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

Woodbridge, VA

Breaking News

Man Accused Of Sexual Assault Inside Woodbridge Gabe’s Arrested After Days On The Run: Police The man accused of sexually assaulting a woman inside a Virginia Gabe's location is no longer at large. Dumfries native Kendall Jamal Miller, 24, was taken into custody on Monday, April 20, more than two weeks after an alleged assault inside the Woodbridge store on Richmond Highway. The case began the evening of April 3, when a 39-year-old woman was shopping inside Gabe’s and was approached by a man she didn’t know. Police say he touched her inappropriately, then walked away. There was no further contact. He was gone before officers arrived. Investigators later identified Miller and …

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Alexandria, VA

Breaking News

Grammy-Winner Billy Strings Breaks Leg In Virginia Skateboard Mishap: 'Feel Like Such An Idiot' Grammy-winning Bluegrass artist Billy Strings was scheduled for back-to-back shows in Virginia. Then the 33-year-old musician and skateboard enthusiast broke his leg in what he is calling a "dumb ass mistake," while attempting a trick he's performed "a million times." Strings, born William Apostol, said he could hear the snap of his bone over the sound of the sell-out crowd in Charlottesville. "Well, can’t say y’all didn’t warn me about screwing around on my skateboard," he posted on Monday afternoon. "Saturday night, I walked off stage right before the encore. I was all zazzed up from a r…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Towson, MD

Obituaries

Maryland Father Dies Suddenly From Ruptured Aorta, Leaves Two Kids Behind: ‘Immeasurable Void’ Fernando Martinez wasn’t sick. He wasn’t in the hospital. And then, suddenly, he was gone. The Maryland father died unexpectedly on Friday, April 17, after suffering a ruptured aorta, a catastrophic medical emergency that left his family with no time to prepare for life without him. He leaves behind two young children, Alejandro and Sophia, who were at the center of everything he did. Fernando Martinez GoFundMe “Fernando was more than a neighbor - he was a kind, hardworking, and caring presence whose warmth touched so many,” family friend Kyra Vocci wrote. In Greenbrier, where…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Arbutus-Halethorpe, MD

Breaking News

Arbutus Husband Charged With Murder Decades After Wife Mysteriously Disappeared: Police More than two decades later, one of Maryland's most prolific missing persons cases may have been cracked. Dwight "DJ" Rust Jr. has been charged in connection with the murder of his wife, Michelle Rust, who mysteriously vanished in July 2002. On Saturday, July 20, 2002, officers from the Baltimore County Police Department were called to the 1800 block of Clark Boulevard in Arbutus, where Dwight Rust told officers that his wife had left to pick up items for their son's birthday party and never returned. According to investigators, while it was first believed she disappeared on the way to the…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Hagerstown, MD

Obituaries

Family Of Maryland Man Killed On Lawnmower Racing To Bring Him Home To Mexico The family of a Maryland man killed while riding a lawnmower along a highway shoulder is now racing to bring him home to Mexico. Joel Garcia, 42, died on Wednesday, April 15 in Denton, after being hit by a pickup truck while riding a John Deere lawnmower on the shoulder of Burrsville Road near Garland Road, Maryland State Police said. Now, days after the deadly crash, Garcia’s family says they are facing an even more difficult task — laying him to rest. “Yesterday, April 15, my husband lost his life in a tragic accident; he was struck by a car while working as a lawnmower,” his wife wrote …

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Pasadena-Lake Shore, MD

Breaking News

4/20 Stop Goes Sideways: Suspect Crashes, Drugs And Gun Recovered In Pasadena Marijuana wasn't the only thing investigators in Maryland recovered during a 4/20 traffic stop that turned into a massive drug bust, police say. Detectives from the Anne Arundel County Police Department stopped Baltimore resident Ryan Kelly Hazel, 32, shortly before 11:30 p.m. on Monday, April 20, in the area of Solley Road and Energy Parkway in Pasadena. According to investigators, the vehicle initially stopped, but fled as investigators approached before crashing a short distance away. While probing the crash, police say that Hazel could be seen attempting to conceal items under a …

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Lexington Park, MD

Breaking News

Neighbors Hear Screams Coming From Burning Shed In Maryland, But It Wasn’t A Person A passerby who thought someone was screaming for help in Maryland called 911 Monday night — but investigators later determined the noise wasn’t coming from a person at all. What sounded like a cry for help turned out to be something far less dangerous. A fire was reported shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 20, at a shed on the 27000 block of Ocean Gateway in Hebron, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal. The caller told authorities they heard someone yelling for help coming from the property. That raised immediate concern. Firefighters from the Hebron Volunteer Fire Departme…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Aldie, VA

Your Community

Obama Urges Virginians To ‘Vote Yes’ On Tuesday To Take ‘Step To Level The Playing Field’ Former President Barack Obama is stepping into a high-stakes Virginia referendum, urging voters to head to the polls and vote “yes” in a new video message. Obama shared the video in Virginia on Friday, April 17, as early voting continues ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, April 21. The referendum centers on redistricting, an issue that could impact political control and representation heading into future elections. “Early voting is underway, and Virginians are turning out in record numbers to vote yes,” Obama said. Virginia, if you haven’t done it already, make a plan to vote YES on the…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Lexington Park, MD

Weather

Twisting Waterspout Spins Off Maryland Coast Near Assateague Caught On Camera (Video) A twisting funnel rising from the ocean gave beachgoers an unexpected show off the Maryland coast. The waterspout was spotted offshore near Assateague State Park, where a Maryland Department of Natural Resources technician captured the rare sight while working along the dunes. Photos and video show the narrow column stretching from a dark cloud down to the water, kicking up spray as it moved across the ocean. Others shared their experiences on Facebook. Officials say the system stayed over the water and moved away from shore, meaning there was no threat to people on the beach. Wate…

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

Dunkirk-Owings, MD

Obituaries

Maryland Community Rallies Around Family Of Coach, Mom Killed In Calvert County Crash A Maryland community is wrapping its arms around the family of Amanda Rae Regan, the beloved coach, mom, and former national champion who was killed in a crash last week. Regan, 37, died on Tuesday, April 14, after a single-vehicle crash on East Mount Harmony Road in Owings, leaving behind her husband, Brandon, and their two children, Griffin and Jillian. In Calvert County, Maryland State Police said Regan lost control of her vehicle for unknown reasons and crashed into a tree. She was pronounced dead at the scene. But in the days since her death, the story has become about much more than …

by Zak Failla

04/21/2026

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