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

Waldorf, MD
Breaking News
Ghost Guns, PCP, And Cash Taken Off Charles County Streets In Explosive Drug Bust, Sheriff Says Ghost Guns, PCP, And Cash Taken Off Charles County Streets In Explosive Drug Bust, Sheriff Says Ghost Guns, PCP, And Cash Taken Off Charles County Streets In Explosive Drug Bust, Sheriff Says
Ghost Guns, PCP, And Cash Taken Off Charles County Streets In Explosive Drug Bust, Sheriff Says More than $15,000 worth of drugs, multiple illegal firearms, and cash are off the streets after a narcotics raid in Maryland that led to the arrests of two local suspects. Detectives with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Section served a search warrant in the 3000 block of Gallery Place in Waldorf on Monday, Dec. 22, as part of an ongoing drug distribution investigation, police said. During the search, investigators recovered five ounces of suspected PCP, more than 70 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine, and MDMA, along with drug production and manufacturing equipmen…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Breaking News
Waldorf Man ‘Weaponized’ SUV During Argument, Mowed Down Victim In Parking Lot: Sheriff Waldorf Man ‘Weaponized’ SUV During Argument, Mowed Down Victim In Parking Lot: Sheriff Waldorf Man ‘Weaponized’ SUV During Argument, Mowed Down Victim In Parking Lot: Sheriff
Waldorf Man ‘Weaponized’ SUV During Argument, Mowed Down Victim In Parking Lot: Sheriff An enraged man is being held behind bars without bond after police say he intentionally ran down another man with an SUV during an argument in a Maryland parking lot. Officers were called shortly before 3 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, to the 2600 block of Rooks Head Place in Waldorf, where there were reports of a man who had been struck by a vehicle, according to the Charles County Sheriff's Office. When officers arrived, they found a man lying in the parking lot suffering from multiple injuries. The victim was flown to a hospital in serious condition, deputies said on Wednesday, Dec. 24. A p…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
National Interest
ICE Agents Open Fire After Driver Rams Vehicles During Glen Burnie Operation (UPDATED) ICE Agents Open Fire After Driver Rams Vehicles During Glen Burnie Operation (UPDATED) ICE Agents Open Fire After Driver Rams Vehicles During Glen Burnie Operation (UPDATED)
ICE Agents Open Fire After Driver Rams Vehicles During Glen Burnie Operation (Updated) A routine ICE enforcement operation in Maryland erupted into chaos when a driver allegedly turned his van into a weapon, ramming federal vehicles and driving straight at officers — forcing agents to open fire to protect their lives, officials said. The incident unfolded in Glen Burnie on Wednesday, Dec. 24, during a targeted immigration enforcement operation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Federal officials said agents identified the driver of the van as Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, "an illegal alien from Portugal," with …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Houseguest Visiting St. Mary's County Sexually Abused Child During Overnight Stay: Prosecutors Houseguest Visiting St. Mary's County Sexually Abused Child During Overnight Stay: Prosecutors Houseguest Visiting St. Mary's County Sexually Abused Child During Overnight Stay: Prosecutors
Houseguest Visiting St. Mary's County Sexually Abused Child During Overnight Stay: Prosecutors A West Virginia man who was staying overnight as a houseguest in Maryland was found guilty of sexually abusing a minor, prosecutors announced. Collin Andrew Hixson, 34, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was convicted following a bench trial after a May incident in St. Mary’s County, according to the State's Attorney's Office. Specifically, Hixson was found guilty before Judge Joseph Stanalonis of sex abuse of a minor and second-degree assault, prosecutors said. “The defendant, who was an overnight guest, abused his access to a child. The child courageously escaped the attack and sought h…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Breaking News
Annapolis Man Gets Who Pistol-Whipped Taxi Driver Over $40 Fare Learns Prison Fate Annapolis Man Gets Who Pistol-Whipped Taxi Driver Over $40 Fare Learns Prison Fate Annapolis Man Gets Who Pistol-Whipped Taxi Driver Over $40 Fare Learns Prison Fate
Annapolis Man Gets Who Pistol-Whipped Taxi Driver Over $40 Fare Learns Prison Fate A Maryland man will spend the next decade behind bars after a jury convicted him of pistol-whipping and robbing a taxi driver during a violent ride that turned into a nightmare in Anne Arundel County, prosecutors announced. Jermaine Donte Mitchell, 44, of Annapolis, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with all but 10 years suspended, followed by five years of supervised probation, according to the Office of the State’s Attorney. The sentence stems from an armed robbery in May in Severna Park, where prosecutors said Mitchell attacked a taxi driver during a dispute over a $40 fare. Acco…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Your Community
Christmas Miracle? Police In Fredericksburg Try To Return Large Sum Of Lost Cash Before Holiday Christmas Miracle? Police In Fredericksburg Try To Return Large Sum Of Lost Cash Before Holiday Christmas Miracle? Police In Fredericksburg Try To Return Large Sum Of Lost Cash Before Holiday
Christmas Miracle? Police In Fredericksburg Try To Return Large Sum Of Lost Cash Before Holiday Police in Virginia are hoping to pull off a Christmas miracle after a large amount of cash was found and turned in just days before the holiday. The Fredericksburg Police Department said a “special person” turned in a large quantity of cash that had been packaged inside a distinctive envelope after it was found around 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 22, in the Central Park area. Police did not disclose the exact amount of money but said they are working to reunite it with its rightful owner before Christmas. Anyone who believes the money belongs to them is asked to contact the Fredericksburg Pol…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Army Errors, Disabled Safety System Led To Deadly DCA Midair Collision: Congressional Report Army Errors, Disabled Safety System Led To Deadly DCA Midair Collision: Congressional Report Army Errors, Disabled Safety System Led To Deadly DCA Midair Collision: Congressional Report
Army Errors, Disabled Safety System Led To Deadly DCA Midair Collision: Congressional Report The Army helicopter was flying blind. That’s the conclusion of a congressional investigation into the mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people, finding the crash was the result of preventable military mistakes, broken safety systems, and failures that continued even after the tragedy. A 15-page bipartisan report released Monday, Dec. 22, by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs places direct blame on the US Army for a Jan. 29, 2025, collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and Amer…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Sterling, VA
Breaking News
Virginia Electrical Fire Displaces Four, Causes $270K In Damage At Sterling Home Virginia Electrical Fire Displaces Four, Causes $270K In Damage At Sterling Home Virginia Electrical Fire Displaces Four, Causes $270K In Damage At Sterling Home
Virginia Electrical Fire Displaces Four, Causes $270K In Damage At Sterling Home Four people were displaced after an electrical fire tore through a Virginia home Sunday night, causing more than a quarter-million dollars in damage, fire officials said. The fire broke out over the weekend in a home in the 500 block of North Fillmore Avenue in Sterling, according to the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office. Crews responded after Loudoun County Emergency Communications received multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting a structure fire, officials said.  Units from Sterling, Cascades, and Kincora, along with Fairfax County firefighters and multiple command an…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
National Interest
ICE-Involved Shooting Leaves Pair Hospitalized In Glen Burnie: Reports ICE-Involved Shooting Leaves Pair Hospitalized In Glen Burnie: Reports ICE-Involved Shooting Leaves Pair Hospitalized In Glen Burnie: Reports
Ice-involved Shooting Leaves Pair Hospitalized In Glen Burnie: Reports Two people were reportedly hospitalized in Maryland after a shooting involving federal immigration agents in Anne Arundel County. At around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24, two people were sent to the hospital after being shot during an incident involving ICE agents in Anne Arundel County, according to multiple reports. The shooting was first reported by The Baltimore Banner. It was reported around 10:50 a.m. in the 500 block of West Court in Glen Burnie. Details about the victims and agents involved have not been released by investigators. The extent of the injuries suffered by the two was…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Fort Washington, MD
Breaking News
‘A Parent Should Never Bury A Child’: Fort Washington Argument Turns Deadly In Fatal Shooting ‘A Parent Should Never Bury A Child’: Fort Washington Argument Turns Deadly In Fatal Shooting ‘A Parent Should Never Bury A Child’: Fort Washington Argument Turns Deadly In Fatal Shooting
‘A Parent Should Never Bury A Child’: Fort Washington Argument Turns Deadly In Fatal Shooting A Maryland man has been arrested and charged in connection with a deadly shooting that left another man dead earlier this month. Jonathan Tyrone Howard, 41, of Fort Washington, has been charged with the murder of 37-year-old Temple Hills resident Craig Demarco Jackson, according to the Prince George’s County Police Department. The shooting was reported around 12:15 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 19, in the 6700 block of Botetourt Drive in Fort Washington. Officers responded to the shooting and found Jackson outside suffering from a gunshot wound, investigators said. He was taken to a hospital, where…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Prev Page 381 of 3978 379 380 381 382 383 Next
3,801 - 3,810 of 39,774 articles