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

Woodbridge, VA
Breaking News
Armed ‘ICE’ Imposter Banging On Woodbridge Apartment Door Sparks Scare: Police Armed ‘ICE’ Imposter Banging On Woodbridge Apartment Door Sparks Scare: Police Armed ‘ICE’ Imposter Banging On Woodbridge Apartment Door Sparks Scare: Police
Armed ‘ICE’ Imposter Banging On Woodbridge Apartment Door Sparks Scare: Police A Virginia neighborhood got a scare on Wednesday afternoon from an armed ICE officer impersonator "aggressively banging on doors," police say. Officers from the Prince William County Police Department were called by a resident shortly before 4:30 p.m. to the 12800 block of House Lp in Woodbridge about a suspicious man who had been acting aggressively at the Glen Ridge Commons Apartment complex. Police say that around 1 p.m., an unknown man approached an apartment and proceeded to aggressively bang on the door.  The suspect in question was wearing tactical gear to make himsel…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
Judge Orders Immediate Release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia From ICE Detention Judge Orders Immediate Release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia From ICE Detention Judge Orders Immediate Release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia From ICE Detention
Judge Orders Immediate Release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia From ICE Detention A Maryland judge has ruled that Kilmar Abrego Garcia be released immediately from his immigration detention. US District Judge Paula Xinis ordered that Abrego Garcia be released from the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania, arguing that he was held "without lawful authority."  "Since Abrego Garcia’s return from wrongful detention in El Salvador, he has been re-detained, again without lawful authority," the ruling states. "For this reason, the Court will grant Abrego Garcia's Petition for immediate release from ICE custody."  Abrego Garcia has lived with his family…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Maryland 20-Year-Old Rushed To ICU With Medical Mystery After Heart Stops Without Warning Maryland 20-Year-Old Rushed To ICU With Medical Mystery After Heart Stops Without Warning Maryland 20-Year-Old Rushed To ICU With Medical Mystery After Heart Stops Without Warning
Maryland 20-Year-Old Rushed To ICU With Medical Mystery After Heart Stops Without Warning Gavin Litton should be worrying about work, weekend plans, and where to grab lunch — not waking up in an ICU bed with tubes, monitors, and a medical team trying to understand why his heart suddenly stopped.  But that’s where the 20-year-old Maryland man is, surrounded by family, friends, and an entire community that refuses to let him fight alone. Gavin Litton GoFundMe Litton collapsed at work after going into cardiac arrest, according to a GoFundMe created by close family friend Scott Sonnon. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed CPR and used a defibrillat…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Honduran National Freed Under ‘Catch And Release’ Nearly Kills Woman: Baltimore ICE Honduran National Freed Under ‘Catch And Release’ Nearly Kills Woman: Baltimore ICE Honduran National Freed Under ‘Catch And Release’ Nearly Kills Woman: Baltimore ICE
Honduran National Freed Under ‘Catch And Release’ Nearly Kills Woman: Baltimore ICE A Maryland woman is fighting through a long list of brutal injuries after a head-on collision that federal officials say was caused by a Honduran national who entered the country under “catch and release” and then fled the scene. ICE Baltimore says it arrested Kevin Alexis Mendez-Ortiz late last month, during a targeted operation in Oxon Hill.  According to the agency, Mendez-Ortiz is a Honduran national who crossed into the US illegally in 2022 and was released the same day — and is now accused of causing a violent crash that nearly killed a Maryland woman. The crash happen…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Your Community
No Drones, No Exceptions: Baltimore's Army–Navy Game Is Officially A No-Fly Zone No Drones, No Exceptions: Baltimore's Army–Navy Game Is Officially A No-Fly Zone No Drones, No Exceptions: Baltimore's Army–Navy Game Is Officially A No-Fly Zone
No Drones, No Exceptions: Baltimore's Army–Navy Game Is Officially A No-Fly Zone Fans heading to Baltimore for Saturday’s Army-Navy Game will have plenty to cheer about — as long as they keep their drones at home. Federal officials announced that M&T Bank Stadium and the surrounding area will be a strict No-Drone Zone from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, as tens of thousands pack in for one of America’s most storied football matchups. Kelly O. Hayes, US Attorney for the District of Maryland, laid it out plainly. “Operating a drone in restricted airspace is dangerous and against the law,” Hayes said, adding that a stray drone could threaten the safety of fans…

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by Zak Failla
Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Body Found In Seven Corners Lake As Detectives Launch Death Investigation (DEVELOPING) Body Found In Seven Corners Lake As Detectives Launch Death Investigation (DEVELOPING) Body Found In Seven Corners Lake As Detectives Launch Death Investigation (DEVELOPING)
Body Found In Seven Corners Lake As Detectives Launch Death Investigation (Developing) A quiet Virginia community woke up to a major police presence on Thursday morning after a man was found unresponsive in a lake, Fairfax County Police said. Fairfax County officers responded at around 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, to the 3300 block of Lakeside View Drive in Seven Corners, where there was a report of an man discovered in a body of water, the department announced. Detectives were called to the scene and have launched a death investigation, according to police. A public information officer is also en route, and additional details are expected to be released as the investigation…

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by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Your Community
Baltimore Orioles, Ravens DJ Bob ‘Woody’ Popik Dies After Courageous Cancer Fight Baltimore Orioles, Ravens DJ Bob ‘Woody’ Popik Dies After Courageous Cancer Fight Baltimore Orioles, Ravens DJ Bob ‘Woody’ Popik Dies After Courageous Cancer Fight
Baltimore Orioles, Ravens DJ Bob ‘Woody’ Popik Dies After Courageous Cancer Fight Longtime Baltimore Orioles and Ravens DJ Bob "Woody" Popik has passed away following a courageous fight with pancreatic cancer. The 59-year-old, best known for setting the soundtracks for some of the city's most exciting sports moments, entered hospice last month and fought until the Orioles confirmed his death on Wednesday, Dec. 10.  We are saddened to learn of the passing of longtime Orioles DJ Bob “Woody” Popik. pic.twitter.com/XKRKkXy2sF — Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) December 11, 2025 Popik was known across Baltimore by a lot of names — Bobby, Woody, Wheel. But the one consta…

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by Zak Failla
Tysons, VA
Breaking News
Fair Oaks Pokémon Heist: California Man Admits To Stealing Rare Cards During Home Burglary Fair Oaks Pokémon Heist: California Man Admits To Stealing Rare Cards During Home Burglary Fair Oaks Pokémon Heist: California Man Admits To Stealing Rare Cards During Home Burglary
Fair Oaks Pokémon Heist: California Man Admits To Stealing Rare Cards During Home Burglary A California man who was arrested in Virginia after a brazen theft of rare Pokémon cards has copped to the crime, according to officials. Mohammad Asif, 36, pleaded guilty this week to two counts of grand larceny in connection with a July heist in Fairfax County when he robbed a woman at gunpoint and made off with the cards, officials said. It all started around 9:07 a.m. on July 23, when a woman was walking in the garage on Westwood Center Drive and was approached by a masked suspect holding a rifle. The suspect grabbed her and stole her phone, police said. She managed to escape, and the …

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Driver Airlifted After Being T-Boned By Pickup Truck In Charlotte Hall, Sheriff Says Driver Airlifted After Being T-Boned By Pickup Truck In Charlotte Hall, Sheriff Says Driver Airlifted After Being T-Boned By Pickup Truck In Charlotte Hall, Sheriff Says
Driver Airlifted After Being T-Boned By Pickup Truck In Charlotte Hall, Sheriff Says A Maryland driver was airlifted to a trauma center with life-threatening injuries after being T-boned by a pickup truck on Wednesday morning, according to the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office. Deputies were called shortly before 6:45 a.m. on Dec. 10 to the intersection of Three Notch Road and Charlotte Hall School Road in Charlotte Hall to investigate a reported crash trapped with serious injuries in a Hyundai Tucson, officials said. It was determined that a the gray Hyundai was heading north on Three Notch Road and tried to turn left onto Charlotte Hall School Road when it failed to yiel…

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by Zak Failla
Laurel, MD
Breaking News
Laurel Woman Loses Everything In Arson Fire As Community Rallies To Rebuild Her Life Laurel Woman Loses Everything In Arson Fire As Community Rallies To Rebuild Her Life Laurel Woman Loses Everything In Arson Fire As Community Rallies To Rebuild Her Life
Laurel Woman Loses Everything In Arson Fire As Community Rallies To Rebuild Her Life Mayra Rivera lost it all overnight — her home, her belongings, her sense of safety — when a man allegedly set fire to her building.  Now, her community is rallying to raise her up again. Between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7, an intentionally set fire swept through the apartment building where Rivera lived.  The suspect — Floyd Rich V — was arrested by the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office, according to fire officials.  He now faces charges including first-degree arson, malicious destruction of property, and reckless endangerment. One occupant was rushed …

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by Zak Failla
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