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

Towson, MD
Obituaries
‘He Would Do Anything To Protect His Family’: Tribute Emerges For Slain Baltimore County Dad ‘He Would Do Anything To Protect His Family’: Tribute Emerges For Slain Baltimore County Dad ‘He Would Do Anything To Protect His Family’: Tribute Emerges For Slain Baltimore County Dad
‘He Would Do Anything To Protect His Family’: Tribute Emerges For Slain Baltimore County Dad Robert "Bob" MacMeekin died a hero. The 74-year-old's Maryland family is reeling after the beloved personal attorney, grandfather, coach, and community figurehead was shot and killed by his son-in-law. Loved ones say he was protecting his wife, daughter, and young grandchildren during the Saturday, May 2, shooting in Baltimore County. Authorities say MacMeekin was fatally shot during what investigators described as a domestic-related incident in his Phoenix home by his son-in-law, 41-year-old Mark Ryan. But in the days since the shooting, the story emerging from friends, family, and cowor…

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by Zak Failla
Rockville, MD
Breaking News
SUV Ends Up Riding I-270 Median Wall After Wild Rockville Rollover Crash (PHOTOS) SUV Ends Up Riding I-270 Median Wall After Wild Rockville Rollover Crash (PHOTOS) SUV Ends Up Riding I-270 Median Wall After Wild Rockville Rollover Crash (PHOTOS)
SUV Ends Up Riding I-270 Median Wall After Wild Rockville Rollover Crash (Photos) A Maryland driver somehow ended up riding the concrete median wall of I-270 after a violent rollover crash that shut down lanes for hours and left debris scattered across one of the busiest highways in the region. First responders were called around 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, to the northbound lanes of I-270 near Exit 4 and Montrose Road in Rockville after reports of a rollover crash with entrapment and traumatic injuries. Photos from the scene showed a black SUV balanced on its side directly atop the concrete barrier separating the highway, with chunks of debris and broken concrete spre…

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by Zak Failla
Purcellville, VA
Breaking News
‘Maybe He Would Be Home’: Family Shares Heartbreak In Search For Missing Purcelville Teen ‘Maybe He Would Be Home’: Family Shares Heartbreak In Search For Missing Purcelville Teen ‘Maybe He Would Be Home’: Family Shares Heartbreak In Search For Missing Purcelville Teen
‘Maybe He Would Be Home’: Family Shares Heartbreak In Search For Missing Purcelville Teen A Virginia family is desperately searching for answers after a missing 14-year-old boy vanished more than two weeks ago. Now, loved ones are launching online search groups, raising money for a private investigator, and flooding social media with pleas to bring him home safely. Nurideen “Nuri” Elmarsafi, a 14-year-old from Purcellville, was last seen in the Leesburg area on Wednesday, April 23, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said Nuri was wearing a black sweatshirt with light gray flowers when he disappeared. He is described as approximately 5-foot-4, 90 pou…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Knife-Wielding Man Killed By Officers After Hourslong Standoff Inside Arlington 7-Eleven: APD Knife-Wielding Man Killed By Officers After Hourslong Standoff Inside Arlington 7-Eleven: APD Knife-Wielding Man Killed By Officers After Hourslong Standoff Inside Arlington 7-Eleven: APD
Knife-Wielding Man Killed By Officers After Hourslong Standoff Inside Arlington 7-Eleven: APD A knife-wielding man is dead, and two officers were hospitalized after a wild standoff in the back of a Northern Virginia 7-Eleven location, police say. An investigation has been launched into the fatal officer-involved shooting that left 33-year-old Shawn Valn dead, according to the Arlington Police Department. Around 6:20 p.m. on Friday, May 8, officers were dispatched to the 7-Eleven at Columbia Pike and South Monroe Street, where there were reports of an unruly man acting disorderly before brandishing a knife. Officers ordered Valn to drop the knife repeatedly, but he retreated into th…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Breaking News
Dating App Meetup Leads To Rape Charge Against Former Maryland Officer: Delaware State Police Dating App Meetup Leads To Rape Charge Against Former Maryland Officer: Delaware State Police Dating App Meetup Leads To Rape Charge Against Former Maryland Officer: Delaware State Police
Dating App Meetup Leads To Rape Charge Against Former Maryland Officer: Delaware State Police A former police officer in Maryland has been accused of raping a woman he met on a dating app inside his Delaware home, according to state police. William Paskey, 33, who most recently worked for the Ridgely Police Department, was arrested this week following an investigation launched a year ago. According to Delaware State Police, the case dates back to September 2022, when a woman reported that Paskey invited her to his Harrington home after the two met online. During the date, detectives say Paskey “became aggressive and engaged in nonconsensual sexual acts,” while ignoring the wom…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Ghost Gun, Suspected Cocaine Seized During Major Lexington Park Drug Bust, Sheriff Says Ghost Gun, Suspected Cocaine Seized During Major Lexington Park Drug Bust, Sheriff Says Ghost Gun, Suspected Cocaine Seized During Major Lexington Park Drug Bust, Sheriff Says
Ghost Gun, Suspected Cocaine Seized During Major Lexington Park Drug Bust, Sheriff Says An investigation into suspected drug activity in Southern Maryland led to a massive bust on Friday morning, investigators say. Detectives from the St. Mary's County Criminal Investigations Division arrested Lexington Park resident Laroi James Burch in the early hours of May 8, following a probe into suspected drug activity in the region. According to the sheriff's office, during the execution of multiple warrants, detectives seized suspected cocaine, crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, $400 in cash, a Polymer80 handgun without a serial number, and a magazine with 9mm ammunition. Burch, 35, …

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by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Breaking News
School Bus Attendant Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Three Young Students In Hagerstown: Police School Bus Attendant Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Three Young Students In Hagerstown: Police School Bus Attendant Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Three Young Students In Hagerstown: Police
School Bus Attendant Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Three Young Students In Hagerstown: Police A substitute school bus attendant in Maryland is behind bars after allegedly inappropriately touching young students, police say. On Thursday, May 7, the Hagerstown Police Department received a tip from the Washington County Department of Social Services regarding 71-year-old Michael Sowers, who was accused of inappropriate contact with children between the ages of 5 and 9. According to the department, surveillance footage showed that on Tuesday, May 5, Sowers sexually assaulted three students — two boys and one girl. All three students are considered to have special needs, investigators s…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Suspected Peeping Tom Accused Of Recording Towson Residents Apprehended: Police Suspected Peeping Tom Accused Of Recording Towson Residents Apprehended: Police Suspected Peeping Tom Accused Of Recording Towson Residents Apprehended: Police
Suspected Peeping Tom Accused Of Recording Towson Residents Apprehended: Police A Peeping Tom targeting residents in Maryland will be the one without privacy after being apprehended following a weeks-long investigation, authorities announced Friday. Andrade Robinson, 55, was taken into custody in connection with the Baltimore County Police Department’s investigation into reports of a man peering into windows in Towson. The investigation began in late April when police received reports of a man looking into windows and possibly recording residents in the area. According to police, detectives launched an extensive investigation with assistance from Towson University pol…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Owner Escapes Burning 61-Foot Yacht Before $125K St. Mary's County Inferno Destroys Vessel Owner Escapes Burning 61-Foot Yacht Before $125K St. Mary's County Inferno Destroys Vessel Owner Escapes Burning 61-Foot Yacht Before $125K St. Mary's County Inferno Destroys Vessel
Owner Escapes Burning 61-Foot Yacht Before $125K St. Mary's County Inferno Destroys Vessel A boat owner in Maryland barely made it off a massive 61-foot vessel before flames tore through the yacht in a late-night fire, investigators say. Firefighters in St. Mary's County were called shortly after 11 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, to Dennis Point Way in Drayden, when a fire broke out aboard a boat that had been pulled onto land for repairs, according to the fire marshal. Investigators say the fire started in the boat's engine compartment while one person was on board. That person was able to escape safely before the blaze intensified.  Crews from the Second District Volunteer Fire…

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by Zak Failla
Dundalk, MD
Breaking News
Dundalk Man On Probation Bought Counterfeit Cash On Darknet, Used It At Grocery Stores: Feds Dundalk Man On Probation Bought Counterfeit Cash On Darknet, Used It At Grocery Stores: Feds Dundalk Man On Probation Bought Counterfeit Cash On Darknet, Used It At Grocery Stores: Feds
Dundalk Man On Probation Bought Counterfeit Cash On Darknet, Used It At Grocery Stores: Feds A Maryland man on probation who used real funds to purchase fake cash that he spent in Pennsylvania is heading back to prison. Dundalk resident Jason Christian Evans, 32, was sentenced to 32 months in prison in connection with a counterfeit money scheme he orchestrated while on supervised release for bank fraud, federal authorities announced. According to court documents, after serving a sentence for bank fraud, Evans violated the terms of his supervised release by traveling to Pennsylvania in January 2025. After crossing state lines, Evans then used counterfeit cash to make purchases at m…

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by Zak Failla
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