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

Upper Marlboro, MD
Obituaries
'Social Butterfly' Stephen Nixon Remembered For 'Laughter, Spirit, Love' In Maryland 'Social Butterfly' Stephen Nixon Remembered For 'Laughter, Spirit, Love' In Maryland 'Social Butterfly' Stephen Nixon Remembered For 'Laughter, Spirit, Love' In Maryland
'Social Butterfly' Stephen Nixon Remembered For 'Laughter, Spirit, Love' In Maryland Stephen Nixon didn’t just show up for you — he connected with you. Friends and family are mourning the loss of Nixon, whose passing has sparked an outpouring of love, prayer, and remembrance from the many lives he touched.  While details surrounding his death have not been publicly shared, those closest to him are choosing to focus on how he lived — and how deeply he was loved. A GoFundMe created with the blessing of his mother, Dr. Elfleta Nixon, calls on the community to help honor Nixon “the way God intended and the way he truly deserves.” “Stephen was known as the social butterfl…

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by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
80+ MPH Chase Through Stafford Traffic Ends In Violent Crash Near I-95, Sheriff Says 80+ MPH Chase Through Stafford Traffic Ends In Violent Crash Near I-95, Sheriff Says 80+ MPH Chase Through Stafford Traffic Ends In Violent Crash Near I-95, Sheriff Says
80+ MPH Chase Through Stafford Traffic Ends In Violent Crash Near I-95, Sheriff Says It started with an illegal U-turn — and ended in a wreck after a high-speed chase through traffic in Virginia. Stafford native Joshua Burton, 30, is behind bars after deputies say he took off from a traffic stop, blasted past 80 mph, ran a red light, and slammed into two other vehicles before being taken into custody near I-95. The chase began on Wednesday, Dec. 10, along Warrenton Road in Stafford, when a deputy spotted a vehicle blocking traffic while attempting an illegal U-turn, according to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. As the deputy slowly approached, giving the driver a chan…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
On Your Side
Maryland Court OKs UnitedHealth–Amedisys $3.3B Deal With Record-Breaking Divestiture: DOJ Maryland Court OKs UnitedHealth–Amedisys $3.3B Deal With Record-Breaking Divestiture: DOJ Maryland Court OKs UnitedHealth–Amedisys $3.3B Deal With Record-Breaking Divestiture: DOJ
Maryland Court OKs UnitedHealth–Amedisys $3.3B Deal With Record-Breaking Divestiture: DOJ If you’ve ever tried to follow the twists and turns of a major health care merger, you know it can feel like trying to read your insurance bill upside down.  But on Wednesday, a federal court in Maryland handed down a ruling that cuts through the noise — and sends a pretty loud message. The Justice Department confirmed that a judge has approved its settlement with UnitedHealth Group over the company’s $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys, a major home health and hospice provider.  And this wasn’t a quiet rubber-stamp deal. Officials said the agreement forces the companies to unl…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
SC Man Came To Virginia To Traffic Teen At Hotels, Truck Stop, Gas Station: Feds SC Man Came To Virginia To Traffic Teen At Hotels, Truck Stop, Gas Station: Feds SC Man Came To Virginia To Traffic Teen At Hotels, Truck Stop, Gas Station: Feds
SC Man Came To Virginia To Traffic Teen At Hotels, Truck Stop, Gas Station: Feds A South Carolina man who sex trafficked a teen girl at seedy spots in Virginia will spend decades in prison, federal authorities announced. Summerville native Johnny Thiel Banks, 30, was sentenced in Virginia to 33 years in prison following his conviction on a host of serious charges. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in July 2024, Banks transported a minor (Jane Doe) across state lines from North Carolina to Virginia on multiple occasions. While in Virginia, he sex trafficked Jane Doe at hotels, a truck stop, and a gas station in Hampton Roads, including in …

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by Zak Failla
Hagerstown, MD
Breaking News
Rabid Skunks Found In Washington County, Health Officials Warn Of Deadly Exposure Risk Rabid Skunks Found In Washington County, Health Officials Warn Of Deadly Exposure Risk Rabid Skunks Found In Washington County, Health Officials Warn Of Deadly Exposure Risk
Rabid Skunks Found In Washington County, Health Officials Warn Of Deadly Exposure Risk People across Western Maryland are being urged to stay alert after several skunks in Washington County tested positive for rabies, health officials said. The Washington County Health Department confirmed this week that multiple skunks submitted for testing in the county tested positive, prompting a public warning about potential exposure. Anyone who may have had contact with skunks in Washington County from October to the present is asked to contact the health department at 240-313-3210, officials said. Health officials define exposure as a bite, scratch, or contact with an infected animal…

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by Zak Failla
McLean, VA
Breaking News
Cops Catch Maryland Man After He’s Spotted Lurking In McLean Neighborhoods, Police Say Cops Catch Maryland Man After He’s Spotted Lurking In McLean Neighborhoods, Police Say Cops Catch Maryland Man After He’s Spotted Lurking In McLean Neighborhoods, Police Say
Cops Catch Maryland Man After He’s Spotted Lurking In McLean Neighborhoods, Police Say A Maryland man accused of prowling through Virginia neighborhoods and trying to break into homes was caught after a late-night call sent police flooding the area, authorities said. Officers arrested Brad Edmonds, 52, after responding to multiple reports of attempted burglaries and suspicious activity in McLean earlier this month, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. The investigation began around 8:45 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5, when officers were called to the 600 block of Chain Bridge Road in McLean for a larceny report, police said.  Home surveillance footage showed a sus…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Breaking News
Child Porn Probe Ends With Annapolis Man Behind Bars: State Police Child Porn Probe Ends With Annapolis Man Behind Bars: State Police Child Porn Probe Ends With Annapolis Man Behind Bars: State Police
Child Porn Probe Ends With Annapolis Man Behind Bars: State Police A Maryland man who was at the center of a state police probe into an online child sex abuse material purchasing operation was arrested on Thursday, authorities announced. Annapolis resident Shawn Livingston, 38, was taken into custody on Dec. 11 and charged with multiple offenses related to the solicitation of a minor. The investigation began in April 2025 when troopers launched a probe into an illicit online child sex abuse material purchasing operation in Anne Arundel County. Investigators identified Livingston as a suspect accused of sexually soliciting a minor. Troopers from the Maryl…

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by Zak Failla
Damascus, MD
Breaking News
Tricky Conditions Cause Chaos As Brush Fire Spreads Into Damascus Home Before Sunrise Tricky Conditions Cause Chaos As Brush Fire Spreads Into Damascus Home Before Sunrise Tricky Conditions Cause Chaos As Brush Fire Spreads Into Damascus Home Before Sunrise
Tricky Conditions Cause Chaos As Brush Fire Spreads Into Damascus Home Before Sunrise Flames burning in a field before sunrise in Maryland didn’t stay there for long. What started as an outside brush fire quickly spread into a home in Damascus early Friday morning, Dec. 12, triggering a large-scale fire response along Mullinix Mill Road. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue crews were dispatched around 4:35 AM to the 26100 block of Mullinix Mill Road after a 911 caller reported a large field fire next to her home, officials said. When firefighters arrived, they found the flames had already pushed into the house, with fire burning in the attic and a bedroom, according to MCFRS …

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by Zak Failla
Silver Spring, MD
Breaking News
Child Critically Injured In Silver Spring Crash That Left One Trapped In Wreckage (DEVELOPING) Child Critically Injured In Silver Spring Crash That Left One Trapped In Wreckage (DEVELOPING) Child Critically Injured In Silver Spring Crash That Left One Trapped In Wreckage (DEVELOPING)
Child Critically Injured In Silver Spring Crash That Left One Trapped In Wreckage (Developing) A quiet stretch of road in Silver Spring turned into a high-stakes rescue Friday morning after a fatal crash left multiple people trapped — including a critically injured child. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service crews were dispatched around 9:20 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, to the intersection of Good Hope Drive and Good Hope Road for a severe motor vehicle crash with entrapment, officials said. Fire officials reported that a "pediatric Priority 1 patient" — the most serious classification — was among those injured in the wreck. Another person remained trapped inside a vehicle as rescu…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
You Can’t See Him… But You’ll Feel The Traffic As John Cena’s Final Match Hits DC You Can’t See Him… But You’ll Feel The Traffic As John Cena’s Final Match Hits DC You Can’t See Him… But You’ll Feel The Traffic As John Cena’s Final Match Hits DC
You Can’t See Him… But You’ll Feel The Traffic As John Cena’s Final Match Hits DC Some drivers in DC are going to need to practice their "hustle, loyalty, and respect" when "The Greatest Ever" comes to the nation's capital for his final match. Earlier this year, the WWE announced that John Cena's final stop in his yearlong farewell tour will be as the headliner at "Saturday Night's Main Event" on Dec. 13 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.  Now, that final match is here — and it may tie up traffic in some parts of the city surrounding Capital One Arena.  Cena announced earlier this year that he was hanging up his jorts and wrestling boots at the end of the…

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by Zak Failla
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