolitan Police Department announced. On Thursday afternoon, the agency said that Southeast resident Kyree Hairston has been arrested and charged on a warrant with second-degree murder while armed following the midday February shooting. Officials say that at around 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3, officers from the department were called to the 1200 block of Southern Avenue SE to investigate a reported shooting in the area. Upon arrival, they found Coe suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pro…
One Killed, One Hospitalized In Early Morning Fairfax County Crash, Police Say One Killed, One Hospitalized In Early Morning Fairfax County Crash, Police Say One Killed, One Hospitalized In Early Morning Fairfax County Crash, Police Say
One Killed, One Hospitalized In Early Morning Fairfax County Crash, Police Say One person was killed and a second hospitalized in Fairfax County following a two-vehicle crash, according to police. Officers were called to the scene of a collision shortly after 2 a.m. on Route 286 near Ox Road in Fairfax Station, where the crash was reported. According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the driver of one vehicle was pronounced dead at the  hospital, while the second was treated and evaluated for non-life-threatening injuries. The crash led to road closures in the area for several hours. It has since reopened.  The roadway is now open. Follow our blo…
Warrant Issued For Serial 'Jaws Of Life' ATM Robber In Maryland Warrant Issued For Serial 'Jaws Of Life' ATM Robber In Maryland Warrant Issued For Serial 'Jaws Of Life' ATM Robber In Maryland
Warrant Issued For Serial 'Jaws Of Life' ATM Robber In Maryland A grand jury in Prince George's County has indicted a 31-year-old man who is now wanted in connection to a series of robberies police have dubbed the "Jaws of Life ATM String."  Stefon Janey, whose last known address was in Accokeek, is now one of the most wanted men in the county after a warrant was issued for his arrest, authorities announced on Wednesday afternoon. Janey was indicted in connection with eight robberies at multiple locations in Prince George’s County earlier this year – including convenience stores in the 8600 block of Baltimore Avenue and the 8200 block of Martin Lut…
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