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

Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Pilots Meow, Bark On Approach To Reagan National Airport, Air Traffic Controller Shuts It Down Pilots Meow, Bark On Approach To Reagan National Airport, Air Traffic Controller Shuts It Down Pilots Meow, Bark On Approach To Reagan National Airport, Air Traffic Controller Shuts It Down
Pilots Meow, Bark On Approach To Reagan National Airport, Air Traffic Controller Shuts It Down A new audio clip released by TMZ appears to capture pilots meowing and barking on the approach to Reagan National Airport in Arlington. The pilots can be heard meowing and woofing into the radio as they made their approach into the DC area. A good time was not had by all: The pilots were quickly put in the doghouse when an air traffic controller stepped in to put an end to the shenanigans. "You guys... uh need to be professional..." he said, while the pilots responded with more animal noises. "This is why you still fly an RJ (regional jet)."  @tmz 🐈✈️ Two pi…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Motorcyclist Killed In Crash With Pickup Truck On I-495 In Virginia: State Police (DEVELOPING) Motorcyclist Killed In Crash With Pickup Truck On I-495 In Virginia: State Police (DEVELOPING) Motorcyclist Killed In Crash With Pickup Truck On I-495 In Virginia: State Police (DEVELOPING)
Motorcyclist Killed In Crash With Pickup Truck On I-495 In Virginia: State Police (Developing) A motorcyclist was killed on Wednesday afternoon after crashing into a pickup truck on I-495 in Northern Virginia, state police say. Troopers were called shortly before 4 p.m. on April 15 to a stretch of the eastbound lanes of the interstate near the Telegraph Road exit, where there were reports of a two-vehicle crash in Fairfax County. Upon arrival, police say troopers found a motorcyclist lying in the roadway with bystanders attempting to render aid after he was ejected from his 2005 Suzuki bike. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No details about the truck driver were released. Inves…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
80,000 Doses Of Death: Dealer Ran Fentanyl Operation Out Of DC Storefront, Feds Say 80,000 Doses Of Death: Dealer Ran Fentanyl Operation Out Of DC Storefront, Feds Say 80,000 Doses Of Death: Dealer Ran Fentanyl Operation Out Of DC Storefront, Feds Say
80,000 Doses Of Death: Dealer Ran Fentanyl Operation Out Of DC Storefront, Feds Say A known fentanyl dealer working out of a DC storefront pushed enough product to create 80,000 potentially lethal doses. Now, he is heading to federal prison. Pierre Black, 63, has been sentenced to 63 months in prison for distributing fentanyl for months from a Northeast DC building, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced on Wednesday. The operation was based along the 700 block of H Street NE in DC, where investigators say Black sold fentanyl directly from a neighborhood business in an area already shaken by a fatal overdose. The case started in early 2025, when local and federal agents beg…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Body Found In Windmill Park Sparks Death Investigation In Alexandria: Police (DEVELOPING) Body Found In Windmill Park Sparks Death Investigation In Alexandria: Police (DEVELOPING) Body Found In Windmill Park Sparks Death Investigation In Alexandria: Police (DEVELOPING)
Body Found In Windmill Park Sparks Death Investigation In Alexandria: Police (Developing) A death investigation has been launched in Northern Virginia after a body was found in a popular park, police say. There was a massive police presence in the 500 block of South Union Street on Wednesday, April 15, when officers from the Alexandria Police Department were called to Windmill Park, where a person was found. According to police, the death investigation was launched around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Investigators stressed that there is no public safety concern and that the incident is isolated. The department has released no additional details. There is significant police pres…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Drug Ring Busted: Guns, Fentanyl, Hundreds Of Grams Seized In Baltimore Takedown Maryland Drug Ring Busted: Guns, Fentanyl, Hundreds Of Grams Seized In Baltimore Takedown Maryland Drug Ring Busted: Guns, Fentanyl, Hundreds Of Grams Seized In Baltimore Takedown
Maryland Drug Ring Busted: Guns, Fentanyl, Hundreds Of Grams Seized In Baltimore Takedown A major drug trafficking operation tied to fentanyl, heroin, and illegal firearms has been dismantled in Maryland following a months-long investigation, federal authorities announced. In Baltimore, multiple men are now facing federal charges after investigators targeted a drug ring operating out of the 500 block of Sheridan Avenue in North Baltimore, according to the US Attorney’s Office. The takedown capped an investigation that stretched from August 2025 through March 2026, as agents tracked drug sales, firearm transactions, and stash locations tied to the group, officials said. Prosecut…

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by Zak Failla
Nottingham-Perry Hall, MD
Breaking News
Ex-Cop, Dunbar HS Football Coach Who Took $200K In Fake COVID Overtime Gets Prison Time: Feds Ex-Cop, Dunbar HS Football Coach Who Took $200K In Fake COVID Overtime Gets Prison Time: Feds Ex-Cop, Dunbar HS Football Coach Who Took $200K In Fake COVID Overtime Gets Prison Time: Feds
Ex-Cop, Dunbar HS Football Coach Who Took $200K In Fake COVID Overtime Gets Prison Time: Feds A former police officer and high school football coach who received more than $200,000 for overtime he didn't work during the COVID-19 pandemic is heading to federal prison. Perry Hall resident Lawrence Earl Smith, 52, a former Baltimore City School police officer and Dunbar High School football coach, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for creating and executing a scheme to submit fraudulent overtime slips, authorities announced. According to court documents, from May 2005 until August 2022, Smith was employed as a Baltimore City School Police officer. During t…

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by Zak Failla
Ashburn, VA
Breaking News
One Suspected Bank Robber Dead, Ashburn Man Arrested After Barricade, Sheriff Says One Suspected Bank Robber Dead, Ashburn Man Arrested After Barricade, Sheriff Says One Suspected Bank Robber Dead, Ashburn Man Arrested After Barricade, Sheriff Says
One Suspected Bank Robber Dead, Ashburn Man Arrested After Barricade, Sheriff Says A bank robbery investigation in Virginia took an unexpected turn this week when a suspect barricaded himself inside a Loudoun County home. He was later found dead. A second man was then arrested in connection with the robbery. Deputies from the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office sought to serve search and arrest warrants at a home in the 200 block of South Saint Paul Street in Hamilton on Tuesday, April 14, following the probe into a bank robbery last month. The suspect, who was wanted for robbery and conspiracy to commit a felony tied to a March 26 bank robbery in Middleburg, refused to comp…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Obituaries
Virginia Mother Killed As Community Steps Up For Infant Daughter: ‘Dream Will Know Her Mommy’ Virginia Mother Killed As Community Steps Up For Infant Daughter: ‘Dream Will Know Her Mommy’ Virginia Mother Killed As Community Steps Up For Infant Daughter: ‘Dream Will Know Her Mommy’
Virginia Mother Killed As Community Steps Up For Infant Daughter: ‘Dream Will Know Her Mommy’ A 28-year-old Virginia mother is gone — and now a community is stepping in to help care for the infant girl she left behind. Barbie Mirella Perez was shot and killed outside her family’s home in Chesterfield County on Monday, leaving behind her 3-month-old daughter, Dream, and devastated loved ones. "She leaves behind a story filled with love, strength, and heartbreak," Jovanna Evans said. "Barbie was the proud mother of two babies—her son, Jru, who passed away at just 9 days old, and her precious 3-month-old daughter."  The impact of her loss has radiated throughout the family and co…

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by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Your Community
Federal Judge Slams Brakes On Controversial ICE Detention Facility Near Williamsport Federal Judge Slams Brakes On Controversial ICE Detention Facility Near Williamsport Federal Judge Slams Brakes On Controversial ICE Detention Facility Near Williamsport
Federal Judge Slams Brakes On Controversial ICE Detention Facility Near Williamsport A federal judge has ordered a halt to a controversial ICE detention facility in Maryland, marking a major turn in an ongoing legal battle that has gripped Washington County. The US District Court for the District of Maryland granted a preliminary injunction on Wednesday, April 15, stopping construction and operation of the proposed ICE facility near Williamsport, Attorney General Anthony Brown announced. “Today, the Court largely granted our request for a preliminary injunction,” Brown said. “But no one, not even the federal government, is above the law.” The ruling blocks federal official…

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by Zak Failla
Bethesda, MD
Breaking News
Bethesda Burglar Climbed Into Homes, Escaped By Bike — Until Drone Caught Him In The Act Bethesda Burglar Climbed Into Homes, Escaped By Bike — Until Drone Caught Him In The Act Bethesda Burglar Climbed Into Homes, Escaped By Bike — Until Drone Caught Him In The Act
Bethesda Burglar Climbed Into Homes, Escaped By Bike — Until Drone Caught Him In The Act A bike-riding burglar who targeted several Maryland neighborhoods before being apprehended will be swapping out bicycle shorts for prison blues, authorities announced on Wednesday. Edward Maurice Bryant, 52, was sentenced on Tuesday to 108 years in prison, with all but 15 years suspended to serve following a series of incidents across Montgomery County, according to the state's attorney's office. The charges stem from six separate incidents between December 2024 and August 2025, when Bryant entered private homes in Bethesda, Potomac, and Rockville and stole items from the residents. Mont…

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by Zak Failla
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