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

Lexington Park, MD
Obituaries
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Mourns Loss Of Retired Corporal Ralph Jerome Butler St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Mourns Loss Of Retired Corporal Ralph Jerome Butler St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Mourns Loss Of Retired Corporal Ralph Jerome Butler
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Mourns Loss Of Retired Corporal Ralph Jerome Butler The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of its own. Ralph Jerome Butler, a Civilian Security Specialist and retired Corrections Corporal, died at his home in St. Mary’s County early Tuesday morning, Feb. 24, officials confirmed. The sheriff’s office announced Butler’s passing, calling him a treasured member of the department known for his steady presence and professionalism. Butler served as a Correctional Officer at the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center for more than 23 years before retiring in March 2022 as a Corporal. He returned just mont…

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by Zak Failla
Prince Frederick, MD
Obituaries
Maryland Mother Killed By Fallen Tree During Winter Storm, Partner In Critical Condition Maryland Mother Killed By Fallen Tree During Winter Storm, Partner In Critical Condition Maryland Mother Killed By Fallen Tree During Winter Storm, Partner In Critical Condition
Maryland Mother Killed By Fallen Tree During Winter Storm, Partner In Critical Condition Virginia Marie Queensberry was more than a name in a crash report. She was “Ginny” to the people who loved her — a mother, a partner, a friend whose laughter and warmth filled rooms long before Sunday’s tragedy on Route 2. Shortly before 4:45 p.m. on Feb. 22, deputies from the Calvert County Sheriff's Office were called to North Solomons Island Road near Aspen Wood Drive in Sunderland after a tree fell into the roadway and struck a northbound vehicle. Inside the vehicle were three Southern Maryland residents. Queensberry, 43, of Chesapeake Beach, was seated in the front passenger sea…

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by Zak Failla
Bowie, MD
Breaking News
Bowie Man, 26, Hit With Dozen Child Porn Charges After Federal Cybertip: State Police Bowie Man, 26, Hit With Dozen Child Porn Charges After Federal Cybertip: State Police Bowie Man, 26, Hit With Dozen Child Porn Charges After Federal Cybertip: State Police
Bowie Man, 26, Hit With Dozen Child Porn Charges After Federal Cybertip: State Police A 26-year-old Prince George’s County man has been arrested and charged with distributing and possessing child pornography, Maryland State Police announced Tuesday. Braeden E. Swisher, 26, of Bowie, was arrested on February 24 after investigators developed evidence of the possession and distribution of child pornography, according to state police. In October 2025, Maryland State Police received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, officials said. The investigation into the possession and viewing of child pornography led to Swisher being identified as the s…

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by Zak Failla
Lorton, VA
Breaking News
200+ Windows Smashed, $300K In Damage At Virginia Church Caused By Teen, Police Say 200+ Windows Smashed, $300K In Damage At Virginia Church Caused By Teen, Police Say 200+ Windows Smashed, $300K In Damage At Virginia Church Caused By Teen, Police Say
200+ Windows Smashed, $300K In Damage At Virginia Church Caused By Teen, Police Say A Virginia church was left looking like a hurricane hit it — but police say the damage was deliberate — and done by a teenager. More than 200 windows were broken, doors were damaged, and graffiti was spray-painted throughout the interior and exterior of Impact Church on Neabsco Mills Road in Woodbridge, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, according to Prince William County Police. It is believed that the damage was done at the church between Dec. 21, 2025, and Jan. 2.  When detectives wrapped up their investigation on Feb. 17, they determined the church suffered e…

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by Zak Failla
Columbia, MD
Obituaries
Unimaginable Pain: Columbia Man Killed By Roommate Remembered As ‘Loving Son, Brother, Friend' Unimaginable Pain: Columbia Man Killed By Roommate Remembered As ‘Loving Son, Brother, Friend' Unimaginable Pain: Columbia Man Killed By Roommate Remembered As ‘Loving Son, Brother, Friend'
Unimaginable Pain: Columbia Man Killed By Roommate Remembered As ‘Loving Son, Brother, Friend' A 25-year-old Maryland man was stabbed to death by his roommate during a dispute over money — now his family is left grieving what they call a “sudden and senseless act of violence.” On Sunday, Feb. 22, Jaelon Minor was found by members of the Howard County Police Department suffering from fatal stab wounds in his Columbia home following a domestic incident involving 26-year-old Donovan Townsend.  Officers were called around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday to the 7600 block of Woodpark Lane, where they found Minor critically injured. First responders rendered first aid, but he was pronounced dead …

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by Zak Failla
Upper Marlboro, MD
Breaking News
PG County Woman Caring For Daughter, Elderly Mom Loses Home In Blaze: 'Everything Is Gone' PG County Woman Caring For Daughter, Elderly Mom Loses Home In Blaze: 'Everything Is Gone' PG County Woman Caring For Daughter, Elderly Mom Loses Home In Blaze: 'Everything Is Gone'
PG County Woman Caring For Daughter, Elderly Mom Loses Home In Blaze: 'Everything Is Gone' A Maryland mother caring for her young daughter and elderly mother lost everything in an instant when fire tore through their home Saturday night. The blaze broke out at about 6:29 p.m. on Saturday, February 21, in the 14700 block of Mary Bowie Parkway in Kettering, according to Prince George’s County Fire/EMS officials. Firefighters arrived to find a three-story townhouse with fire showing and quickly knocked it down. House fire, 6:29pm 14700 block Mary Bowie Pkwy in Kettering. PGFD units on scene of 3-story townhouse w/fire showing. Fire is out. No injuries reported. Fire Investigator…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Woman Found Dead At Hybla Valley Bus Stop, Police Warn Person Of Interest May Be Dangerous Woman Found Dead At Hybla Valley Bus Stop, Police Warn Person Of Interest May Be Dangerous Woman Found Dead At Hybla Valley Bus Stop, Police Warn Person Of Interest May Be Dangerous
Woman Found Dead At Hybla Valley Bus Stop, Police Warn Person Of Interest May Be Dangerous A person of interest has been identified after a woman was found dead at a bus stop in Virginia, police say. Officers from the Fairfax County Police Department responded shortly after 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, to the area of Richmond Highway and Arlington Drive in Hybla Valley for a report of a woman suffering from trauma inside a bus shelter. She was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. Police believe the woman arrived at the bus stop between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., Fairfax County Police Public Affairs Bureau Capt. Chris Cosgriff said. Detectives are now seeking Abdul Jalloh, 32…

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by Zak Failla
Upper Marlboro, MD
Breaking News
Late-Night Car Rally Ends In Crash, Foot Chase, Gun Arrests In Prince George's County: Police Late-Night Car Rally Ends In Crash, Foot Chase, Gun Arrests In Prince George's County: Police Late-Night Car Rally Ends In Crash, Foot Chase, Gun Arrests In Prince George's County: Police
Late-Night Car Rally Ends In Crash, Foot Chase, Gun Arrests In Prince George's County: Police A pair from Pennsylvania is the latest to face charges after an illegal late-night car rally that ended with a crash, foot chase, and recovered weapon in Maryland, police say. Blake Matthew Miller, 23, of East Berlin, and Gus William Roth, 22, of Hanover, were charged following the operation, the Prince George’s County Police Department announced. Between 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, and early on Sunday, Feb. 22, local police joined state police troopers to target illegal car rallies throughout the region. High-visibility patrols targeted exhibition driving, disorderly behavior, and roadw…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Cocaine, Crack Found By Police K-9 During Traffic Stop In Lexington Park, Sheriff Says Cocaine, Crack Found By Police K-9 During Traffic Stop In Lexington Park, Sheriff Says Cocaine, Crack Found By Police K-9 During Traffic Stop In Lexington Park, Sheriff Says
Cocaine, Crack Found By Police K-9 During Traffic Stop In Lexington Park, Sheriff Says A proactive patrol in Southern Maryland led to the arrest of a 33-year-old man after deputies say they found suspected cocaine, crack cocaine, and a large amount of cash during a traffic stop. On Saturday, Feb. 21, a deputy with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office initiated a stop on a 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe for a traffic violation while conducting patrol operations in Lexington Park, the sheriff’s office announced on Tuesday. Additional units, including K-9 Kyra, responded to the scene, and a free-air sniff of the vehicle resulted in a positive alert for possible controlled dangerous subs…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Trooper Ambushed During Baltimore Traffic Stop, Suspect Flees: State Police Maryland Trooper Ambushed During Baltimore Traffic Stop, Suspect Flees: State Police Maryland Trooper Ambushed During Baltimore Traffic Stop, Suspect Flees: State Police
Maryland Trooper Ambushed During Baltimore Traffic Stop, Suspect Flees: State Police The hunt is on for a suspect who took shots at a Maryland State Police trooper during a traffic stop on Tuesday morning. Shortly before 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 24, a trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a gray Infiniti near the intersection of Belle Avenue and Milford Avenue in Baltimore, according to the department. The trooper approached the driver's side of the vehicle, at which point the door opened slightly and shots were fired from inside the car toward the trooper, who did not return fire. Following the shooting, the driver sped away eastbound on Belle Avenue. Troopers from the…

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by Zak Failla
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