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
DC Man Who Choked Partner Unconscious While She Held Infant Freed By Judge, Feds Say DC Man Who Choked Partner Unconscious While She Held Infant Freed By Judge, Feds Say DC Man Who Choked Partner Unconscious While She Held Infant Freed By Judge, Feds Say
DC Man Who Choked Partner Unconscious While She Held Infant Freed By Judge, Feds Say A 31-year-old District man pleaded guilty to strangling his romantic partner while she held their 1-year-old child, federal prosecutors announced, marking a disturbing domestic violence case that unfolded on a major holiday, authorities said. The man, whose name is being withheld to protect the victim’s privacy, admitted to the strangulation charge in Superior Court in Washington, DC, according to the US Attorney's Office. Prosecutors said the assault happened on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, when the man placed his 26-year-old romantic partner in a chokehold while she was holding their child,…

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by Zak Failla
Edgewater-Mayo, MD
Your Community
Voice Of America Employee From Edgewater Threatened Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Feds Say Voice Of America Employee From Edgewater Threatened Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Feds Say Voice Of America Employee From Edgewater Threatened Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Feds Say
Voice Of America Employee From Edgewater Threatened Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Feds Say A former Voice of America employee from Maryland who made threats toward embattled Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will face prison time, authorities announced. Edgewater resident Seth Jason, 64, admitted in federal court to making repeated anonymous threats to kidnap and kill the Republican congresswoman over the course of more than a year while working for the broadcasting company. Specifically, Jason pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure and one count of anonymous telecommunications harassment between October 2023 and January 2025. Prosec…

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by Zak Failla
Reston, VA
Breaking News
Released From Jail Day Before Killing, Reston Roommate Arrested After Rapid Manhunt: Police Released From Jail Day Before Killing, Reston Roommate Arrested After Rapid Manhunt: Police Released From Jail Day Before Killing, Reston Roommate Arrested After Rapid Manhunt: Police
Released From Jail Day Before Killing, Reston Roommate Arrested After Rapid Manhunt: Police A man charged with killing his roommate inside a Reston home had been released from custody just one day before the fatal shooting, police in Virginia confirmed while announcing new details in the case. The shooting happened shortly before noon on Wednesday, Dec. 17, inside a residence in the 12000 block of Fan Shell Court in Reston, where officers found 40-year-old Marvin Ernesto Morales dead from gunshot wounds, police said. Detectives determined that Morales was fatally shot inside the home by his roommate, 23-year-old Marvin Fernando Morales-Ortez, who fled the scene before officers arr…

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by Zak Failla
Herndon, VA
Breaking News
Herndon Man, 79, 'Critically Missing' After Car Found Abandoned On I-81 Near Roanoke Herndon Man, 79, 'Critically Missing' After Car Found Abandoned On I-81 Near Roanoke Herndon Man, 79, 'Critically Missing' After Car Found Abandoned On I-81 Near Roanoke
Herndon Man, 79, 'Critically Missing' After Car Found Abandoned On I-81 Near Roanoke A statewide alert has been issued for a 79-year-old Herndon man after his vehicle was found abandoned miles from where he was last seen, police said. Virginia State Police issued the alert on behalf of the Herndon Police Department this week, authorities announced. Leonard Hugh Thompson, 79, was last seen on Elden Street in Herndon on Dec. 15, at 7:30 p.m., according to police. According to his family, Thompson’s vehicle was later found abandoned on I-81 near Roanoke, investigators said. Police believe Thompson is now on foot and may be in the Roanoke area, possibly near Troutville, autho…

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by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Obituaries
Dedicated Maryland Store Worker Dies After Medical Emergency On Sales Floor Dedicated Maryland Store Worker Dies After Medical Emergency On Sales Floor Dedicated Maryland Store Worker Dies After Medical Emergency On Sales Floor
Dedicated Maryland Store Worker Dies After Medical Emergency On Sales Floor A sudden medical emergency inside a Maryland store claimed the life of a well-known, deeply loved employee. Joe McClurkin, a dedicated member of the Bryans Road Building & Supply team, died after suffering a medical event while working on the sales floor in Bryans Road on Saturday, Dec. 13, according to friends and loved ones. The store confirmed it closed early that day after the incident, citing the shock felt by employees who witnessed the emergency. “One of our beloved work family members had a health event on the sales floor and passed away,” the company wrote. “Needless to say, m…

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by Zak Failla
Woodbridge, VA
Breaking News
Woodbridge Man Slashed While Fixing Fence, Fires Back As Masked Attacker Flees: Police Woodbridge Man Slashed While Fixing Fence, Fires Back As Masked Attacker Flees: Police Woodbridge Man Slashed While Fixing Fence, Fires Back As Masked Attacker Flees: Police
Woodbridge Man Slashed While Fixing Fence, Fires Back As Masked Attacker Flees: Police A man fixing his fence outside his Virginia home was suddenly slashed with a knife — then returned fire — after being approached by a stranger who appeared to know exactly who he was, police say. The violent confrontation unfolded shortly after 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, in the 4200 block of Hemingway Drive in Woodbridge, according to the Prince William County Police Department. Investigators say the 34-year-old victim was outside his residence making repairs to a fence when an unknown man walked up to him, called him by name, and then pulled out a knife and slashed him. Police say the …

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
Barking Dog Leads Cops To Stafford Cockfighting Ring With 243 Chickens, Sheriff Says Barking Dog Leads Cops To Stafford Cockfighting Ring With 243 Chickens, Sheriff Says Barking Dog Leads Cops To Stafford Cockfighting Ring With 243 Chickens, Sheriff Says
Barking Dog Leads Cops To Stafford Cockfighting Ring With 243 Chickens, Sheriff Says What started as a noise complaint for a barking dog led to the recovery of hundreds of allegedly abused chickens and two men behind bars in Virginia. Stafford residents Juan Juarez, 57, and Juan Castro Juarez Ayala, 34, are both facing charges after members of the sheriff's office uncovered a suspected cockfighting ring in the backyard of the home. The investigation began around 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9, when Animal Control deputies responded to a home where there were complaints of a dog barking on a property that housed chickens. According to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office, first…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Congolese Man Posed As Brother From Virginia DUI Arrest Through Trial, Prosecutors Say Congolese Man Posed As Brother From Virginia DUI Arrest Through Trial, Prosecutors Say Congolese Man Posed As Brother From Virginia DUI Arrest Through Trial, Prosecutors Say
Congolese Man Posed As Brother From Virginia DUI Arrest Through Trial, Prosecutors Say A Virginia traffic stop spiraled into an international deception after a man repeatedly posed as his own brother — in court, under oath, and for years — federal prosecutors said. Daniel Likala Emony, a Congolese national, was sentenced in Alexandria this week after admitting he impersonated his brother during a DUI arrest, trial, and probation, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The scheme began on Sept. 29, 2019, along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, when US Park Police stopped Emony following a reported hit-and-run, authorities said. Durin…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Obituaries
Virginia Teen’s Final Journey Begins After Deadly Crash Leaves Family Heartbroken Virginia Teen’s Final Journey Begins After Deadly Crash Leaves Family Heartbroken Virginia Teen’s Final Journey Begins After Deadly Crash Leaves Family Heartbroken
Virginia Teen’s Final Journey Begins After Deadly Crash Leaves Family Heartbroken A community in Virginia was rocked by heartbreak Sunday night after a teenager was killed in a violent rollover crash on an icy road, leaving his family and community grieving an unimaginable loss. An 18-year-old was killed, and his brother was injured in an icy crash, police say. Troopers were called shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, to a stretch of Freemans Ford Road in Fauquier County, where there was a reported single-vehicle crash. According to state police, a 2016 Ford Fiesta was heading east on the roadway when the driver hit a patch of ice, lost control, and rolled over, …

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Obituaries
Virginia Navy Sailor, Coach, Young Father Dies Suddenly: 'Will Hurt For The Rest Of Forever' Virginia Navy Sailor, Coach, Young Father Dies Suddenly: 'Will Hurt For The Rest Of Forever' Virginia Navy Sailor, Coach, Young Father Dies Suddenly: 'Will Hurt For The Rest Of Forever'
Virginia Navy Sailor, Coach, Young Father Dies Suddenly: 'Will Hurt For The Rest Of Forever' In the span of a single night, a life defined by service, laughter, and showing up for others was gone. US Navy sailor and beloved father Michael Campagna died unexpectedly on Friday, Dec. 12, leaving behind a family and a community still trying to understand how someone so present could be taken so suddenly.  He was 36. The loss has rippled far beyond his home in Suffolk, touching fellow sailors, coaches, parents, teammates, and friends across Virginia. He was a devoted husband to his wife, Alyssa, and a proud father to their two young children, Raelynn and Jamison, loved ones …

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by Zak Failla
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