Zak Failla

Assistant Managing Editor

[email protected]

FOLLOW ON

Facebook Twitter Linkedin Instagram

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

Frederick, MD
Breaking News
Two Frederick Teens Busted In Simultaneous Police Raids Following Gun, Drug Probe: Sheriff Two Frederick Teens Busted In Simultaneous Police Raids Following Gun, Drug Probe: Sheriff Two Frederick Teens Busted In Simultaneous Police Raids Following Gun, Drug Probe: Sheriff
Two Frederick Teens Busted In Simultaneous Police Raids Following Gun, Drug Probe: Sheriff Two Maryland teens — one of whom was previously busted with a gun inside Frederick High School last month — are facing multiple weapons offenses following a lengthy investigation, authorities announced. On Monday, Nov. 3, members of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office executed two search warrants simultaneously, leading to the arrests of Benjamin Daniel Orellana Waltemath, 18, and Julius Carter Benjamin, 16, in the Jefferson Place neighborhood. According to investigators, detectives conducted a search of a home in the 5900 block of Jefferson Commons Way, where they seized a rifle, a …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
‘She Shows Up for Everyone’: Virginia Woman Rebuilding After Apartment Fire ‘She Shows Up for Everyone’: Virginia Woman Rebuilding After Apartment Fire ‘She Shows Up for Everyone’: Virginia Woman Rebuilding After Apartment Fire
‘She Shows Up for Everyone’: Virginia Woman Rebuilding After Apartment Fire A Virginia woman is starting over after a catastrophic apartment fire destroyed her home, leaving her with little more than her dog, her faith, and a community determined to help her rebuild. The blaze broke out Friday night, Oct. 31, in the attic space above Cheryl Lynne’s apartment, according to a post from Lora Jackle, who is organizing relief efforts for her friend. “Blessedly, neither Cheryl nor her dog Chloe was home,” Jackle wrote. “No one who was inside the building was hurt, but the origin of the fire was the building's attic space directly above Cheryl's apartment, making her apar…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Mechanicsville, MD
Breaking News
Dirt Bike Riders Rip Through Mechanicsville Neighborhood, Leaving Trail of Damage, Sheriff Says Dirt Bike Riders Rip Through Mechanicsville Neighborhood, Leaving Trail of Damage, Sheriff Says Dirt Bike Riders Rip Through Mechanicsville Neighborhood, Leaving Trail of Damage, Sheriff Says
Dirt Bike Riders Rip Through Mechanicsville Neighborhood, Leaving Trail of Damage, Sheriff Says Two mystery riders turned a quiet Maryland neighborhood into their personal motocross track, and now investigators are trying to track them down. According to the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the 40000 block of Waterview Drive in Mechanicsville around 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, after receiving multiple reports of “two riders on dirt bikes tearing up the property.” By the time deputies arrived, the suspects had vanished—but not before leaving “visible damage to a grassy area and nearby landscaping,” the sheriff’s office said. Photos released by investigators sh…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
‘Home Sweet Home Is No Longer’: Virginia Family Rebuilding After Halloween Fire ‘Home Sweet Home Is No Longer’: Virginia Family Rebuilding After Halloween Fire ‘Home Sweet Home Is No Longer’: Virginia Family Rebuilding After Halloween Fire
‘Home Sweet Home Is No Longer’: Virginia Family Rebuilding After Halloween Fire A Virginia family is picking up the pieces after losing their home in a devastating Halloween fire that left nothing behind but ash and burned timber. On Friday, Oct. 31, David and Katrina Troyer and their young son, Deeks, saw their home in Stuarts Draft go up in flames around noon, officials said.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation as of Monday, Nov. 3. According to the family, the fire was a total loss, destroying nearly everything they owned. “We are devastated losing our home this afternoon,” Katrina Troyer wrote on Facebook. “But we are very grateful for family and f…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Stafford, VA
Breaking News
Stafford Teen Intentionally Set Blaze At Vacant Commercial Building: Fire Officials Stafford Teen Intentionally Set Blaze At Vacant Commercial Building: Fire Officials Stafford Teen Intentionally Set Blaze At Vacant Commercial Building: Fire Officials
Stafford Teen Intentionally Set Blaze At Vacant Commercial Building: Fire Officials A Virginia teenager is behind bars after investigators determined that a fire at a vacant Stafford County building was intentionally set, officials said. According to the Stafford County Fire Marshal’s Office, firefighters were called just before 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27, to the 700 block of Cambridge Street, near Enon Road, for a reported structure fire. Crews arrived within minutes to find smoke showing from three sides of a single-story vacant commercial building, officials said.  Firefighters quickly brought the fire under control and confirmed that the structure was empty. Foll…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Towson, MD
Breaking News
Shooting Suspect Surrenders Weeks After 31-Year-Old Man Gunned Down In Baltimore: Police Shooting Suspect Surrenders Weeks After 31-Year-Old Man Gunned Down In Baltimore: Police Shooting Suspect Surrenders Weeks After 31-Year-Old Man Gunned Down In Baltimore: Police
Shooting Suspect Surrenders Weeks After 31-Year-Old Man Gunned Down In Baltimore: Police A 20-year-old man has been charged in connection with a deadly shooting that left a 31-year-old man dead in South Baltimore last month, police announced. According to the Baltimore Police Department, Nasaiah Bryan, 20, of Baltimore, was arrested for the Oct. 1 murder of 31-year-old Oshay Khalil Smith. The shooting happened around 1:11 p.m. in the 2500 block of Maisel Court, where officers found Smith suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.  He was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead by medical staff, investigators said. Police said Bryan turned himself in at Baltimore Polic…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Bethesda, MD
Breaking News
Out-Of-Control EV Launches Onto Two Cars In Bizarre Bethesda Office Lot Crash: Fire Officials Out-Of-Control EV Launches Onto Two Cars In Bizarre Bethesda Office Lot Crash: Fire Officials Out-Of-Control EV Launches Onto Two Cars In Bizarre Bethesda Office Lot Crash: Fire Officials
Out-Of-Control EV Launches Onto Two Cars In Bizarre Bethesda Office Lot Crash: Fire Officials An electric vehicle is likely to blame for a crash in Maryland that ended with an SUV on top of two cars outside of an office building. Bethesda firefighters were befuddled last week when a luxury vehicle wound up on top of two other cars — both of which were occupied at the time, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue officials. On Monday, a spokesperson for the agency confirmed that it is likely a driver hit the gas in the electric vehicle, sending it forward, across a central grassy area, then up and onto the parked cars. The chaos unfolded just before noon Thursday, Oct. 30, ou…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Rockville, MD
Breaking News
Rockville Candy Scare Was A Hoax: Police Say 9-Year-Old Put Needles In Halloween Treats Rockville Candy Scare Was A Hoax: Police Say 9-Year-Old Put Needles In Halloween Treats Rockville Candy Scare Was A Hoax: Police Say 9-Year-Old Put Needles In Halloween Treats
Rockville Candy Scare Was A Hoax: Police Say 9-Year-Old Put Needles In Halloween Treats What started as a real-life Halloween nightmare in Maryland — when two children reportedly found sewing needles hidden inside gummy bears — turned out to be a trick, not a treat, according to police. The Rockville City Police Department said the incident was the work of a 9-year-old child who admitted to placing the sewing needles inside two packages of gummy bears within the family’s home. Investigators said the child’s parents initially discovered the altered candy while checking Halloween treats with a magnet as a safety precaution.  After the case drew widespread public and media …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Frederick, MD
Breaking News
Canadian Man Traveled To Frederick Intending To Sexually Abuse Minor, Police Say Canadian Man Traveled To Frederick Intending To Sexually Abuse Minor, Police Say Canadian Man Traveled To Frederick Intending To Sexually Abuse Minor, Police Say
Canadian Man Traveled To Frederick Intending To Sexually Abuse Minor, Police Say A man who traveled from Canada to Maryland with the intention of sexually abusing a minor is behind bars, authorities announced. Mark Douglas Pridgeon, 49, of Nova Scotia, Canada, is facing charges after being apprehended by members of the Frederick Police Department late last month. According to police, investigators learned that Pridgeon had traveled to the United States on multiple occasions for business purposes.  During a trip to Maryland in September, police became aware of potential criminal activity involving Pridgeon, who returned to the state on Tuesday, Oct. 21, and ch…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Woman Killed, Man Injured In Double Shooting; Suspect Later Shot By Cops: State Police Maryland Woman Killed, Man Injured In Double Shooting; Suspect Later Shot By Cops: State Police Maryland Woman Killed, Man Injured In Double Shooting; Suspect Later Shot By Cops: State Police
Maryland Woman Killed, Man Injured In Double Shooting; Suspect Later Shot By Cops: State Police A woman was killed and a man was injured in a double shooting in Wicomico County that led to a police-involved confrontation hours later, according to Maryland State Police. Shortly before 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2, troopers from the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack responded to a residence on North Westover Drive for a reported shooting. When troopers arrived, they found a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds, state police said. Both victims were rushed to an area hospital, where the woman was later pronounced dead by hospital personnel. The man is being treated for his inj…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Prev Page 439 of 3978 437 438 439 440 441 Next
4,381 - 4,390 of 39,774 articles