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

Chevy Chase, MD
Your Community
SCOTUSblog Founder From Chevy Chase Who Argued 40+ Supreme Court Cases Sentenced In Fraud Case SCOTUSblog Founder From Chevy Chase Who Argued 40+ Supreme Court Cases Sentenced In Fraud Case SCOTUSblog Founder From Chevy Chase Who Argued 40+ Supreme Court Cases Sentenced In Fraud Case
SCOTUSblog Founder From Chevy Chase Who Argued 40+ Supreme Court Cases Sentenced In Fraud Case He spent years arguing before the nation's highest court. Now, the man who helped build one of its most influential news websites is headed to federal prison. Thomas C. Goldstein, 56, of Chevy Chase, was sentenced on Friday, July 24, after a federal jury convicted the prominent appellate attorney and SCOTUSblog co-founder in a yearslong tax evasion and mortgage fraud scheme tied to millions of dollars in high-stakes gambling. For years, Goldstein built a national reputation arguing more than 40 cases before the US Supreme Court while running the boutique law firm Goldstein & Russell, P…

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by Zak Failla
Laurel, MD
Obituaries
Twin Cheerleader Dies Suddenly, Thousands Raised For Maryland Family Twin Cheerleader Dies Suddenly, Thousands Raised For Maryland Family Twin Cheerleader Dies Suddenly, Thousands Raised For Maryland Family
Twin Cheerleader Dies Suddenly, Thousands Raised For Maryland Family Anna Onyekachukwu Ucheomumu did not blend into a room. Now, a Maryland family is mourning the unexpected loss of a beloved twin sister, aunt, and former University of Miami cheerleader remembered for a presence that was impossible to ignore. “She was a force. A leader. A light,” Susana Uche wrote in a Facebook post sharing a GoFundMe set up following her death. “A woman who walked into any room and instantly drew every eye, not because she tried, but because her presence was undeniable.” Anna was born on Sept. 29, 1993, alongside her twin sister (age 32). Records show she has ties to …

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by Zak Failla
Silver Spring, MD
Breaking News
Silver Spring Driver Dies After Slamming Into Tree In Early-Morning Maryland Crash: Police Silver Spring Driver Dies After Slamming Into Tree In Early-Morning Maryland Crash: Police Silver Spring Driver Dies After Slamming Into Tree In Early-Morning Maryland Crash: Police
Silver Spring Driver Dies After Slamming Into Tree In Early-Morning Maryland Crash: Police A violent crash involving a Mercedes ended with one driver dead before sunrise in Maryland. Montgomery County police are investigating the fatal single-vehicle wreck, which happened around 4:40 a.m. on Saturday, July 25, along New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring. Investigators say the driver of a 2010 Mercedes lost control in the 11800 block of New Hampshire Avenue, striking the center median before crashing head-on into a tree. The force of the impact left the driver critically injured. Fire and rescue crews rushed the adult man to an area hospital, where he later died. Police have no…

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by Zak Failla
Severna Park, MD
Breaking News
Daughter Fights To Save Severna Park Home That Sheltered Three Generations Of Her Family Daughter Fights To Save Severna Park Home That Sheltered Three Generations Of Her Family Daughter Fights To Save Severna Park Home That Sheltered Three Generations Of Her Family
Daughter Fights To Save Severna Park Home That Sheltered Three Generations Of Her Family A Maryland daughter is refusing to let her family's story end with a foreclosure notice. Severna Park native Marie Jane Machin is racing to save the only home her family has ever known in Anne Arundel County as she rallies community support to help her parents avoid a move late in life. Machin launched a GoFundMe on behalf of her family that has quickly taken off as friends and loved ones hope to keep the house where she grew up, as well as the place her mother called home, from slipping away. "My parents are my favorite people in this world," Machin wrote in a heartfelt plea that has…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Your Community
Baltimore Family Torn Apart After Father Of Four Is Detained By ICE On Way To Work Baltimore Family Torn Apart After Father Of Four Is Detained By ICE On Way To Work Baltimore Family Torn Apart After Father Of Four Is Detained By ICE On Way To Work
Baltimore Family Torn Apart After Father Of Four Is Detained By ICE On Way To Work One trip to work changed everything. A Maryland family is scrambling to keep its life together after a Baltimore father was detained by ICE during his morning commute, leaving behind a wife, four children, and the family's only steady source of income. According to a GoFundMe organized by his eldest daughter, Segundo Quizhpi Quizhpi was detained on Saturday, July 11, while on his way to work in Baltimore.  Hours later, at 3 a.m. the following morning, his wife learned he had been taken to the ICE detention center in Farmville, Virginia, roughly four hours from the family's home. Sinc…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Fairfax Farmers Market Remains Open After Car Slams Into Stand, Injuring Two (DEVELOPING) Fairfax Farmers Market Remains Open After Car Slams Into Stand, Injuring Two (DEVELOPING) Fairfax Farmers Market Remains Open After Car Slams Into Stand, Injuring Two (DEVELOPING)
Fairfax Farmers Market Remains Open After Car Slams Into Stand, Injuring Two (Developing) A busy Saturday at a Virginia farmers market was interrupted when a car crashed into one of the vendor stands, sending an adult and a child to the hospital. The crash happened shortly after noon on Saturday, July 25, at the Fairfax City Farmers Market in the 10000 block of Main Street, where an elderly driver reportedly crashed into a market stand, according to Fairfax County police. Police said one adult and one child suffered injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. Both were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Authorities have not said what caused the crash or …

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
DC AAU Basketball Coach, Five Players Arrested During Florida Tournament Theft Case: Sheriff DC AAU Basketball Coach, Five Players Arrested During Florida Tournament Theft Case: Sheriff DC AAU Basketball Coach, Five Players Arrested During Florida Tournament Theft Case: Sheriff
DC AAU Basketball Coach, Five Players Arrested During Florida Tournament Theft Case: Sheriff A late-night stop at 7-Eleven ended with a Washington, DC-area AAU basketball coach and five of his teenage players in handcuffs. The Run It Up travel basketball team was in Florida for the Puma NXTPro tournament when members of the team were arrested following an alleged theft at a Davenport convenience store, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Detectives said the group entered the 7-Eleven on Ronald Reagan Parkway at approximately 4:10 a.m. on Thursday, July 23, and concealed merchandise before attempting to leave without paying. Investigators said the stolen items included D…

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by Zak Failla
Bel Air, MD
Breaking News
'Only The Garage Was Left': Belcamp Family Recalls Walking Through Burned Home 'Only The Garage Was Left': Belcamp Family Recalls Walking Through Burned Home 'Only The Garage Was Left': Belcamp Family Recalls Walking Through Burned Home
'Only The Garage Was Left': Belcamp Family Recalls Walking Through Burned Home They don't blame Bo. Nearly two weeks after a bizarre Maryland house fire made headlines when investigators determined the family dog accidentally turned on a toaster, Shannon and Chad Ellis are sharing what happened after the cameras left, describing the heartbreak of losing nearly everything, the miracle that saved one beloved pet, and why they hope other families learn from their experience. The Ellis family's Belcamp home was destroyed on Friday, July 10, while no one was home.  According to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal, Ring camera footage showed Bo jumping onto …

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Your Community
Virginia Councilman Encouraged AI Child Sex Abuse Images, Traded Pics Of Himself: DOJ Virginia Councilman Encouraged AI Child Sex Abuse Images, Traded Pics Of Himself: DOJ Virginia Councilman Encouraged AI Child Sex Abuse Images, Traded Pics Of Himself: DOJ
Virginia Councilman Encouraged AI Child Sex Abuse Images, Traded Pics Of Himself: DOJ A Virginia town councilman is accused of encouraging others online to create AI-generated images of children being sexually abused, federal authorities announced. Steven Wayne Erickson, 48, of Pulaski, was arrested on Thursday, July 23, on federal charges of receiving and distributing child sexual abuse material, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia. Pulaski has served on the Pulaski Town Council since 2024, WDBJ reports. His image remained on the town's website as of Monday, July 27. The FBI investigation began after agents received a cyber tip involvi…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Wanted Virginia Driver Busted After Hit-Run Reveals Open Booze, Ignition Interlock: Sheriff Wanted Virginia Driver Busted After Hit-Run Reveals Open Booze, Ignition Interlock: Sheriff Wanted Virginia Driver Busted After Hit-Run Reveals Open Booze, Ignition Interlock: Sheriff
Wanted Virginia Driver Busted After Hit-Run Reveals Open Booze, Ignition Interlock: Sheriff If there was a wrong decision to make, deputies say Gordon Bruce made just about all of them. Stafford County deputies arrested the 60-year-old Fredericksburg man, after what started out as a midday hit-and-run rapidly spiraled into one long day for everyone involved. The chain of events unfolded around 4:55 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, along Stafford Lakes Parkway. Deputies say Gordon Bruce, 60, of Fredericksburg, rear-ended another driver before fleeing the scene and running a red light. It didn't get him very far. Responding deputies found Bruce's vehicle nearby with heavy front-end dam…

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by Zak Failla
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