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

Towson, MD
Breaking News
Peeping Tom Who Filmed Himself Sexually Abusing Sleeping Child In Baltimore Learns Prison Fate Peeping Tom Who Filmed Himself Sexually Abusing Sleeping Child In Baltimore Learns Prison Fate Peeping Tom Who Filmed Himself Sexually Abusing Sleeping Child In Baltimore Learns Prison Fate
Peeping Tom Who Filmed Himself Sexually Abusing Sleeping Child In Baltimore Learns Prison Fate The Maryland man who filmed himself sexually abusing a sleeping underage victim in Maryland will spend decades in prison, federal authorities announced. Baltimore native Zachary Anthony Campbell, 34, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release after admitting to sexually exploiting a minor and producing child porn with hidden cameras, according to the DOJ. According to his guilty plea, Campbell admitted to sexually abusing an 11-year-old, and on at least two occasions in October 2023 and February 2024, he recorded a video of himself sexually a…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
On Your Side
Alexandria Powerball Ticket One Of Five To Hit $50K As Jackpot Nears $1.5B Alexandria Powerball Ticket One Of Five To Hit $50K As Jackpot Nears $1.5B Alexandria Powerball Ticket One Of Five To Hit $50K As Jackpot Nears $1.5B
Alexandria Powerball Ticket One Of Five To Hit $50K As Jackpot Nears $1.5B Five Powerball tickets sold across Virginia turned ordinary lottery runs into $50,000 wins, as the jackpot rolled on and ballooned toward historic territory. More than 87,000 tickets purchased in Virginia won prizes in the Wednesday, Dec. 17, Powerball drawing, Virginia Lottery officials said. Five of those tickets matched four of the first five winning numbers plus the Powerball to score $50,000 each. Those winning tickets were sold at everyday stops across the Commonwealth, stretching from the Eastern Shore to Northern Virginia and Central Virginia. The $50,000-winning tickets were sold …

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by Zak Failla
Riverdale, MD
Your Community
Stabbing Triggers Lockdown At Parkdale High School; Suspect In Custody (DEVELOPING) Stabbing Triggers Lockdown At Parkdale High School; Suspect In Custody (DEVELOPING) Stabbing Triggers Lockdown At Parkdale High School; Suspect In Custody (DEVELOPING)
Stabbing Triggers Lockdown At Parkdale High School; Suspect In Custody (Developing) A stabbing triggered a lockdown at Parkdale High School in Prince George’s County on Wednesday morning, but all students and staff were reported safe, officials said. The incident happened at Parkdale High School in Riverdale Park on Wednesday, December 18, at approximately 10:01 a.m., according to Prince George’s County Public Schools. “Parkdale High School is on lockdown following an isolated stabbing,” PGCPS said in a statement. “Suspect is in custody.” School officials said all students and staff were safe, accounted for, and remaining inside their classrooms as police worked to secure…

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by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Breaking News
Hagerstown Teen Charged As Adult For Broad-Daylight Attempted Murder, Police Say Hagerstown Teen Charged As Adult For Broad-Daylight Attempted Murder, Police Say Hagerstown Teen Charged As Adult For Broad-Daylight Attempted Murder, Police Say
Hagerstown Teen Charged As Adult For Broad-Daylight Attempted Murder, Police Say A shooting that sent two men to the hospital in Maryland has now led to arrests, including a 17-year-old who police say is being charged as an adult. Officers with the Hagerstown Police Department responded to the 800 block of West Washington Street at about 3:54 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, for a reported shooting, police said. Two men were found suffering from gunshot wounds at the scene, according to first responders. Both men were taken to Meritus Medical Center for treatment and evaluation, police said. One man suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The second victi…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Obituaries
Alexandria Teen Remembered For Theater Talent And Love Of Music After Sudden Loss Alexandria Teen Remembered For Theater Talent And Love Of Music After Sudden Loss Alexandria Teen Remembered For Theater Talent And Love Of Music After Sudden Loss
Alexandria Teen Remembered For Theater Talent And Love Of Music After Sudden Loss A Virginia community is mourning the loss of 15-year-old Kristeen Schlak, a bright and talented teen whose life ended far too soon, leaving a family, a school, and an entire community grieving the absence of someone many say made every room warmer just by being in it. Schlak passed away on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, her family confirmed. She was a 10th-grade student at a local high school in Alexandria, where friends and classmates knew her as kind, creative, and quietly confident, according to those close to her. To the people who loved her most, Schlak was many things all at once: a daughter…

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by Zak Failla
Reston, VA
Breaking News
Virginia Man Freed From Custody One Day Before Fatal Reston Shooting, Police Confirm (UPDATED) Virginia Man Freed From Custody One Day Before Fatal Reston Shooting, Police Confirm (UPDATED) Virginia Man Freed From Custody One Day Before Fatal Reston Shooting, Police Confirm (UPDATED)
Virginia Man Freed From Custody One Day Before Fatal Reston Shooting, Police Confirm (Updated) A man now in custody following a fatal shooting inside a Virginia home had been released from jail just one day earlier, Fairfax County Police confirmed. The deadly shooting happened shortly before 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, inside a residence in the 12300 block of Fan Shell Court in Reston, where officers found a man suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.  The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Police later announced that a gunman had been taken into custody and that a handgun was recovered as part of the investigation. According to case records from Fairfax County Gen…

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by Zak Failla
Bel Air, MD
On Your Side
Everything Went Wrong For Popular Harford County Food Truck ‘The Slice Is Right’ In Fiery Loss Everything Went Wrong For Popular Harford County Food Truck ‘The Slice Is Right’ In Fiery Loss Everything Went Wrong For Popular Harford County Food Truck ‘The Slice Is Right’ In Fiery Loss
Everything Went Wrong For Popular Harford County Food Truck ‘The Slice Is Right’ In Fiery Loss For The Slice Is Right, everything went wrong in one devastating moment. For nearly a decade, the Harford County food truck has been more than a place to grab a slice. It’s been a familiar sight. A dependable stop. A small business built the hard way, through long days, late nights, and a lot of heart. Owned and operated by DJ Luongo and his family, The Slice Is Right didn’t start big. It started with a hot dog cart and a leap of faith. Over time, that leap turned into a livelihood. Not just for Luongo and his family, but for the employees who count on the truck for steady work and steady …

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by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Breaking News
Body Found Inside Burning Van In Hagerstown As Deputies Scramble For Evidence (DEVELOPING) Body Found Inside Burning Van In Hagerstown As Deputies Scramble For Evidence (DEVELOPING) Body Found Inside Burning Van In Hagerstown As Deputies Scramble For Evidence (DEVELOPING)
Body Found Inside Burning Van In Hagerstown As Deputies Scramble For Evidence (Developing) Maryland deputies are investigating after a body was found inside a burning van in a Hagerstown neighborhood early Wednesday morning, authorities said. Deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Dec. 17 to the 11400 block of Longview Drive in the Greenberry Hills neighborhood for reports of a van fire, officials said. When deputies arrived, they found a van that had struck several other vehicles, according to the Sheriff’s Office. During the response, deputies discovered a deceased individual inside the van, authorities said. The victi…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Former Baltimore Teacher Gets Max Sentence For Child Sex Assault: State's Attorney Former Baltimore Teacher Gets Max Sentence For Child Sex Assault: State's Attorney Former Baltimore Teacher Gets Max Sentence For Child Sex Assault: State's Attorney
Former Baltimore Teacher Gets Max Sentence For Child Sex Assault: State's Attorney A former Maryland teacher has been sentenced to the maximum possible prison term after being convicted of sexually abusing a minor, prosecutors announced. Mustafa Pitts, 48, was sentenced to 55 years in prison on Wednesday, Dec. 17, after being found guilty of two counts of sexual abuse of a minor, according to the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City. The sentence was handed down in Baltimore following a jury verdict in the case, prosecutors said. “No amount of time in prison can atone for this defendant’s devastating exploitation and abuse of our children,” State’s Attorney …

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Your Community
Maryland Congressman Introduces Bill To Preserve White House After East Wing Demolition Maryland Congressman Introduces Bill To Preserve White House After East Wing Demolition Maryland Congressman Introduces Bill To Preserve White House After East Wing Demolition
Maryland Congressman Introduces Bill To Preserve White House After East Wing Demolition A Maryland congressman is moving to lock down the future of the White House after President Donald Trump tore down the East Wing to make way for what critics have dubbed a “Marie Antoinette ballroom,” officials announced in Washington, DC. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland’s 8th Congressional District introduced the People’s White House Historic Preservation Act, legislation designed to protect the historic character of the White House by forcing future renovations to go through a formal public review process, according to his office. The bill comes after Trump demolished the East Win…

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by Zak Failla
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