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

Frederick, MD
Obituaries
Young Dad Killed Mid-Shift In Frederick Leaves Fiancée, Toddler Facing 'Devastating' Loss Young Dad Killed Mid-Shift In Frederick Leaves Fiancée, Toddler Facing 'Devastating' Loss Young Dad Killed Mid-Shift In Frederick Leaves Fiancée, Toddler Facing 'Devastating' Loss
Young Dad Killed Mid-Shift In Frederick Leaves Fiancée, Toddler Facing 'Devastating' Loss A young Pennsylvania father was killed while working to provide for his family when his tractor-trailer overturned on Route 15 in Maryland. Timothy Rice, Jr., 28, was doing what he did best — providing for his family, working a shift on Sunday, when his truck unexpectedly crashed along the side of the road and pinned the cab against a guardrail. The crash was reported around 8:20 a.m. on March 29 along the southbound lanes of Route 15 near the 7th Street exit in Frederick. It remains unclear what caused the tractor-trailer to leave the roadway before overturning, according to state police.…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Driver Killed In Northern Virginia Propane Tanker Crash That Triggered Gas Leak (UPDATED) Driver Killed In Northern Virginia Propane Tanker Crash That Triggered Gas Leak (UPDATED) Driver Killed In Northern Virginia Propane Tanker Crash That Triggered Gas Leak (UPDATED)
Driver Killed In Northern Virginia Propane Tanker Crash That Triggered Gas Leak (Updated) What began as a dangerous tanker crash in Virginia turned deadly after authorities confirmed the driver was killed and a large propane leak triggered an hours-long emergency response. The crash was reported around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31, in the 3600 block of Halfway Road in The Plains, when dispatchers received a report of an overturned AmeriGas propane truck with a person trapped inside. Deputies from the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office arrived to find the tanker flipped and leaking propane, forcing crews from multiple agencies to rush in and contain a hazardous situation befor…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Fairfax County Officer Cited After Off-Duty Drunk-In-Public Incident, Placed On Leave: Police Fairfax County Officer Cited After Off-Duty Drunk-In-Public Incident, Placed On Leave: Police Fairfax County Officer Cited After Off-Duty Drunk-In-Public Incident, Placed On Leave: Police
Fairfax County Officer Cited After Off-Duty Drunk-In-Public Incident, Placed On Leave: Police An off-duty police officer in Virginia who got drunk and disorderly has been placed on administrative leave, police say. David Schneider, a member of the Fairfax County Police Department for less than two years, was reprimanded after an incident in Fair Oaks on Tuesday. Officers were called shortly before 6:30 p.m. on March 31 to the 11000 block of Route 50 in Fair Oaks, where there was a report of an intoxicated man who refused to leave the area. Upon arrival, they found Schneider, who was taken into custody and cited for being drunk in public. The Fairfax resident is assigned to the Mou…

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by Zak Failla
Centreville, VA
Breaking News
Naked, Not Afraid: Mystery Midnight Nudist Burglar Creeps Through Centreville Homes, Police Say Naked, Not Afraid: Mystery Midnight Nudist Burglar Creeps Through Centreville Homes, Police Say Naked, Not Afraid: Mystery Midnight Nudist Burglar Creeps Through Centreville Homes, Police Say
Naked, Not Afraid: Mystery Midnight Nudist Burglar Creeps Through Centreville Homes, Police Say New video of a mystery midnight nudist burglar creeping through a Virginia neighborhood has been released by the police. Last month, a Fairfax County neighborhood was shaken by a brazen burglar who broke into several homes completely nude and then vanished before police could catch up to him. The bizarre series of break-ins unfolded over several early mornings in Centreville between March 5 and March 8, when residents reported a fully nude man slipping into homes while people were still inside, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The most disturbing encounter happened around…

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by Zak Failla
Frederick, MD
On Your Side
Maryland MMA Co-Owner ‘Tapped Out’ In Fraud Case After Stealing From Partner Maryland MMA Co-Owner ‘Tapped Out’ In Fraud Case After Stealing From Partner Maryland MMA Co-Owner ‘Tapped Out’ In Fraud Case After Stealing From Partner
Maryland MMA Co-Owner ‘Tapped Out’ In Fraud Case After Stealing From Partner A former mixed martial arts gym co-owner has been “tapped out” in Maryland — not in the ring, but in court — after a fraud scheme against his own business partner. The case played out in Frederick County, where Michael William Perry, a former co-owner of Groundswell MMA, was sentenced on Tuesday, March 31, for theft and identity fraud tied to the gym. Prosecutors say Perry wasn’t just training fighters — he was quietly draining business funds. Between December 2021 and March 2023, investigators say Perry took more than $66,000 from the business for personal use, spending it on things like …

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by Zak Failla
Rockville, MD
Obituaries
Family Hit With Second Tragedy As 21-Year-Old Father Of Two Is Murdered In Rockville Family Hit With Second Tragedy As 21-Year-Old Father Of Two Is Murdered In Rockville Family Hit With Second Tragedy As 21-Year-Old Father Of Two Is Murdered In Rockville
Family Hit With Second Tragedy As 21-Year-Old Father Of Two Is Murdered In Rockville A family that buried one son is now planning another funeral — this time for a father of two, murdered just days after celebrating his 21st birthday. District resident Kamonte Dwayne Frazier was found shot over the weekend in Rockville, and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. Officers were called around 10:20 p.m. on Friday, March 27, to the 12900 block of Twinbrook Parkway, where they found Frazier suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Frazier's murder is the latest …

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Hugging Bandit On The Loose In Fairfax County After Swapping Real Jewelry For Fakes: Police Hugging Bandit On The Loose In Fairfax County After Swapping Real Jewelry For Fakes: Police Hugging Bandit On The Loose In Fairfax County After Swapping Real Jewelry For Fakes: Police
Hugging Bandit On The Loose In Fairfax County After Swapping Real Jewelry For Fakes: Police A woman wanted for a series of slick sleight-of-hand setups in Virginia is at large after hugging it out — and swapping out real jewelry for phony imitations. An alert was issued by the Fairfax County Police Department on Wednesday, April 1, as they continue to search for 21-year-old Baltimore woman Cristina Milhaela Paun, who pulled off several shifty ploys. The grifts were reported on Friday, March 20.  Two were caught on camera. At around 1:30 p.m. that day, police say a woman was returning her shopping cart in the 6900 block of Hechinger Drive in Springfield when a white SUV…

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by Zak Failla
Woodbridge, VA
Breaking News
Off The Leash: Man’s Obscene Gesture Shocks Customers At Woodbridge PetSmart Off The Leash: Man’s Obscene Gesture Shocks Customers At Woodbridge PetSmart Off The Leash: Man’s Obscene Gesture Shocks Customers At Woodbridge PetSmart
Off The Leash: Man’s Obscene Gesture Shocks Customers At Woodbridge PetSmart Woof. An eye-opening incident inside a Virginia PetSmart turned heads this week when police say a man made obscene gestures toward a customer and casually walked away. Shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, officers from the Prince William County Police Department were called to PetSmart on Worth Avenue in Woodbridge to investigate reports of an indecent exposure. Investigators say that the man walked into the store, identified his target, made an obscene gesture, then strolled out of the store before police could be contacted. By the time officers arrived, the man had fled the ar…

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by Zak Failla
Reston, VA
Breaking News
Deadly Fairfax County Stabbing Sparks ICE Warning: ‘Do Not Let This Murderer Go Free’ Deadly Fairfax County Stabbing Sparks ICE Warning: ‘Do Not Let This Murderer Go Free’ Deadly Fairfax County Stabbing Sparks ICE Warning: ‘Do Not Let This Murderer Go Free’
Deadly Fairfax County Stabbing Sparks ICE Warning: ‘Do Not Let This Murderer Go Free’ A man accused of a deadly stabbing inside a Fairfax County home is now at the center of a growing political firestorm, with federal immigration officials imploring Virginia leaders not to release him. Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, 38, was arrested on Sunday, March 30, one day after a man was found stabbed to death inside a home on Bellview Drive in Bailey’s Crossroads, according to police. Officers were called shortly before 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, to the 6000 block of Bellview Drive, where they found a man suffering from multiple stab wounds to his upper body. The victim was rushed …

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Your Community
Maryland GOP Consultant Accused Of Taking $100K Anne Arundel Community Group For Yacht: DOJ Maryland GOP Consultant Accused Of Taking $100K Anne Arundel Community Group For Yacht: DOJ Maryland GOP Consultant Accused Of Taking $100K Anne Arundel Community Group For Yacht: DOJ
Maryland GOP Consultant Accused Of Taking $100K Anne Arundel Community Group For Yacht: DOJ A Maryland GOP consultant is accused of stealing about $200,000 from a candidate’s campaign, then using the money to help refinance his yacht, federal prosecutors said. James Appel, 58, of Annapolis, was indicted on wire fraud and money laundering charges, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced this week. Appel, who worked as a treasurer for multiple political candidates and organizations, is accused of taking $100,000 from a Maryland State Delegate’s campaign and another $100,000 from an Anne Arundel County community group. According to the indictment, Appel contr…

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by Zak Failla
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