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

Damascus, MD
Breaking News
Speeding Teen Driver Killed After Being Ejected In Violent 3-Vehicle Crash In Damascus: Police Speeding Teen Driver Killed After Being Ejected In Violent 3-Vehicle Crash In Damascus: Police Speeding Teen Driver Killed After Being Ejected In Violent 3-Vehicle Crash In Damascus: Police
Speeding Teen Driver Killed After Being Ejected In Violent 3-Vehicle Crash In Damascus: Police A 19-year-old driver was killed in a violent three-vehicle crash late Monday night in Maryland, police said. River Jordan Washington, of Monrovia, died after the collision on Ridge Road north of Sweepstakes Road in Damascus at approximately 10:29 p.m. on Monday, March 2, according to Montgomery County police. When officers and firefighters arrived, they found Washington lying in the roadway after being thrown from his vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say Washington had been driving a white 2022 Toyota Camry northbound on Ridge Road when the car crossed the cente…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Baby Who Witnessed Family Stabbing In Fairfax Reunited With Relatives As Dad Recovers Baby Who Witnessed Family Stabbing In Fairfax Reunited With Relatives As Dad Recovers Baby Who Witnessed Family Stabbing In Fairfax Reunited With Relatives As Dad Recovers
Baby Who Witnessed Family Stabbing In Fairfax Reunited With Relatives As Dad Recovers The baby who survived one of Virginia's most brutal attacks in recent memory is now back with relatives as a grieving Nepali community is stepping up around the family. Chhatra Thapa, 54, of Fairfax, was shot and killed by officers after he fatally stabbed his wife and daughter before turning the knife on his son-in-law inside a Mantua apartment early on Monday, Feb. 23, according to Fairfax County Police. Mamta Thapa, 33, and Binda Thapa, 52, who also lived in their Fairfax home, died at the hospital after suffering stab wounds during the attack. His son-in-law, Santosh Basnet, remains hos…

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by Zak Failla
Triangle-Dumfries, VA
Breaking News
Virginia Walmart Booze Bandit Kicks Cops After Bathroom Bender In Dumfries: Police Virginia Walmart Booze Bandit Kicks Cops After Bathroom Bender In Dumfries: Police Virginia Walmart Booze Bandit Kicks Cops After Bathroom Bender In Dumfries: Police
Virginia Walmart Booze Bandit Kicks Cops After Bathroom Bender In Dumfries: Police A Virginia woman allegedly turned a Walmart bathroom into a bar — then kicked two cops when they tried to shut the party down, police said. Maria Juana Chicas, 49, who has no fixed address, is behind bars after a brazen bathroom charade that ended with her being arrested in the 17000 block of Richmond Highway in Dumfries for acting disorderly. Shortly before 11 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, officers from the Prince William County Police Department were called to the store to investigate reports of a shoplifter.  Police say that Chicas took merchandise — including alcoholic beverages — a…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Justice High Student-Athlete ‘Pinto’ Fighting For Life On Ventilator After Devastating Crash Justice High Student-Athlete ‘Pinto’ Fighting For Life On Ventilator After Devastating Crash Justice High Student-Athlete ‘Pinto’ Fighting For Life On Ventilator After Devastating Crash
Justice High Student-Athlete ‘Pinto’ Fighting For Life On Ventilator After Devastating Crash A beloved Justice High School student-athlete is fighting for his life after a devastating crash left him critically injured, prompting friends and classmates across Northern Virginia to rally behind him. Steven Perez Pinto — known to friends simply as “Pinto” — remains in critical condition following a serious crash, according to a GoFundMe campaign created to support his family. The fundraiser was launched by friends Ariana Damas and Gissel Romero in Bailey’s Crossroads as classmates and community members organize support for the injured teen and his family. According to the organizers, …

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Nightmare In DC: 10 Starving Dogs Found In Apartment As Survivors Ate Dead To Survive Nightmare In DC: 10 Starving Dogs Found In Apartment As Survivors Ate Dead To Survive Nightmare In DC: 10 Starving Dogs Found In Apartment As Survivors Ate Dead To Survive
Nightmare In DC: 10 Starving Dogs Found In Apartment As Survivors Ate Dead To Survive Rescuers in Southeast DC found a nightmare inside an apartment—12 emaciated dogs, two already dead, and survivors driven to desperate acts to stay alive. Ten animals are now recovering after being cruelly treated and neglected before being rescued by Animal Protection officers, according to the Humane Rescue Alliance. On Monday, March 2, the Metropolitan Police Department alerted the agency's Humane Law Enforcement team about "an extreme case" of animal cruelty in a Southeast DC apartment. Inside, officers found 12 dogs — two of which had already died — while the rest, including puppies, w…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
12 Years Later: Search Renewed For 8-Year-Old Relisha Rudd Who Vanished In DC 12 Years Later: Search Renewed For 8-Year-Old Relisha Rudd Who Vanished In DC 12 Years Later: Search Renewed For 8-Year-Old Relisha Rudd Who Vanished In DC
12 Years Later: Search Renewed For 8-Year-Old Relisha Rudd Who Vanished In DC Twelve years after an 8-year-old girl vanished in Washington, DC, police are again asking the public to help find her — a case that remains one of the most haunting unsolved disappearances in the nation’s capital. The Metropolitan Police Department renewed its search this week for Relisha Tenau Rudd, who was last seen Saturday, March 1, 2014, in the 1600 block of Maryland Avenue NE in Washington, DC, according to investigators. It’s been twelve years since 8-year-old Relisha Rudd went missing, and her case remains open and active. MPD continues to receive tips from the public, and we rem…

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by Zak Failla
Linganore-New Market, MD
Breaking News
Traffic Stop On I-70 Leads To Fentanyl, Cocaine, Stolen Handgun Bust: Frederick Sheriff Traffic Stop On I-70 Leads To Fentanyl, Cocaine, Stolen Handgun Bust: Frederick Sheriff Traffic Stop On I-70 Leads To Fentanyl, Cocaine, Stolen Handgun Bust: Frederick Sheriff
Traffic Stop On I-70 Leads To Fentanyl, Cocaine, Stolen Handgun Bust: Frederick Sheriff A Maryland traffic stop on I-70 spiraled into a major bust when deputies uncovered suspected fentanyl, cocaine, and a stolen handgun inside a vehicle driven by a Baltimore man, authorities say. John Tyrell Gross Jr., 35, is facing a host of charges following an ill-fated traffic stop on the interstate that led to a massive seizure, according to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office. At around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, a deputy stopped Gross' Acura MDX in the westbound lanes near New Market for an equipment violation and failure to stay in the lane.  During the stop, investigators …

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by Zak Failla
Ashburn, VA
On Your Side
Virginia-Based Woofie’s Named Top Pet Care Franchise In Entrepreneur Magazine's 2026 Ranking Virginia-Based Woofie’s Named Top Pet Care Franchise In Entrepreneur Magazine's 2026 Ranking Virginia-Based Woofie’s Named Top Pet Care Franchise In Entrepreneur Magazine's 2026 Ranking
Virginia-Based Woofie’s Named Top Pet Care Franchise In Entrepreneur Magazine's 2026 Ranking A Virginia-based pet care company that started between neighbors in Ashburn has been named the top dog in the country. Woofie’s, founded more than 20 years ago in Loudoun County, has been ranked number one in the Pet Care: Dog-Walking/Pet-Sitting category on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2026 Franchise 500 list of top franchise opportunities. The company also landed at 369th overall among more than 500 brands nationwide, according to the newly released ranking. Woofie’s was launched in 2004 by Ashburn neighbors Amy Addington and Leslie Barron, who built the company around services including dog …

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Weather
Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Dates Announced In DC As America Prepares For 250th Anniversary Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Dates Announced In DC As America Prepares For 250th Anniversary Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Dates Announced In DC As America Prepares For 250th Anniversary
Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Dates Announced In DC As America Prepares For 250th Anniversary Spring in the nation's capital is about to put on its most famous show again. The National Park Service announced that the iconic cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin and National Mall in DC are projected to reach peak bloom between March 29 and April 1, depending on weather conditions. "Peak Bloom is defined as the period of time when 70 percent of the Yoshino cherry blossoms -the most common variety- are open, creating gorgeous clouds of white and pink flowers floating around the Tidal Basin," officials said. Once peak bloom begins, the blossoms typically stay on the trees for seven to…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Rabies Scare In Virginia: Two People Bitten By Aggressive Raccoon Near Old Town Alexandria Rabies Scare In Virginia: Two People Bitten By Aggressive Raccoon Near Old Town Alexandria Rabies Scare In Virginia: Two People Bitten By Aggressive Raccoon Near Old Town Alexandria
Rabies Scare In Virginia: Two People Bitten By Aggressive Raccoon Near Old Town Alexandria A raccoon believed to be rabid bit two people in Virginia, sparking a health warning after the attacks were reported near Old Town Alexandria, officials said. The bites were reported on Tuesday, March 3, when two people contacted animal control after encounters with a raccoon near North Henry Street, North Patrick Street, and Cameron Street, according to the Alexandria Health Department. Officials said they do not know if the same animal was responsible, but the incidents happened close together in time and location. “Due to the aggressive behavior, AHD believes the racoon(s) may have had …

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by Zak Failla
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