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

Bel Air, MD
Breaking News
Child Wakes Family As New Year’s Day Fire Rips Through Harford County Home (PHOTOS) Child Wakes Family As New Year’s Day Fire Rips Through Harford County Home (PHOTOS) Child Wakes Family As New Year’s Day Fire Rips Through Harford County Home (PHOTOS)
Child Wakes Family As New Year’s Day Fire Rips Through Harford County Home (Photos) A Harford County family was jolted awake on New Year’s Day when a child discovered a fire inside his bedroom and raced to wake his family before flames tore through their home, officials said. The two-alarm house fire broke out inside a two-story home around 3:50 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, in the 1700 block of Scott Road in Pylesville, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal. Not a good start to 2026. Investigators said an occupant woke to “popping and cracking” sounds and discovered a fire in his second-floor bedroom.  Firefighters battled a large overnight house fire in …

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by Zak Failla
Great Falls, VA
Breaking News
While Fairfax Slept, Firefighters Rushed To Two House Fires Overnight While Fairfax Slept, Firefighters Rushed To Two House Fires Overnight While Fairfax Slept, Firefighters Rushed To Two House Fires Overnight
While Fairfax Slept, Firefighters Rushed To Two House Fires Overnight While many Fairfax County families were ringing in 2026, firefighters were racing toward flames. Crews responded to two separate house fires early Thursday morning, Jan. 1, in Burke Centre and Great Falls, forcing firefighters into action just hours after the new year began, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. The first fire was reported in the 5500 block of Corot Court in Burke Centre, where units were dispatched around 2:50 a.m., officials said.  Firefighters arrived to find flames showing from the front of the home and immediately began working to knock the fire down. …

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by Zak Failla
Leonardtown-California, MD
On Your Side
‘I Had To Take A Shot’: White Elephant Gift Sparks $77,777 Scratch-Off Win In St. Mary's County ‘I Had To Take A Shot’: White Elephant Gift Sparks $77,777 Scratch-Off Win In St. Mary's County ‘I Had To Take A Shot’: White Elephant Gift Sparks $77,777 Scratch-Off Win In St. Mary's County
‘I Had To Take A Shot’: White Elephant Gift Sparks $77,777 Scratch-Off Win In St. Mary's County A holiday party tradition turned into a Christmas miracle for a lucky man after a White Elephant gift exchange ended with a $77,777 Lottery win, officials said. Joshua Hill was hosting a festive holiday gathering at his home in the Avenue community of St. Mary’s County weeks ago when guests participated in the popular White Elephant gift swap, Maryland Lottery officials mused. During the game, Hill’s original gift was stolen, forcing him to select another option from the remaining pile, officials said. His pick was a bottle of Crown Royal topped with a beanie, a gift submitted by his wife’s…

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by Zak Failla
Clinton, MD
Breaking News
Child Hospitalized After Two-Alarm Apartment Fire Traps Residents In Calverton Child Hospitalized After Two-Alarm Apartment Fire Traps Residents In Calverton Child Hospitalized After Two-Alarm Apartment Fire Traps Residents In Calverton
Child Hospitalized After Two-Alarm Apartment Fire Traps Residents In Calverton A child was rushed to the hospital after a two-alarm apartment fire tore through a Maryland building early on New Year’s Day, trapping residents inside and forcing firefighters to make dramatic saves. Crews were dispatched to the 3800 block of Lighthouse Way in Calverton at about 1:51 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 1, after reports of a structure fire in a four-story, multi-family apartment complex, according to the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department. When firefighters arrived, flames were already showing from the top floor, and multiple residents were trapped inside their apartments as smoke …

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by Zak Failla
Manassas, VA
Breaking News
Manassas Cops Raid Home, Bust Wanted Women With Hundreds Of Suspected Drugs Inside: Police Manassas Cops Raid Home, Bust Wanted Women With Hundreds Of Suspected Drugs Inside: Police Manassas Cops Raid Home, Bust Wanted Women With Hundreds Of Suspected Drugs Inside: Police
Manassas Cops Raid Home, Bust Wanted Women With Hundreds Of Suspected Drugs Inside: Police Police in Virginia seized hundreds of suspected narcotics and arrested two wanted women during a drug investigation at a residential home, authorities said. The Manassas City Police Department announced on Wednesday, Dec. 31, that the agency has made a massive drug bust that led to the arrest of two women in Prince William County. Alexis Smith, 30, and Michelle Tenango Sotelo, 21, are both facing charges following an investigation into a possible narcotics case in the 8600 block of Bruton Parish Court in Manassas. While approaching the home, investigators say that officers made contac…

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by Zak Failla
Mechanicsville, MD
Breaking News
Door-Slamming, Spitting Arrest Erupts After Hollywood Traffic Stop Turns Chaotic: State Police Door-Slamming, Spitting Arrest Erupts After Hollywood Traffic Stop Turns Chaotic: State Police Door-Slamming, Spitting Arrest Erupts After Hollywood Traffic Stop Turns Chaotic: State Police
Door-Slamming, Spitting Arrest Erupts After Hollywood Traffic Stop Turns Chaotic: State Police A traffic stop turned into a door-slamming, spitting brawl when a Maryland woman allegedly fled police, locked herself inside a home, then attacked troopers as they tried to arrest her. A Maryland State Police trooper attempted to stop a vehicle near Hollywood Road and McIntosh Road in Hollywood, but the driver fled, and no pursuit was initiated, according to the agency. The same trooper later spotted the same vehicle turning onto Satchel Paige Way and parking in the area, police said. When the trooper tried to speak with the driver, identified as 20-year-old Dionna Jaleya Cutchember of Ho…

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by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Breaking News
Hagerstown DUI Driver Arrested Months After Fatal Head-On Harley-Davidson Crash: State Police Hagerstown DUI Driver Arrested Months After Fatal Head-On Harley-Davidson Crash: State Police Hagerstown DUI Driver Arrested Months After Fatal Head-On Harley-Davidson Crash: State Police
Hagerstown DUI Driver Arrested Months After Fatal Head-On Harley-Davidson Crash: State Police A fatal Maryland crash from May is back in the spotlight after state police arrested a Washington County man. Hagerstown native Shane Fulmer, 50, was arrested and indicted by a grand jury in connection with a deadly crash in Allegany County earlier this year that claimed the life of a 66-year-old motorcyclist. Shortly before 8 p.m. on May 19, troopers were called to a stretch of Orleans Road south of High Germany Road, where there were reports of a crash, according to Maryland State Police. Investigators say that a Ford Ranger truck, operated by Fulmer, was traveling south when he ent…

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by Zak Failla
Aldie, VA
Your Community
Here's How Virginia’s New Social Media Limits Could Change Teen Screen Time In 2026 Here's How Virginia’s New Social Media Limits Could Change Teen Screen Time In 2026 Here's How Virginia’s New Social Media Limits Could Change Teen Screen Time In 2026
Here's How Virginia’s New Social Media Limits Could Change Teen Screen Time In 2026 Starting the new year won’t just mean new calendars in Virginia. It will also mean new limits on how long teens can scroll. Beginning Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, social media users under 16 in Virginia will be limited to one hour per day, per platform, unless a parent or guardian gives verified consent for more time, under a new state law aimed at protecting minors online. The change applies to major platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, and is part of Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act, which places new responsibilities on companies that operate social media s…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
Isiah Whitlock Jr., Best Known As Corrupt Baltimore Politician On ‘The Wire,’ Dead At 71 Isiah Whitlock Jr., Best Known As Corrupt Baltimore Politician On ‘The Wire,’ Dead At 71 Isiah Whitlock Jr., Best Known As Corrupt Baltimore Politician On ‘The Wire,’ Dead At 71
Isiah Whitlock Jr., Best Known As Corrupt Baltimore Politician On ‘The Wire,’ Dead At 71 Isiah Whitlock Jr., forever remembered in Baltimore as the corrupt Clay Davis on The Wire, has died at 71. Whitlock, best known for his role as the wheeling-and-dealing politician on the HBO classic set in Maryland, died on Tuesday night in a New York hospital after a brief illness, his manager confirmed. "It is with tremendous sadness that I share the passing of my dear friend and client Isiah Whitlock Jr. If you knew him - you loved him," manager Brian Liebman posted on social media.  View this post on Instagram "A brilliant actor and …

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by Zak Failla
Suitland, MD
Breaking News
Suitland Dad Charged With Murder After Infant Dies From Blunt Force Trauma: Police Suitland Dad Charged With Murder After Infant Dies From Blunt Force Trauma: Police Suitland Dad Charged With Murder After Infant Dies From Blunt Force Trauma: Police
Suitland Dad Charged With Murder After Infant Dies From Blunt Force Trauma: Police A 24-year-old father in Maryland has been arrested in connection with the death of his infant, authorities announced. Khalil Brooks-Clarke, who was the sole caregiver of 4-month-old Kairo Brooks, has been charged with multiple counts of murder after the baby suffered traumatic injuries and died, according to the Prince George's County Police Department. At approximately 12:40 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 27, officers were called to an apartment in the 5400 block of Morris Avenue after receiving reports about an unresponsive infant. Brooks was treated at the scene by first responders and rushed t…

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by Zak Failla
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