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

Ellicott City, MD
Breaking News
Armed Robbery Suspects Already Jailed In Baltimore County Now Charged In Howard County Armed Robbery Suspects Already Jailed In Baltimore County Now Charged In Howard County Armed Robbery Suspects Already Jailed In Baltimore County Now Charged In Howard County
Armed Robbery Suspects Already Jailed In Baltimore County Now Charged In Howard County The arrests weren't the end of the story. Less than a week after Baltimore County police announced the arrests of two men accused of carrying out a string of armed robberies targeting business owners, investigators in neighboring Howard County say the same suspects are now facing even more charges tied to another series of violent holdups. Howard County police announced on Wednesday, July 8, that 28-year-old Timothy Evans Jr. and 29-year-old Diamante Gilliam have been charged in three armed robberies that occurred in June in Ellicott City and West Friendship. According to investigators, th…

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by Zak Failla
Suitland, MD
Breaking News
Second Jury Convicts Man In Brutal Murder Of Suitland Father After Mistrial: Prosecutors Second Jury Convicts Man In Brutal Murder Of Suitland Father After Mistrial: Prosecutors Second Jury Convicts Man In Brutal Murder Of Suitland Father After Mistrial: Prosecutors
Second Jury Convicts Man In Brutal Murder Of Suitland Father After Mistrial: Prosecutors The first trial ended without a verdict. The second left little doubt. A Prince George's County jury has convicted a Temple Hills man in the 2024 murder of Suitland father Brian Michael Speaks, bringing an end to a case that prosecutors had to try twice after the first proceedings ended in a mistrial. Francis Xavier Holmes Jr., 31, was found guilty Wednesday, July 8, of first-degree murder, use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence, and illegal possession of a firearm following a disqualifying conviction, Prince George's County State's Attorney Tara Jackson announced. Holme…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
30+ Evaluated In Mass Casualty Incident After MTA Bus Plows Into Pikesville Building (UPDATED) 30+ Evaluated In Mass Casualty Incident After MTA Bus Plows Into Pikesville Building (UPDATED) 30+ Evaluated In Mass Casualty Incident After MTA Bus Plows Into Pikesville Building (UPDATED)
30+ Evaluated In Mass Casualty Incident After MTA Bus Plows Into Pikesville Building (Updated) A routine evening commute turned into chaos in Maryland. An MTA bus slammed into a building in Baltimore County on Wednesday evening, July 8, triggering a mass casualty incident that left more than 30 people injured and at least one person critically hurt, according to fire officials. The crash happened around 6:10 p.m. in the 1500 block of Reisterstown Road in Pikesville. The Baltimore County Fire Department said the bus crashed into a building, trapping at least one person inside. Crews immediately declared a second-alarm mass casualty incident as firefighters, paramedics, and rescue tea…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Caught On Camera: Suspect Climbs Into DC Ambulance, Steals Equipment While Crew Treats Patient Caught On Camera: Suspect Climbs Into DC Ambulance, Steals Equipment While Crew Treats Patient Caught On Camera: Suspect Climbs Into DC Ambulance, Steals Equipment While Crew Treats Patient
Caught On Camera: Suspect Climbs Into DC Ambulance, Steals Equipment While Crew Treats Patient While paramedics were inside helping someone in need, police say a thief was helping himself. Police in the nation's capital are searching for a man accused of climbing into an unattended DC Fire and EMS ambulance in Northeast Washington and stealing equipment while crews were responding to an emergency call. The theft happened around 3:20 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, in the Unit block of K Street NE. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, firefighters and paramedics had responded to a call and were inside a nearby location assisting a patient when the suspect entered the unoccupied …

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Virginia Police Officer Turned Off Body Camera Before Raping Woman At Hotel: Feds Virginia Police Officer Turned Off Body Camera Before Raping Woman At Hotel: Feds Virginia Police Officer Turned Off Body Camera Before Raping Woman At Hotel: Feds
Virginia Police Officer Turned Off Body Camera Before Raping Woman At Hotel: Feds She thought she was getting a ride back to her hotel. Instead, federal prosecutors say a police officer in Virginia turned off his body camera, took her inside her room, and raped her while on duty. Former Newport News Police Officer Raheem Massiah Askew was indicted on Wednesday, July 8, by a federal grand jury on a charge of deprivation of rights under color of law stemming from the alleged March 14 assault, according to the US Attorney's Office. Investigators say Askew and another Newport News officer, along with firefighters and EMTs, responded that night to a report of a woman lying o…

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by Zak Failla
Silver Spring, MD
Breaking News
Woman Moved Into Silver Spring Man's Home, Stole Nearly $407K In Dating Scam: Prosecutors Woman Moved Into Silver Spring Man's Home, Stole Nearly $407K In Dating Scam: Prosecutors Woman Moved Into Silver Spring Man's Home, Stole Nearly $407K In Dating Scam: Prosecutors
Woman Moved Into Silver Spring Man's Home, Stole Nearly $407K In Dating Scam: Prosecutors She didn't just steal nearly $407,000. She moved in first. A woman known by many names, who prosecutors say posed as a Harvard-educated businesswoman, may spend the rest of her life behind bars after a Montgomery County jury convicted her of an elaborate investment scheme that drained nearly $407,000 from a man she met through an online dating site. District resident Janey Sears, 72, was found guilty after prosecutors said she spent years grooming a single federal employee in his 50s, convincing him she could make him "financially independent" before siphoning away his life savings. It sta…

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by Zak Failla
Ashburn, VA
Breaking News
West Point Grad's Family 'Overwhelmed' By Support After $1.2M Ashburn House Fire West Point Grad's Family 'Overwhelmed' By Support After $1.2M Ashburn House Fire West Point Grad's Family 'Overwhelmed' By Support After $1.2M Ashburn House Fire
West Point Grad's Family 'Overwhelmed' By Support After $1.2M Ashburn House Fire One devastating night changed everything. Now, a Virginia family is discovering just how many people are ready to help them put the pieces back together. Just days after a Fourth of July house fire caused nearly $1.2 million in damage and tore through their Ashburn home, more than 500 people have stepped up to support West Point graduate and Army officer Tim Tieng, his wife, son, and the family's long road to recovery. A fundraiser set up for the family raised more than $62,000 just days after the fire, bringing them within reach of their $70,000 goal. Maria Reardon, Tieng's sister, said t…

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by Zak Failla
Woodbridge, VA
Breaking News
Woodbridge 'Clubhouse' Busted After Multi-State Drug Probe Uncovers Massive Operation: Police Woodbridge 'Clubhouse' Busted After Multi-State Drug Probe Uncovers Massive Operation: Police Woodbridge 'Clubhouse' Busted After Multi-State Drug Probe Uncovers Massive Operation: Police
Woodbridge 'Clubhouse' Busted After Multi-State Drug Probe Uncovers Massive Operation: Police They thought it was just another smoke shop. Instead, police say a Woodbridge business was operating as the center of a large-scale drug manufacturing and distribution operation that stretched across state lines before a months-long investigation brought it crashing down. The Prince William County Narcotics Task Force announced Wednesday, July 8, that three men have been charged and one remains wanted following an investigation centered on the Rat Pack Clubhouse at 13621 Richmond Highway. Investigators say the case began after anonymous complaints about the business earlier this year. By …

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by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Your Community
Charles County Community Keeps 51-Year-Old Pool Afloat After 7-Day Fight To Stay Open Charles County Community Keeps 51-Year-Old Pool Afloat After 7-Day Fight To Stay Open Charles County Community Keeps 51-Year-Old Pool Afloat After 7-Day Fight To Stay Open
Charles County Community Keeps 51-Year-Old Pool Afloat After 7-Day Fight To Stay Open For seven days, the clock was ticking. A Maryland swim club that warned it could be forced to close within a week says it's staying open after an overwhelming wave of donations, new memberships, and community support helped meet its most urgent financial need. The Smallwood Village Swim Club in Waldorf announced on Tuesday, July 7, that it has met its immediate $25,000 financial need, allowing the 51-year-old pool to remain open while leaders continue working toward longer-term repairs and financial stability. "The immediate need means that the doors and schedule for Smallwood will remain …

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by Zak Failla
Germantown, MD
Obituaries
Maryland Mom Of 4 Dies Within Minutes After Sudden Allergic Reaction At Home, Family Says Maryland Mom Of 4 Dies Within Minutes After Sudden Allergic Reaction At Home, Family Says Maryland Mom Of 4 Dies Within Minutes After Sudden Allergic Reaction At Home, Family Says
Maryland Mom Of 4 Dies Within Minutes After Sudden Allergic Reaction At Home, Family Says It happened in a matter of minutes. A Maryland husband and four children are facing the unimaginable after 36-year-old Germantown resident Maria Gutierrez died after suffering from a sudden allergic reaction while she was at home with her family, according to an online fundraiser created on their behalf. Gutierrez was with her husband of 15 years, Victor, and their four children on Wednesday, July 1, when she suffered the severe reaction. "We are heartbroken," organizers wrote. "No child should have to witness their mother's last moments." "We’re asking for your support as the Gutierrez f…

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by Zak Failla
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