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

Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Mechanicsville Arson Suspect Seen Running From Flames, Yelling About Fire In His Yard: Marshal Mechanicsville Arson Suspect Seen Running From Flames, Yelling About Fire In His Yard: Marshal Mechanicsville Arson Suspect Seen Running From Flames, Yelling About Fire In His Yard: Marshal
Mechanicsville Arson Suspect Seen Running From Flames, Yelling About Fire In His Yard: Marshal A Maryland man accused of setting a string of fires in St. Mary’s County didn’t just spark the flames — officials say he practically led investigators right to him. Deputy State Fire Marshals say Jeffrey Allen Wathen, 41, of Mechanicsville, was charged after a series of intentionally set fires broke out Tuesday, Dec. 9, along the 26400 block of Three Notch Road. The Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department responded around 9 p.m. to reports of multiple fires, including a flower bed, a shed, a deck, and an exterior area behind another nearby property, according to the Maryland Fire Marshal. Fire…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Lexington Park Woman Shot After Pointing Gun At Deputies During Chase, Sheriff Says Lexington Park Woman Shot After Pointing Gun At Deputies During Chase, Sheriff Says Lexington Park Woman Shot After Pointing Gun At Deputies During Chase, Sheriff Says
Lexington Park Woman Shot After Pointing Gun At Deputies During Chase, Sheriff Says A welfare check in Maryland turned into a tense and dangerous confrontation after a woman allegedly pointed a gun at deputies before being shot.  Lexington Park resident Paige Taylor Hartness, 34, is behind bars following an investigation into an officer-involved shooting in late October that rapidly escalated, according to the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office. Investigators say that while conducting the welfare check, deputies were advised that Hartness had just left a home in the area with the caller's gun. Hartness was located in a vehicle at the MedStar Health facility on E…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
Baltimore Lands Pete Alonso In $155M Blockbuster As Mets Lose Another Superstar Baltimore Lands Pete Alonso In $155M Blockbuster As Mets Lose Another Superstar Baltimore Lands Pete Alonso In $155M Blockbuster As Mets Lose Another Superstar
Baltimore Lands Pete Alonso In $155M Blockbuster As Mets Lose Another Superstar The Baltimore Orioles got their slugger, and the New York Mets suffered another massive blow as superstar Pete Alonso announced his deal. There were cheers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Wednesday afternoon, when news leaked out that "Pistol Pete" had agreed to a five-year, $155 million contract pending a physical. Up in New York, there were only more jeers as they lost another hometown hero days after star closer Edwin Diaz took his talents out west to join the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. According to The Athletic, the Mets did not make an offer to Alonso after he agreed to…

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by Zak Failla
Aldie, VA
On Your Side
Virginia Minimum Wage Rising In 2026: Here’s The New Rate And When It Takes Effect Virginia Minimum Wage Rising In 2026: Here’s The New Rate And When It Takes Effect Virginia Minimum Wage Rising In 2026: Here’s The New Rate And When It Takes Effect
Virginia Minimum Wage Rising In 2026: Here’s The New Rate And When It Takes Effect Virginia workers can expect a slightly bigger paycheck in the new year, with the state’s minimum wage set to rise again in 2026. The state’s hourly minimum wage will increase to $12.77 starting Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, giving workers an extra 29 cents per hour.  “Virginia’s Minimum Wage Act allows for gradual adjustment of the minimum wage rate in response to economic conditions.” Virginia Department of Labor Commissioner Gary Pan said. “The new minimum wage will ensure the Commonwealth remains the leading destination for businesses and job seekers alike.” The new rate was calculated u…

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by Zak Failla
Glen Burnie, MD
Breaking News
Glen Burnie Man Used Hidden Cameras To Film Underage Family Member, Sheriff Says Glen Burnie Man Used Hidden Cameras To Film Underage Family Member, Sheriff Says Glen Burnie Man Used Hidden Cameras To Film Underage Family Member, Sheriff Says
Glen Burnie Man Used Hidden Cameras To Film Underage Family Member, Sheriff Says A Peeping Tom who used hidden cameras to illegally film an underage family member undressing in Maryland has been tracked down. Glen Burnie resident Joseph Glenn Kolbe Jr. is facing more than two dozen charges following an investigation into his "surreptitious recording of an underage family member in various states of undress," according to the Anne Arundel County Sheriff's Office. An investigation was first launched on Friday, Dec. 5, when the sheriff's office was advised by the Anne Arundel County Police Department that a new warrant had been issued for Kolbe's arrest after his videos we…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
DC Prosecutors Detail Insider Trading Scheme With Georgetown Link: ‘We Can Get A Tesla’ DC Prosecutors Detail Insider Trading Scheme With Georgetown Link: ‘We Can Get A Tesla’ DC Prosecutors Detail Insider Trading Scheme With Georgetown Link: ‘We Can Get A Tesla’
DC Prosecutors Detail Insider Trading Scheme With Georgetown Link: ‘We Can Get A Tesla’ A securities fraud case with major DC connections is unfolding after an Indiana couple was charged in Washington for allegedly leaking insider information tied to a $3.7 billion corporate acquisition, federal prosecutors said. Fan Yang, 39, and Jing Tian, 37, both of Indianapolis, were arrested Tuesday, Dec. 9, in an indictment filed in Washington, DC, the US Attorney’s Office announced. Yang — also known as “Jocelyn Yang” — and Tian each face charges that include conspiracy to commit securities fraud, officials said.  According to prosecutors, Yang was a finance executive at the…

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by Zak Failla
Reisterstown, MD
On Your Side
‘A Literal Dumpster Fire’: Blaze Shuts Down Micky’s Joint As Baltimore Rushes In To Help ‘A Literal Dumpster Fire’: Blaze Shuts Down Micky’s Joint As Baltimore Rushes In To Help ‘A Literal Dumpster Fire’: Blaze Shuts Down Micky’s Joint As Baltimore Rushes In To Help
‘A Literal Dumpster Fire’: Blaze Shuts Down Micky’s Joint As Baltimore Rushes In To Help A literal dumpster fire tore through Micky’s Joint in Hamilton-Lauraville — and now the community that bar has poured so much into is pouring right back. A beloved Baltimore bar and neighborhood hangout is closed indefinitely after flames spread from a dumpster and tore through the building, leaving behind a charred structure late on Thursday, Dec. 4.  “The ceiling was raining, muck everywhere, cold, no lights, and it was late,” the bar posted after the fire. They said a passerby named Damon spotted the flames, called 911, and alerted the neighboring businesses.  Staff got everyone out saf…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Key Bridge Costs ‘Balloon,’ Trump Officials Blast Maryland On Worsening Beltway Gridlock Key Bridge Costs ‘Balloon,’ Trump Officials Blast Maryland On Worsening Beltway Gridlock Key Bridge Costs ‘Balloon,’ Trump Officials Blast Maryland On Worsening Beltway Gridlock
Key Bridge Costs ‘Balloon,’ Trump Officials Blast Maryland On Worsening Beltway Gridlock Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is turning up the heat on Maryland as costs rise for the Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild and DMV traffic sits among the worst in the nation, according to federal officials.  Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy will meet with Maryland Governor Wes Moore in Washington, DC, to address concerns over the rising cost of rebuilding Baltimore’s Key Bridge and delays on major traffic projects, the US Department of Transportation announced. The department said the price tag for the Key Bridge rebuild has “ballooned,” prompting fresh scrutiny from the feder…

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by Zak Failla
Gaithersburg, MD
Breaking News
Gaithersburg Rape, Kidnapping Suspect Found, Arrested 2,800 Miles Away In California: Police Gaithersburg Rape, Kidnapping Suspect Found, Arrested 2,800 Miles Away In California: Police Gaithersburg Rape, Kidnapping Suspect Found, Arrested 2,800 Miles Away In California: Police
Gaithersburg Rape, Kidnapping Suspect Found, Arrested 2,800 Miles Away In California: Police A Maryland investigation that began with a woman’s terrifying crash and hospital exam nearly a year ago has ended with the cross-country arrest of a California man tied to the assault through DNA, police said. Mauricio Martinez-Garcia is being held across the country following a months-long investigation into a harrowing report of sexual abuse and multiple rapes in Gaithersburg and Prince George's County, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. The investigation began after a reported sexual assault in Montgomery County nearly a year ago. At approximately 7 p.m. on Dec. 18…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Obituaries
Fredericksburg Family Honors Shannon Stone After 8-Year Leukemia Battle: 'Hold Onto Your Peace' Fredericksburg Family Honors Shannon Stone After 8-Year Leukemia Battle: 'Hold Onto Your Peace' Fredericksburg Family Honors Shannon Stone After 8-Year Leukemia Battle: 'Hold Onto Your Peace'
Fredericksburg Family Honors Shannon Stone After 8-Year Leukemia Battle: 'Hold Onto Your Peace' Shannon Lee Stone spent eight years fighting leukemia with the same heart, strength, and faith that shaped every part of his life.  When the Fredericksburg husband, father, Pop-pop, minister, musician, and third-generation carpenter died late last month, his family said the loss was profound — even though he had spent years battling the disease. Stone, 60, passed at VCU Medical Center in Richmond surrounded by family, according to his obituary. Born in Newport News, Stone followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, becoming a third-generation carpenter and later co-foundi…

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by Zak Failla
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