Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

[email protected]

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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

Centreville, VA
Breaking News
NTSB Identifies Leaking Gas Pipe In Centreville Explosion That Rocked Neighborhood NTSB Identifies Leaking Gas Pipe In Centreville Explosion That Rocked Neighborhood NTSB Identifies Leaking Gas Pipe In Centreville Explosion That Rocked Neighborhood
NTSB Identifies Leaking Gas Pipe In Centreville Explosion That Rocked Neighborhood Virginia residents are getting their first real clue into what may have caused the massive natural gas explosion that rocked a Fairfax County neighborhood earlier this month. The National Transportation Safety Board announced that investigators identified a leaking section of polyethylene plastic pipe near the corner of Quail Pond Court and Belle Plains Drive following the Feb. 15 natural gas-fueled home explosion and fire in Centreville. Investigators found the pipe leaked air during pressure testing and removed that section for further analysis. The damaged pipe has been sent to the NTSB…

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by Zak Failla
Ashburn, VA
Breaking News
Knife-Wielding Man Threatened Metro Riders, Touched Child On Train Heading To Ashburn: Sheriff Knife-Wielding Man Threatened Metro Riders, Touched Child On Train Heading To Ashburn: Sheriff Knife-Wielding Man Threatened Metro Riders, Touched Child On Train Heading To Ashburn: Sheriff
Knife-Wielding Man Threatened Metro Riders, Touched Child On Train Heading To Ashburn: Sheriff An armed man who threatened passengers on a Metro train in Virginia and allegedly touched a child inappropriately is behind bars after being taken into custody at an area station. Sergio Avalos Santiago, 37, who has no fixed address, is facing charges after threatening passengers on a train heading from Herndon to Ashburn, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Shortly after 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, Metro Transit Police alerted the department about a man who was displaying a knife toward other passengers on the train. Deputies met the train at the Ashburn Station and evac…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
'Dangerous' Person Of Interest Wanted For Deadly Bus Stop Stabbing In Fairfax Arrested: Police 'Dangerous' Person Of Interest Wanted For Deadly Bus Stop Stabbing In Fairfax Arrested: Police 'Dangerous' Person Of Interest Wanted For Deadly Bus Stop Stabbing In Fairfax Arrested: Police
'Dangerous' Person Of Interest Wanted For Deadly Bus Stop Stabbing In Fairfax Arrested: Police A man identified as the person of interest in a deadly Hybla Valley bus stop homicide is now in custody in Virginia. Abdul Jalloh was taken into custody on Tuesday, Feb. 24, in the 8600 block of Richmond Highway in Woodlawn, hours after he allegedly stabbed a woman to death, according to Fairfax County Police. Police say Jalloh is currently being held on an unrelated petit larceny charge. Jalloh was previously identified by detectives as the last person seen with a woman who was found suffering from trauma inside a bus shelter near Richmond Highway and Arlington Drive shortly after 7 p.m. …

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Your Community
DHS Says Virginia Gov. Spanberger Made Commonwealth ‘Less Safe’ After ICE Ban DHS Says Virginia Gov. Spanberger Made Commonwealth ‘Less Safe’ After ICE Ban DHS Says Virginia Gov. Spanberger Made Commonwealth ‘Less Safe’ After ICE Ban
DHS Says Virginia Gov. Spanberger Made Commonwealth ‘Less Safe’ After ICE Ban Virginia is now at the center of a growing immigration firestorm. The US Department of Homeland Security publicly criticized Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday, Feb/ 24, accusing her of making Virginia “less safe” after she ended agreements allowing local law enforcement to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The statement was released from Washington ahead of Spanberger’s response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. On Feb. 4, Spanberger terminated all 287(g) agreements in Virginia, according to DHS. Those agreements allow local law enforcement agencies to …

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by Zak Failla
Glen Burnie, MD
Breaking News
Shotgun Terror: Man Fired Blasts Inside Glen Burnie Home As Family Fled, Police Say Shotgun Terror: Man Fired Blasts Inside Glen Burnie Home As Family Fled, Police Say Shotgun Terror: Man Fired Blasts Inside Glen Burnie Home As Family Fled, Police Say
Shotgun Terror: Man Fired Blasts Inside Glen Burnie Home As Family Fled, Police Say A Maryland man is facing attempted murder charges after allegedly firing multiple shotgun blasts inside a home with family members present in the room, police said. Officers responded at approximately 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, to the 1000 block of Nancy Road in Glen Burnie for a report of shots fired, according to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. When officers arrived, they learned a man had fired multiple shots inside the residence while family members were still inside the home. Two women were able to exit the residence safely before police arrived, and officers assisted a…

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by Zak Failla
Mount Airy-Woodbine, MD
Breaking News
Body Found After Massive Mount Airy House Fire Erupts Through Snow-Covered Roof Body Found After Massive Mount Airy House Fire Erupts Through Snow-Covered Roof Body Found After Massive Mount Airy House Fire Erupts Through Snow-Covered Roof
Body Found After Massive Mount Airy House Fire Erupts Through Snow-Covered Roof A body was pulled from the wreckage of a house fire in Northern Maryland on Monday afternoon after crews battled tricky conditions in Mount Airy. Shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 23, a multi-county effort was launched when a home went up in flames in the 13900 block of Foggy Bottom Drive, according to officials. Units from the Mount Airy Fire Station arrived first on the scene to find fire showing through the roof of a single-story home. Crews had to contend with fire conditions on the first floor that extended into the attic space. During suppression efforts, crews identified a large hole…

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by Zak Failla
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
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