Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

[email protected]

FOLLOW ON

Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram

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
Breaking News
Teen Clerk Stabbed 20+ Times In Frederick Store Still Haunts Investigators 37 Years Later Teen Clerk Stabbed 20+ Times In Frederick Store Still Haunts Investigators 37 Years Later Teen Clerk Stabbed 20+ Times In Frederick Store Still Haunts Investigators 37 Years Later
Teen Clerk Stabbed 20+ Times In Frederick Store Still Haunts Investigators 37 Years Later A brutal murder inside a Maryland clothing store that shocked a community nearly four decades ago is back in the spotlight as investigators again ask the public for help. Tracey Kirkpatrick, 17, was working alone at Aileen Ladies Sportswear in Frederick on Wednesday night, March 15, 1989, when her shift took a deadly turn, according to the Frederick Police Department. Kirkpatrick was last seen alive inside the Westridge Shopping Center store along Route 40 around 8:45 p.m., police said. Nearly two hours later, at approximately 10:50 p.m., a security guard conducting routine patrols noticed…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Spotsy Hospital Worker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Elderly Patients After Probe: Sheriff Spotsy Hospital Worker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Elderly Patients After Probe: Sheriff Spotsy Hospital Worker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Elderly Patients After Probe: Sheriff
Spotsy Hospital Worker Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Elderly Patients After Probe: Sheriff A former hospital worker in Northern Virginia who allegedly sexually assaulted elderly patients has been arrested after a months-long investigation, authorities announced on Monday. Fredericksburg resident Adam Hall, 29, has been arrested and charged with sexually battering patients at the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center over the course of several months, according to the sheriff's office. In October 2025, deputies from the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office were called to the medical center after receiving reports of inappropriate conduct involving a patient and a staff member. The…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Your Community
March Madness Hits Turbulence: UMBC Flight Delayed For Hours En Route To First Four March Madness Hits Turbulence: UMBC Flight Delayed For Hours En Route To First Four March Madness Hits Turbulence: UMBC Flight Delayed For Hours En Route To First Four
March Madness Hits Turbulence: UMBC Flight Delayed For Hours En Route To First Four The Dawgs have touched down in Dayton, and the Battle for the DMV is officially on. "March Madness" took on a new meaning for the 16th-seeded University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) basketball team, which had its flight to the NCAA Tournament interrupted by the severe storms that rolled through the region on Monday, causing chaos for travelers. The Retrievers clinched a 16-seed in the tournament after topping Vermont 74-59 on Saturday to claim the America East championship — and the automatic bid that goes with it. Their reward? A date in the First Four against Howard University wi…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Bel Air, MD
Breaking News
Burglar Alarm Wakes Darlington Man To Find Massive Garage Blaze Instead: Fire Marshal Burglar Alarm Wakes Darlington Man To Find Massive Garage Blaze Instead: Fire Marshal Burglar Alarm Wakes Darlington Man To Find Massive Garage Blaze Instead: Fire Marshal
Burglar Alarm Wakes Darlington Man To Find Massive Garage Blaze Instead: Fire Marshal A roaring overnight blaze tore through a garage in Maryland, lighting up the dark sky and leaving behind a smoldering wreckage of machinery, tools, and farm equipment. The fire broke out around 1:45 a.m. Monday, March 16, at a property on Castleton Road in Darlington, Harford County, investigators with the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said. What started as a burglar alarm quickly turned into something far more serious. The owner’s adult son — who lives on the property — was alerted by the alarm and went to investigate. When he checked the building, he discovered flames burning insi…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Obituaries
Football-Loving Fourth Grader Bryson Light Remembered In Virginia: 'Full Of Life, Adventure' Football-Loving Fourth Grader Bryson Light Remembered In Virginia: 'Full Of Life, Adventure' Football-Loving Fourth Grader Bryson Light Remembered In Virginia: 'Full Of Life, Adventure'
Football-Loving Fourth Grader Bryson Light Remembered In Virginia: 'Full Of Life, Adventure' A Maryland community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of Bryson John Light, a 10-year-old fourth grader remembered for his boundless energy, love of football, and the joy he brought to everyone around him. Light died on Saturday, March 14, 2026, following a tragic accident that has left friends, family, and neighbors searching for words to describe the loss. For many who knew him, Light’s personality was impossible to miss. He was the kind of kid who was always moving — riding his bike through the neighborhood, helping neighbors when they needed an extra set of hands, or spending time ou…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Sterling, VA
Breaking News
Ground Stop Hits BWI As Storms Cause Massive Delays At Reagan National (DEVELOPING) Ground Stop Hits BWI As Storms Cause Massive Delays At Reagan National (DEVELOPING) Ground Stop Hits BWI As Storms Cause Massive Delays At Reagan National (DEVELOPING)
Ground Stop Hits BWI As Storms Cause Massive Delays At Reagan National (Developing) Air travel across the Maryland–DC region is being slammed by weather Monday afternoon, with flights grounded at one major airport and delays piling up at another. A ground stop was issued at Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) beginning at 3:14 p.m. Monday, March 16, halting departures bound for the airport as thunderstorms move through the region, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The stop is scheduled to remain in place until 4:30 p.m., though the FAA says there is a medium chance the restriction could be extended depending on storm activity. The grounding cu…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
‘The Mayor’ Helped Everyone On The Block — Now Neighbors Rally For Elderly DC Couple After Fire ‘The Mayor’ Helped Everyone On The Block — Now Neighbors Rally For Elderly DC Couple After Fire ‘The Mayor’ Helped Everyone On The Block — Now Neighbors Rally For Elderly DC Couple After Fire
‘The Mayor’ Helped Everyone On The Block — Now Neighbors Rally For Elderly DC Couple After Fire For nearly four decades, Naina and Arthur have called Kentucky Avenue their home. The couple, both in their 80s, have lived on the block long enough to know nearly everyone who walks down it — and according to neighbors, Arthur once jokingly introduced himself as the “Mayor of Kentucky Avenue.” It wasn’t much of a joke. Arthur spent years working around the neighborhood, fixing up properties and helping neighbors whenever something needed attention. “He really was,” neighbor Sara Schaumburg said. Now the couple who helped take care of the block suddenly need help themselves. Earlier thi…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Gaithersburg, MD
Breaking News
Clarksburg Driver Partially Ejected, Killed In Head-On Maryland Crash After Rollover: Police Clarksburg Driver Partially Ejected, Killed In Head-On Maryland Crash After Rollover: Police Clarksburg Driver Partially Ejected, Killed In Head-On Maryland Crash After Rollover: Police
Clarksburg Driver Partially Ejected, Killed In Head-On Maryland Crash After Rollover: Police A violent overnight crash in Maryland left a driver dead after a pickup truck slammed head-on into another SUV, rolled off the road, and threw the driver from the vehicle. The crash happened in Montgomery County at Woodfield Road and Glendalough Road near Gaithersburg shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 15, according to Montgomery County Police. Investigators say 39-year-old Jorge Estuardo Moran Hernandez of Clarksburg was driving a Ford F-150 north on Woodfield Road when the pickup crossed into the opposite lane. The truck collided head-on with a southbound Jeep Grand Cherokee. The …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Olney, MD
Breaking News
PG County Special Education Teacher Critically Injured After Stopping To Help Crash Victims PG County Special Education Teacher Critically Injured After Stopping To Help Crash Victims PG County Special Education Teacher Critically Injured After Stopping To Help Crash Victims
PG County Special Education Teacher Critically Injured After Stopping To Help Crash Victims A special education teacher who suffered critical injuries after being struck by a car attempting to assist drivers at an accident scene in Maryland is back home recovering, though he faces an uphill battle. Nicholas Brown, a father of four who works with students in Prince George's County who have special needs, is facing a lengthy recovery after being involved in a crash in Olney last week that left him hospitalized. Shortly before 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to the 16100 block of Georgia Avenue to investigate a reported crash …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Your Community
Adult Student Who Groped Girls Inside Virginia HS Should Never Have Been There, Feds Say Adult Student Who Groped Girls Inside Virginia HS Should Never Have Been There, Feds Say Adult Student Who Groped Girls Inside Virginia HS Should Never Have Been There, Feds Say
Adult Student Who Groped Girls Inside Virginia HS Should Never Have Been There, Feds Say A 19-year-old man accused of groping multiple teenage girls inside a Virginia high school is now facing criminal charges — and federal officials are warning he should never have been in the building in the first place. Israel Christopher Flores-Ortiz, a 19-year-old from El Salvador, was arrested in Fairfax County and charged with nine counts of assault and battery after authorities say he repeatedly targeted female students while attending school as an 11th grader, the US Department of Homeland Security announced Monday, March 16. Investigators say the alleged incidents happened in crowded …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Prev Page 286 of 3977 284 285 286 287 288 Next
2,851 - 2,860 of 39,767 articles