Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

[email protected]

FOLLOW ON

Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram

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
From Classroom To Jail Cell: Former DC Teacher Sentenced In $430K Fraud Case In Maryland From Classroom To Jail Cell: Former DC Teacher Sentenced In $430K Fraud Case In Maryland From Classroom To Jail Cell: Former DC Teacher Sentenced In $430K Fraud Case In Maryland
From Classroom To Jail Cell: Former DC Teacher Sentenced In $430K Fraud Case In Maryland A former Washington, DC teacher is trading lesson plans for a jail cell after admitting to a yearslong insurance fraud scheme that investigators say involved more than 100 bogus medical claims and over $430,000 in stolen benefits. Kanika Oni Boston, 51, was sentenced to one year in the Prince George’s County Detention Center after pleading guilty to felony theft scheme and felony insurance fraud, Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced on Thursday. Authorities said Boston carried out the scheme while living in Maryland, targeting National Teachers Association Life Insurance and…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Sterling, VA
Breaking News
Smoke Alarms Wake Family Just In Time As Fire Rips Through Loudoun County Home Smoke Alarms Wake Family Just In Time As Fire Rips Through Loudoun County Home Smoke Alarms Wake Family Just In Time As Fire Rips Through Loudoun County Home
Smoke Alarms Wake Family Just In Time As Fire Rips Through Loudoun County Home Working smoke alarms are being credited with preventing a potentially deadly situation after an early-morning house fire broke out inside a Virginia home, fire officials said. The accidental fire started just before 2:00 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22, inside a two-story single-family home in the 21000 block of Ethan Court in Sterling, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. Officials said smoke alarms alerted the residents to the danger, allowing everyone inside to evacuate safely before firefighters arrived. Loudoun County Emergency Communications received a 9-1-1 call reporting smoke al…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Capitol Heights-District Heights, MD
Breaking News
Pepper Spray-Wielding Man Shot During Wild Tow Argument In Capitol Heights Parking Lot: Police Pepper Spray-Wielding Man Shot During Wild Tow Argument In Capitol Heights Parking Lot: Police Pepper Spray-Wielding Man Shot During Wild Tow Argument In Capitol Heights Parking Lot: Police
Pepper Spray-Wielding Man Shot During Wild Tow Argument In Capitol Heights Parking Lot: Police A late-night argument over a possible tow in Maryland ended with the would-be aggressor getting shot — not the other way around — police say. Prince George’s County Police are investigating a non-fatal shooting that unfolded around 9:40 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 21, in a parking lot in the 4800 block of Addison Road in the unincorporated section of Capitol Heights. Officers arrived to find a man suffering from a gunshot wound in the parking lot. His injuries were not considered life-threatening, police said. According to investigators, the man who was shot had approached two employees of a t…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Obituaries
American Dream Cut Short As 25-Year-Old Woman Killed In Virginia Scooter Crash American Dream Cut Short As 25-Year-Old Woman Killed In Virginia Scooter Crash American Dream Cut Short As 25-Year-Old Woman Killed In Virginia Scooter Crash
American Dream Cut Short As 25-Year-Old Woman Killed In Virginia Scooter Crash Angelica Vargas Pita came to the US chasing the American Dream — but it ended suddenly in a fatal scooter crash in Virginia. Now, her family is seeking support after the 25-year-old with a "beautiful soul" was killed after defining her life by "courage, love, and perseverance."  Shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18, Pita was on her way home from a long day of work when she was involved in a deadly crash in front of the Chesterfield Town Center Mall. GoFundMe First responders found Pita in the roadway following the crash, and she was rushed to an area hospital, where she later succ…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Your Community
Ex-Student Arrested After Credible Mass Violence Threat Triggers Maryland Campus Lockdown Ex-Student Arrested After Credible Mass Violence Threat Triggers Maryland Campus Lockdown Ex-Student Arrested After Credible Mass Violence Threat Triggers Maryland Campus Lockdown
Ex-Student Arrested After Credible Mass Violence Threat Triggers Maryland Campus Lockdown A lockdown at Washington College in Maryland was lifted after police took a suspect into custody following what authorities described as a credible threat of mass violence against the campus. The suspect, Grafton Steele Howard, 25, of Chesapeake City, was arrested after investigators determined he had made a detailed threat involving a possible shooting at the school, according to Chestertown Police. Police said the incident began during the early evening hours on Tuesday, Jan. 20, when the department received a phone call from a person who asked what would happen if he went onto the Washin…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Mechanicsville, MD
Breaking News
Mechanicsville Father, Son Displaced By Fast-Moving Fire As Winter Storm Looms (PHOTOS) Mechanicsville Father, Son Displaced By Fast-Moving Fire As Winter Storm Looms (PHOTOS) Mechanicsville Father, Son Displaced By Fast-Moving Fire As Winter Storm Looms (PHOTOS)
Mechanicsville Father, Son Displaced By Fast-Moving Fire As Winter Storm Looms (Photos) A father and son in Southern Maryland were left out in the cold after a fast-moving fire displaced them as the region braces for a severe winter storm. Steve Grilli and his son are picking up the pieces after flames tore through their Mechanicsville home earlier this week, resulting in several floors collapsing and leaving the residence uninhabitable. First responders were called at around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20 to a Cooney Neck Road home in St. Mary's County, where there were multiple reports of black smoke billowing from the home. The Mechanicsville fire left a father and …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Obituaries
Unexpected Death Of Kevin Begosh Leaves Wife, Young Sons, Community Heartbroken In Maryland Unexpected Death Of Kevin Begosh Leaves Wife, Young Sons, Community Heartbroken In Maryland Unexpected Death Of Kevin Begosh Leaves Wife, Young Sons, Community Heartbroken In Maryland
Unexpected Death Of Kevin Begosh Leaves Wife, Young Sons, Community Heartbroken In Maryland Shock and heartbreak rippled through a Maryland community this week after the sudden death of Kevin Begosh, who leaves behind a wife, two young sons, and loved ones searching for ways to help. Begosh’s unexpected passing has left his wife, Lauren, to care for their two young boys, Sawyer and Phoenix, as family friends and neighbors rally around them during an unimaginable loss, organizers of a fundraiser for the family said. “We are heartbroken to share that our dear Lauren unexpectedly lost her beloved husband, Kevin, earlier this week,” Sarah Schiffres-Grove wrote. “Kevin brought laughter…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Catonsville, MD
Breaking News
Body Pulled From Water Near Baltimore Trail Leads To Murder Arrest Weeks Later: Police Body Pulled From Water Near Baltimore Trail Leads To Murder Arrest Weeks Later: Police Body Pulled From Water Near Baltimore Trail Leads To Murder Arrest Weeks Later: Police
Body Pulled From Water Near Baltimore Trail Leads To Murder Arrest Weeks Later: Police Weeks after a man’s body was pulled from the water in Maryland, homicide detectives say they’ve made an arrest in a case that began as a grim discovery along a popular trail. Police arrested Eric Jones, 30, in connection with the stabbing death of Dashond Johnson, 33, whose body was found earlier this month in a wooded area near the Gwynns Falls Trail, Baltimore officials announced. Johnson’s body was discovered around 8:26 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, in the 2800 block of West Baltimore Street, just off the trail, where police and firefighters recovered a man from the water, investigators sai…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Silver Spring, MD
Breaking News
Video Released As Police Search For Man Accused Of Sex Assault At Silver Spring Burger King Video Released As Police Search For Man Accused Of Sex Assault At Silver Spring Burger King Video Released As Police Search For Man Accused Of Sex Assault At Silver Spring Burger King
Video Released As Police Search For Man Accused Of Sex Assault At Silver Spring Burger King Recognize him?  The Montgomery County Department of Police is seeking the public's assistance as they attempt to track down a man wanted for allegedly sexually assaulting an employee at a Silver Spring fast food restaurant. An alert was issued, and a video was released of a wanted man who is accused of entering the restaurant, sexually assaulting the staffer in a restroom, and then leaving the area. Anyone with information regarding this suspect or this crime is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County. mcpdmedia The assault took place shortly after 8:15 p.m. on Frid…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Clifton-Fairfax Station, VA
Your Community
Missing For 3 Years, Maryland Dog Found At Fairfax Shelter In Emotional Reunion Missing For 3 Years, Maryland Dog Found At Fairfax Shelter In Emotional Reunion Missing For 3 Years, Maryland Dog Found At Fairfax Shelter In Emotional Reunion
Missing For 3 Years, Maryland Dog Found At Fairfax Shelter In Emotional Reunion Three years. Hundreds of unknown miles. One incredible reunion. A Maryland family was reunited with their long-missing dog after he turned up nearly three years later at the Fairfax County Animal Shelter, stunning staff and sparking an emotional homecoming that nobody saw coming. The dog, named Chase, had been missing since March 2023, when he somehow slipped away from his home in Maryland, according to Fairfax County Animal Services.  Despite searching for him, his family never found a trace — until an unexpected email changed everything. Animal Services officers were responding to …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Prev Page 351 of 3978 349 350 351 352 353 Next
3,501 - 3,510 of 39,774 articles