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

Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Appliance Explosion Inside South Arlington Apartment Leaves One Person Injured: Fire Officials Appliance Explosion Inside South Arlington Apartment Leaves One Person Injured: Fire Officials Appliance Explosion Inside South Arlington Apartment Leaves One Person Injured: Fire Officials
Appliance Explosion Inside South Arlington Apartment Leaves One Person Injured: Fire Officials A small explosion inside an apartment shook part of South Arlington on Sunday afternoon. Fire crews responded to the 1600 block of South Joyce Street around 3:59 p.m., Feb. 15, after an appliance exploded inside a unit, according to Arlington Fire & EMS. One person reported minor injuries. No firefighters were hurt, officials confirmed. The apartment’s gas supply was secured, and Washington Gas was dispatched to the scene. One occupant was treated and evaluated, but refused transport, authorities reported. No other units were damaged, and the scene has been turned over to Fire Marsha…

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by Zak Failla
Reisterstown, MD
Your Community
Baltimore County On Edge After Feds Lease Office As ICE Speculation Sparks Emergency Move Baltimore County On Edge After Feds Lease Office As ICE Speculation Sparks Emergency Move Baltimore County On Edge After Feds Lease Office As ICE Speculation Sparks Emergency Move
Baltimore County On Edge After Feds Lease Office As ICE Speculation Sparks Emergency Move Baltimore County’s top elected official is responding after the federal government leased office space in Hunt Valley, raising concerns about a possible ICE presence. County Executive Kathy Klausmeier addressed the issue over the weekend, after reports surfaced that the US General Services Administration secured office space in the area. “My administration has seen coverage about a potential ICE office in Hunt Valley, and investigated; we now understand that the US General Services Administration has leased office space in this location,” Klausmeier said in a public statement. “At this tim…

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by Zak Failla
Upper Marlboro, MD
Breaking News
Minor Fighting For Life After Tanker Truck Crash Shuts Down PG County Intersection (DEVELOPING) Minor Fighting For Life After Tanker Truck Crash Shuts Down PG County Intersection (DEVELOPING) Minor Fighting For Life After Tanker Truck Crash Shuts Down PG County Intersection (DEVELOPING)
Minor Fighting For Life After Tanker Truck Crash Shuts Down PG County Intersection (Developing) A minor is fighting for their life after a violent crash involving a tanker truck that shut down a busy Maryland intersection on Sunday afternoon. The crash was reported shortly after 2:15 p.m. on Feb. 15, at Crain Highway and Old Central Avenue in Upper Marlboro, where fire crews arrived to find a multi-vehicle wreck involving a tanker, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS officials said. One occupant of the tanker was ejected from the vehicle, authorities reported. Hazmat teams responded to secure the contents of the tanker as emergency crews treated multiple patients at the scene. One …

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by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Home Explosion Kills 68-Year-Old Man As Family Escapes $2M House Fire (PHOTOS) Maryland Home Explosion Kills 68-Year-Old Man As Family Escapes $2M House Fire (PHOTOS) Maryland Home Explosion Kills 68-Year-Old Man As Family Escapes $2M House Fire (PHOTOS)
Maryland Home Explosion Kills 68-Year-Old Man As Family Escapes $2M House Fire (Photos) Five family members made it out alive. The homeowner did not. A 5,000-square-foot home exploded in Chestertown around 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14, killing 68-year-old Charles William Heaps and destroying a $2 million home in Kent County, according to the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal. Emergency calls came flooding in late on Saturday afternoon, reporting an explosion followed by heavy fire in the 6900 block of Pentridge Lane, off Broadneck Road southwest of Langford, officials said. First arriving deputies and EMS crews reported a two-story dwelling fully involved in fire wi…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
Potomac Interceptor Collapse Now Approaching Largest Wastewater Spill In US History: Reports Potomac Interceptor Collapse Now Approaching Largest Wastewater Spill In US History: Reports Potomac Interceptor Collapse Now Approaching Largest Wastewater Spill In US History: Reports
Potomac Interceptor Collapse Now Approaching Largest Wastewater Spill In US History: Reports The Potomac sewage crisis is crossing into historic territory. Reportedly approaching one of the largest wastewater spills in US history, the Potomac Interceptor collapse is now entering a pivotal stretch as DC Water ramps up pumping capacity to 114 million gallons per day, while E. coli levels near the collapse site remain staggeringly high. No new overflow events impacting surface waters were reported in the past 24 hours, DC Water announced Saturday, Feb. 14. But the damage continues, with worsening conditions possible as temperatures rise and contaminated snow and ice begin to melt. …

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Your Community
The Votes Are In: National Zoo’s First Elephant Calf In Decades Now Has Her Name The Votes Are In: National Zoo’s First Elephant Calf In Decades Now Has Her Name The Votes Are In: National Zoo’s First Elephant Calf In Decades Now Has Her Name
The Votes Are In: National Zoo’s First Elephant Calf In Decades Now Has Her Name She had a tiny trunk and a very big debut. Now, DC’s newest elephant finally has a name. For the first time in nearly 25 years, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute welcomed an Asian elephant calf at 1:15 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 2, inside the Elephant Barn in Washington, DC.  Nearly two weeks later, zoo officials announced the 308-pound female now answers to Linh Mai. The name, chosen by the public through a fundraising vote, means “spirit blossom.”  Linh means “spirit” or “soul,” and Mai refers to the apricot blossom, a flower associated with Tết, the …

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Your Community
Anne Arundel Prosecutor Blasts ICE Tactics As ‘Indiscriminate, Chaotic’ Amid Increased Activity Anne Arundel Prosecutor Blasts ICE Tactics As ‘Indiscriminate, Chaotic’ Amid Increased Activity Anne Arundel Prosecutor Blasts ICE Tactics As ‘Indiscriminate, Chaotic’ Amid Increased Activity
Anne Arundel Prosecutor Blasts ICE Tactics As ‘Indiscriminate, Chaotic’ Amid Increased Activity Anne Arundel County’s top prosecutor is speaking out as ICE activity increases in the county that is home to Maryland’s State Capitol. Anne Colt Leitess, State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County, issued a public statement on Friday, Feb. 13, warning that recent federal immigration operations are creating fear and undermining public safety. “As State’s Attorney, my responsibility is to protect public safety, enforce the law fairly, and safeguard constitutional rights for everyone in our diverse community,” Leitess said. Leitess cited “recent allegations of excessive force and officer-involv…

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by Zak Failla
Aldie, VA
Your Community
‘Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner’? Virginia Gov. Spanberger’s Grill Photo Gets Roasted Online ‘Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner’? Virginia Gov. Spanberger’s Grill Photo Gets Roasted Online ‘Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner’? Virginia Gov. Spanberger’s Grill Photo Gets Roasted Online
‘Beef, It’s What’s For Dinner’? Virginia Gov. Spanberger’s Grill Photo Gets Roasted Online If the goal was to fire up the grill, mission accomplished. If the goal was to impress the Internet… that’s another story. A photo posted by new Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger this week showing her working a grill quickly turned into an unexpected online cookout — with commenters zeroing in on what exactly was sizzling over the flames. Spanberger was attending an event with the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association and the Virginia State Dairymen’s Association, wearing a black apron that read, “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner,” while flipping several thin, irregular-looking cuts of meat on a gril…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
On Your Side
Last Call: After 30 Years In Arlington, Rhodeside Grill Is Pouring Its Final Drinks Last Call: After 30 Years In Arlington, Rhodeside Grill Is Pouring Its Final Drinks Last Call: After 30 Years In Arlington, Rhodeside Grill Is Pouring Its Final Drinks
Last Call: After 30 Years In Arlington, Rhodeside Grill Is Pouring Its Final Drinks A Virginia institution is shutting down after 30 years of serving the community from its home in downtown Arlington. Rhodeside Grill, which has stood on the corner of Wilson Boulevard and North Rhodes Street for decades, will serve its last meals and drinks on Saturday, Feb. 21, its owners announced, much to the chagrin of local patrons. The building is set for redevelopment, according to the owners, and with no long-term lease in place, they were forced to move on to their next venture. "What started back in 1996 as Alice and Wilson Whitney’s vision for a cozy neighborhood hangout turned …

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by Zak Failla
Joppatowne, MD
Breaking News
Pair Rescued From Icy Gunpowder River In Dramatic Harford County Ice Water Operation (PHOTOS) Pair Rescued From Icy Gunpowder River In Dramatic Harford County Ice Water Operation (PHOTOS) Pair Rescued From Icy Gunpowder River In Dramatic Harford County Ice Water Operation (PHOTOS)
Pair Rescued From Icy Gunpowder River In Dramatic Harford County Ice Water Operation (Photos) Two people who fell through the ice on the Gunpowder River were pulled to safety Friday afternoon in a dramatic, multi-agency rescue in Maryland. The emergency unfolded at Mariner Point Park in Joppa on Friday, Feb. 13, at approximately 3:37 p.m., according to Harford County fire officials. First responders were dispatched for a report that two people had fallen through the ice, Harford County Department of Emergency Services confirmed. Photos from the scene show rescuers making their way across a frozen river surface, tethered by ropes, inching toward two people in the water. Harford C…

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by Zak Failla
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