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

Fredericksburg, VA
Weather
Ice, Snow, Chaos — And A Happy Ending: Two Dogs Rescued From Frozen Lake In Spotsy (PHOTOS) Ice, Snow, Chaos — And A Happy Ending: Two Dogs Rescued From Frozen Lake In Spotsy (PHOTOS) Ice, Snow, Chaos — And A Happy Ending: Two Dogs Rescued From Frozen Lake In Spotsy (PHOTOS)
Ice, Snow, Chaos — And A Happy Ending: Two Dogs Rescued From Frozen Lake In Spotsy (Photos) Just when winter in the DMV seemed determined to keep delivering chaos, two dogs in Virginia found themselves in serious trouble — and a group of first responders delivered a feel-good ending worth warming up for. Deputies and fire crews rushed to the 5400 block of Ridge Road in Spotsylvania County shortly before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28, after receiving reports of a dog stranded on an ice-covered lake, officials said. The dog, a Rottweiler named Church, had wandered into the area with a Labrador companion and stepped onto the frozen water, unaware that recent storms had left the ice un…

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by Zak Failla
Linthicum, MD
Breaking News
Fatal Shooting At Maryland’s Northrop Grumman Facility; Security Worker In Custody (DEVELOPING) Fatal Shooting At Maryland’s Northrop Grumman Facility; Security Worker In Custody (DEVELOPING) Fatal Shooting At Maryland’s Northrop Grumman Facility; Security Worker In Custody (DEVELOPING)
Fatal Shooting At Maryland’s Northrop Grumman Facility; Security Worker In Custody (Developing) A fatal shooting at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum sent police racing to one of Maryland’s most high-profile defense sites, where authorities say a contracted security worker has been taken into custody. Anne Arundel County Police confirmed they are investigating a deadly shooting at the Northrop Grumman campus in Linthicum, Maryland, after officers were called to the facility for reports of gunfire. Police said the incident is isolated and involves a contracted security worker. “This is an isolated incident involving a contracted security worker, who has been taken into custod…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Weather
Days After Brutal Winter Storm, Woman Found Dead Along Annapolis Hiking Trail (DEVELOPING) Days After Brutal Winter Storm, Woman Found Dead Along Annapolis Hiking Trail (DEVELOPING) Days After Brutal Winter Storm, Woman Found Dead Along Annapolis Hiking Trail (DEVELOPING)
Days After Brutal Winter Storm, Woman Found Dead Along Annapolis Hiking Trail (Developing) A Maryland woman was found dead in the frigid weather on an area hiking trail, authorities announced. The Annapolis Police Department say that an unresponsive woman was found on a busy hiking trail Wednesday near the tennis courts at Truxtun Park following multiple calls from passersby.  Shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 28, officers were called to the trail to investigate an unresponsive woman who suffered critical injuries. Investigators say that the woman may have slipped due to the icy conditions and she subsequently succumbed to exposure during extreme cold temperatures. No f…

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by Zak Failla
Aldie, VA
Your Community
Four Snow Days Later… Schools Still Closed In Loudoun County After Sunday Storm Four Snow Days Later… Schools Still Closed In Loudoun County After Sunday Storm Four Snow Days Later… Schools Still Closed In Loudoun County After Sunday Storm
Four Snow Days Later… Schools Still Closed In Loudoun County After Sunday Storm School's out for... winter?  For the fourth straight day, school districts in Maryland and Virginia are canceling classes as the region continues digging out from the Sunday snowstorm that caused chaos in the area. District leaders cited lingering ice, treacherous side roads, and continued concerns about student and staff safety as the reasons for the prolonged closures, as crews continue to battle the widespread freeze triggered by the storm and subsequent cold spell. The school districts announced early on Wednesday that they will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 29:  Maryland An…

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by Zak Failla
Perryville-Port Deposit, MD
Breaking News
Drug Ring Targeting Veterans Busted At Perry Point Veterans Medical Campus, Police Say Drug Ring Targeting Veterans Busted At Perry Point Veterans Medical Campus, Police Say Drug Ring Targeting Veterans Busted At Perry Point Veterans Medical Campus, Police Say
Drug Ring Targeting Veterans Busted At Perry Point Veterans Medical Campus, Police Say A months-long drug probe meant to protect veterans instead uncovered what Maryland State Police say was a trafficking operation running straight through a VA medical campus in Cecil County. Troopers arrested Asante Anderson, 50, of Perryville, after investigators say he was operating a drug distribution scheme at the Perry Point Veterans Medical Campus, a place intended for care, treatment, and recovery. State police announced the arrest on Wednesday, Jan. 28. The investigation began in June 2025, as troopers from the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division partnered with feder…

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by Zak Failla
Annandale, VA
Breaking News
Annandale DWI Stop Goes Sideways As Drunk Driver Slams Cruisers, Both Nabbed For Second Offense Annandale DWI Stop Goes Sideways As Drunk Driver Slams Cruisers, Both Nabbed For Second Offense Annandale DWI Stop Goes Sideways As Drunk Driver Slams Cruisers, Both Nabbed For Second Offense
Annandale DWI Stop Goes Sideways As Drunk Driver Slams Cruisers, Both Nabbed For Second Offense A DWI stop on I-495 went completely off the rails when another drunk driver smashed into two police cruisers already on the shoulder in Virginia, turning one arrest into instant chaos. Bealeton resident Edwin Guzman Aguilar, 21, made life difficult for members of the Fairfax County Police Department as they were attempting to conduct a DWI stop of Marlon Somoza Quinonez on I-495 in Annandale, officials say. The damaged Fairfax County Police vehicle. Fairfax County Police They say nothing good happens after 2 a.m. These two proved them right. According to the department, at around 4…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
From Baltimore To Broadway: Maryland Native Brian Duker Lands Jets DC Job From Baltimore To Broadway: Maryland Native Brian Duker Lands Jets DC Job From Baltimore To Broadway: Maryland Native Brian Duker Lands Jets DC Job
From Baltimore To Broadway: Maryland Native Brian Duker Lands Jets DC Job A familiar face is heading to a familiar place after the New York Jets announced they were hiring a former Miami Dolphin's coach to helm the defense.  Brian Duker, 36, a Maryland-grown football mind who spent time with the Ravens under former coach John Harbaugh, was hired as the New York Jets’ new defensive coordinator, the team announced on Wednesday. The move keeps Duker in the AFC East and caps a steady rise that began in Baltimore, where he joined Harbaugh’s staff as a defensive assistant in 2018 before serving as a defensive coaching analyst from 2019 through 2020. The Towson Un…

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by Zak Failla
La Plata, MD
Breaking News
Underage BMW Driver, La Plata Pickup Truck Driver Both Charged In Virginia DUI Crash: Sheriff Underage BMW Driver, La Plata Pickup Truck Driver Both Charged In Virginia DUI Crash: Sheriff Underage BMW Driver, La Plata Pickup Truck Driver Both Charged In Virginia DUI Crash: Sheriff
Underage BMW Driver, La Plata Pickup Truck Driver Both Charged In Virginia DUI Crash: Sheriff A BMW crash in Stafford County turned into a rare double DUI arrest after deputies found an underage driver behind the wheel — and a Maryland man facing his second drunk driving charge in five years. Deputies with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office were called around 11:40 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, to the area of Colemans Mill Road and Leeland Road for reports of reckless driving, officials said. Callers reported a white pickup truck doing donuts in the middle of the roadway. When deputies arrived, they found a BMW stopped in the road that appeared to have been involved in a crash, alon…

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by Zak Failla
Gaithersburg, MD
Breaking News
Germantown Family Loses Home In $400K Fire As Community Rushes In To Help Germantown Family Loses Home In $400K Fire As Community Rushes In To Help Germantown Family Loses Home In $400K Fire As Community Rushes In To Help
Germantown Family Loses Home In $400K Fire As Community Rushes In To Help A devastating house fire that tore through a Germantown home has now sparked an outpouring of support from neighbors, classmates, and strangers across Maryland. The fire broke out at a large single-family home in the 11000 block of Brink Road in Germantown on Tuesday, Jan. 27, when improperly discarded fireplace ashes ignited combustible materials inside a garage, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue officials said. The blaze quickly spread from the garage into the home’s crawl space and walls, triggering a massive response that included 10 engines, five ladder trucks, a heavy rescue unit, six…

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by Zak Failla
Frederick, MD
Obituaries
A Million Miles Together: Frederick Family Steps Up After Trucker Loses Beloved Road Dog A Million Miles Together: Frederick Family Steps Up After Trucker Loses Beloved Road Dog A Million Miles Together: Frederick Family Steps Up After Trucker Loses Beloved Road Dog
A Million Miles Together: Frederick Family Steps Up After Trucker Loses Beloved Road Dog A Maryland family is rallying behind a heartbroken truck driver after a violent crash thousands of miles from home took the life of a dog who wasn’t just a pet — she was family. Honeybear, a Shih Tzu who spent her days riding shotgun on cross-country hauls, was killed while traveling through Wyoming when extreme winds caused a tractor-trailer to overturn, according to a fundraiser launched by a Frederick County organizer. The campaign was started by Deborah Harris to support Shawn Slagle and his wife, Deborah, as they grieve the sudden loss of the tiny co-pilot who shared nearly every …

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by Zak Failla
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