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

Aldie, VA
Your Community
Ready To Outwit, Outplay, Outlast? Survivor Auditions Are Coming To Virginia Ready To Outwit, Outplay, Outlast? Survivor Auditions Are Coming To Virginia Ready To Outwit, Outplay, Outlast? Survivor Auditions Are Coming To Virginia
Ready To Outwit, Outplay, Outlast? Survivor Auditions Are Coming To Virginia A shot at Survivor and prizes upwards of $1 million is coming to Virginia — and they want you. The long-running CBS reality show is holding in-person auditions in Portsmouth, giving hopeful contestants a chance to prove they’ve got what it takes to outwit, outplay, and outlast. The casting call is set for Friday, April 24, at Rivers Casino Portsmouth, where check-ins begin at 7:30 a.m., auditions start at 10:15 a.m., and run through the afternoon. No experience? No worries. No fancy prep? Not a concern. All you need is an ID — and enough personality to stand out when you’re put on c…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Obituaries
Virginia Football Standout DeSean Richardson, 20, Killed In Crash Heading Home From Work Virginia Football Standout DeSean Richardson, 20, Killed In Crash Heading Home From Work Virginia Football Standout DeSean Richardson, 20, Killed In Crash Heading Home From Work
Virginia Football Standout DeSean Richardson, 20, Killed In Crash Heading Home From Work A former high school football standout in Virginia is being remembered as a young man with a "presence that could light up a room" after the 20-year-old was killed in a crash heading home from work.  DeSean Richardson was killed early on Sunday morning on his way from work to his home in Hampton when he "suddenly and tragically" was killed in a single-vehicle crash.  "On the day of his passing, DeSean was leaving work when a series of events led to a devastating accident," Ashley Richardson wrote. "In a moment that changed everything, he lost control of his vehicle, and our family lost some…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
WATCH: DUI Driver Blows Stop Sign, Slams Into Deputy Transporting Suspect In Virginia WATCH: DUI Driver Blows Stop Sign, Slams Into Deputy Transporting Suspect In Virginia WATCH: DUI Driver Blows Stop Sign, Slams Into Deputy Transporting Suspect In Virginia
Watch: DUI Driver Blows Stop Sign, Slams Into Deputy Transporting Suspect In Virginia A sheriff's deputy in Virginia got two for the price of one when an allegedly intoxicated driver crashed into him while he was transporting an arrestee. Chasity Brown made it easy for deputies in Culpeper County on Sunday afternoon after blowing through a stop sign and hitting the front of a marked police vehicle with another suspect inside. According to the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office, on March 22, a deputy was driving north on South West Street near the intersection of West Chandler Street when Brown's SUV drove past a stop sign, struck another vehicle, and came to rest after hitting…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Pedestrian Killed By Hit-Run Driver In Early Morning I-395 Crash In Alexandria: State Police Pedestrian Killed By Hit-Run Driver In Early Morning I-395 Crash In Alexandria: State Police Pedestrian Killed By Hit-Run Driver In Early Morning I-395 Crash In Alexandria: State Police
Pedestrian Killed By Hit-Run Driver In Early Morning I-395 Crash In Alexandria: State Police A pedestrian was killed early on Tuesday morning on I-395 in northern Virginia, according to state police. An investigation has been launched after a person was struck shortly before 6:15 a.m. on March 24 in the northbound lanes of the interstate near the Duke Street exit in Alexandria. According to Virginia State Police investigators, troopers were initially dispatched to a call for a pedestrian on the interstate, and when they arrived, they found the person dead in the center lane of the roadway. The driver did not stay at the scene. No additional details were provided by police. The cr…

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by Zak Failla
Triangle-Dumfries, VA
Breaking News
Dumfries Basketball Court Shooting: Man Arrested For Murder, Suspect Still At Large, Police Say Dumfries Basketball Court Shooting: Man Arrested For Murder, Suspect Still At Large, Police Say Dumfries Basketball Court Shooting: Man Arrested For Murder, Suspect Still At Large, Police Say
Dumfries Basketball Court Shooting: Man Arrested For Murder, Suspect Still At Large, Police Say The fugitive wanted in connection with a deadly basketball court shooting that left an 18-year-old dead and four others wounded in Virginia has been apprehended after a two-week manhunt.  J’Shaun Zomari Williams, 19, was arrested by officers from the Prince William County Police Department and US Marshals in Richmond on Monday, March 23, for his role in the murder of Dumfries native Louis Anthony Boone earlier this month during a dispute, authorities announced. Williams was apprehended one day after Ryan Alexander Butler was taken into custody in Triangle for his role in Boone's death.…

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by Zak Failla
College Park, MD
Your Community
'I Believe In You': Maryland Coach Brenda Freese Goes Nose-To-Nose With Okanawa In Viral Moment 'I Believe In You': Maryland Coach Brenda Freese Goes Nose-To-Nose With Okanawa In Viral Moment 'I Believe In You': Maryland Coach Brenda Freese Goes Nose-To-Nose With Okanawa In Viral Moment
'I Believe In You': Maryland Coach Brenda Freese Goes Nose-To-Nose With Okanawa In Viral Moment The Maryland women's basketball team was bounced from the NCAA Tournament on Sunday afternoon, but it was a heated exchange between coach Brenda Freese and star guard Oluchi Okanawa that people are still talking about. On Sunday, the Terrapins lost 74-66 to the fourth-seeded University of North Carolina, but it was a fiery face-to-face confrontation with the All-Big Ten First Team guard that caught the nation's attention. In the widely shared video, Freese can be seen nose-to-nose with Okanawa and poking her in the chest while trying to motivate the junior guard, who helped lead Maryland to…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Australian Man Dies By Suicide In DC Police Custody, No Charges Filed Against Officers: Feds Australian Man Dies By Suicide In DC Police Custody, No Charges Filed Against Officers: Feds Australian Man Dies By Suicide In DC Police Custody, No Charges Filed Against Officers: Feds
Australian Man Dies By Suicide In DC Police Custody, No Charges Filed Against Officers: Feds No charges will be filed after a man died by suicide while in police custody in DC, federal officials announced. Citing "insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges," two officers from the Metropolitan Police Department will not face charges after a 31-year-old Australian national died by suicide in October 2025. According to federal authorities, on Oct. 15, 2025, the man was arrested on a misdemeanor sexual assault charge.  He was taken to the 5th District police station for processing and placed in a holding cell while awaiting a court appearance later that…

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by Zak Failla
Abingdon, MD
Breaking News
‘Prolific Shoplifter’ Off Streets After Dozens Of Thefts, Repeated Releases In Harford County ‘Prolific Shoplifter’ Off Streets After Dozens Of Thefts, Repeated Releases In Harford County ‘Prolific Shoplifter’ Off Streets After Dozens Of Thefts, Repeated Releases In Harford County
‘Prolific Shoplifter’ Off Streets After Dozens Of Thefts, Repeated Releases In Harford County After repeated arrests, releases, and chances, a wild shoplifting spree finally caught up for one woman — in a big way — in Maryland. A judge in Harford County ordered Abingdon resident Jessica Mary Hubbard, 33, a "prolific shoplifter," to serve five years in prison in a sentence that is more than two times the top of Maryland sentencing guidelines, officials announced on Monday. The guidelines currently call for a term of probation to two years of incarceration.  "This sentence, at the recommendation of Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Melissa Moloney, was two and a half times …

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by Zak Failla
Springfield, VA
Breaking News
GF’s Screams, Hatchet Attack In Shenandoah National Park Lead To Conviction Of Springfield Man GF’s Screams, Hatchet Attack In Shenandoah National Park Lead To Conviction Of Springfield Man GF’s Screams, Hatchet Attack In Shenandoah National Park Lead To Conviction Of Springfield Man
GF’s Screams, Hatchet Attack In Shenandoah National Park Lead To Conviction Of Springfield Man A camping trip in Virginia turned violent fast — and now a Springfield man has been convicted in a brutal hatchet attack inside Shenandoah National Park. Soufiane Bougria, 31, was found guilty by a federal jury after prosecutors said he assaulted his then-girlfriend during a late-night argument at Mathews Arm Campground. The attack happened on Aug. 24, 2025, and other campers nearby heard it happening. Witnesses from multiple campsites reported screaming, crying, and what sounded like choking coming from the couple’s area. One camper saw Bougria physically grabbing the victim, while other…

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by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Breaking News
Charles County Man Kidnapped, Viciously Beat Girlfriend’s Relative In Dayslong Abduction Charles County Man Kidnapped, Viciously Beat Girlfriend’s Relative In Dayslong Abduction Charles County Man Kidnapped, Viciously Beat Girlfriend’s Relative In Dayslong Abduction
Charles County Man Kidnapped, Viciously Beat Girlfriend’s Relative In Dayslong Abduction The Maryland man who conspired with his girlfriend to kidnap and terrorize one of her relatives for days has been convicted, authorities announced on Monday. Amar Julio Barrera, 44, was found guilty of home invasion and other offenses in connection with a harrowing incident that could have been taken from a Hollywood script, according to the Charles County State's Attorney's Office. The investigation began on Sept. 25, 2025, when officers from the Charles County Sheriff's Office were called to the University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center for a reported assault. Upon arrival, …

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by Zak Failla
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