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

Aldie, VA

Breaking News

'Forever N876VA’: Virginia State Police Honors Fallen Trooper Lucas Dowell With New Aircraft It’s been more than six years since Trooper Lucas Bartley Dowell made his final call, but on a crisp fall morning in Virginia, his name took flight once again. Virginia State Police unveiled its newest Kodiak aircraft at the Mountain Empire Airport in Rural Retreat, proudly marked with tail number N876VA — a permanent tribute to Dowell’s badge number, 876. The plane’s dedication brought together members of the VSP Aviation Division, former colleagues, and Dowell’s family, who toured the aircraft and shared quiet moments with the troopers who served alongside him. Dowell, 28, was a native o…

by Zak Failla

10/14/2025

Stafford, VA

Breaking News

Stafford Man’s Wild Ride Ends In Bushes After Deputies Chase Him Down: Sheriff A strange scene at a disabled traffic light in Virginia led to a high-speed pursuit that ended with a 59-year-old man hiding in bushes and behind bars, officials say. George Vermillion was taken into custody on Monday, Oct. 13, following a wild chase that started when deputies were directing traffic at Kings Highway and Washington Square Plaza, according to the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. While deputies were on scene due to a traffic light malfunction, a white Nissan truck bypassed a patrol car and stopped in the intersection. A deputy signaled for the driver to pull over,…

by Zak Failla

10/14/2025

Glen Burnie, MD

Breaking News

Gunfire Erupts At Glen Burnie Memorial Service, Severn Suspect Arrested Months Later: Police A Severn man has been arrested after a memorial service in Glen Burnie erupted in gunfire that sent one person to the hospital, according to Anne Arundel County Police. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, authorities announced that 30-year-old Philip Dean Bell is facing multiple assault and other charges in connection with the shooting that sent one person to the hospital over the summer. The shooting happened around 7:45 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, when officers and K9 units were called to the unit block of Brooks Terrace in Glen Burnie for a report of a shooting, police said. When officers arrived, they foun…

by Zak Failla

10/14/2025

Aldie, VA

Breaking News

Virginia Toddler Mauled by Family Dog Faces Painful Recovery After Multiple Surgeries A Virginia family is sharing their heartbreak — and their gratitude — after a sudden dog attack left 16-month-old Carmen McGuire with serious facial injuries and a long road to recovery. Carmen’s mother, Alette Nicole McGuire, said the attack happened on Monday, Sept. 22, when the dog mauled the toddler, sending her to the hospital for emergency surgery with a plastic surgeon. “This is extremely hard for me to share but I’m here asking for help,” Alette McGuire wrote on Saturday, Oct. 11. “Carmen was attacked by our dog and had to have emergency surgery with a plastic surgeon on her fa…

by Zak Failla

10/14/2025

Lorton, VA

Breaking News

‘Shelter In Place’: Several Hurt As Lorton Recycling Yard Blaze Shuts Down Highway (Updated) A towering two-alarm fire that tore through a recycling facility in Lorton forced evacuations, shut down Richmond Highway in both directions, and left several people hospitalized Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 14, officials said. Firefighters were called around 2:27 p.m. to the 9900 block of Richmond Highway, where a massive pile of recycling material was engulfed in flames with one worker trapped inside a crane, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue. Crews rescued the worker, who was taken to the hospital along with a firefighter for evaluation. Later, officials said four additional civilia…

by Zak Failla

10/14/2025

Essex, MD

Obituaries

‘He Had His Whole Life Ahead of Him’: 18-Year-Old Dies in Tragic Essex Crash Eighteen-year-old Austin Lautenschlager was known for his heart and humor — a life cut short in a crash that’s left his loved ones shattered. Lautenschlager was one of two teens — along with David Santos III, 19 — killed when their vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a tree in Essex, according to the Baltimore Police Department. Officers were called around 12:50 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, to the 2200 block of Holly Neck Road for a reported single-vehicle crash involving a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, according to investigators. Detectives determined the Malibu had been traveling westbound wh…

by Zak Failla

10/14/2025

Fredericksburg, VA

Obituaries

‘Famous Infectious Smile’: Virginia Mourns 20-Year-Old Omarion Bryant After Shooting Family, friends, and loved ones gathered on Monday to say goodbye to Omarion Bryant, whose life was cut short at just 20 years old. Bryant was shot and killed in Chesterfield County on Saturday, Oct. 4, in what investigators have described as a targeted attack that remains under investigation. According to the Chesterfield County Police Department, officers responded shortly after 11 p.m. to the 20900 block of Third Avenue for a reported assault with a deadly weapon. When they arrived, they found Bryant suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police h…

by Zak Failla

10/14/2025

Fredericksburg, VA

Breaking News

Driver Takes Off After Deadly Late-Night Hit-Run In Spotsylvania, Sheriff Says Deputies in Virginia are investigating after a deadly hit-and-run claimed the life of a 61-year-old man over the weekend. First responders were called shortly before midnight on Saturday, Oct. 11, to a stretch of the 10200 block of Patriot Highway, where there were reports of a man lying in the roadway after being struck by a car, according to the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office. Investigators say that James was pronounced dead at the scene by Spotsylvania Fire and Rescue personnel. The driver fled before deputies arrived. The crash remains under investigation by the Traffic Reconstruction …

by Zak Failla

10/14/2025

Hagerstown, MD

Breaking News

Man Torches Girlfriend’s Clothes During Fiery Lovers’ Quarrel In Hagerstown, Officials Say A lovers’ quarrel in Maryland went up in flames — literally — when a man allegedly torched his girlfriend’s clothes during a domestic dispute, investigators said. The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said the incident happened shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, at a home in the 1000 block of Georgia Avenue in Hagerstown, where the boyfriend reportedly set fire to a hat under the rear porch of the house belonging to his girlfriend. The blaze — classified as malicious burning — caused minor damage, but was extinguished immediately after it was discovered by the woman, officials said.&n…

by Zak Failla

10/14/2025

Hyattsville, MD

Obituaries

Maryland Community Rallies To Send Sandel De La Cruz Home After Fatal Worksite Crash A community is coming together to bring Sandel Elias De La Cruz home. The 29-year-old husband, father, and son died in a traffic accident while working on Oct. 4, leaving behind family and friends who say their only wish now is to return him to the Dominican Republic — the place where his parents and relatives still live — for a dignified burial and final goodbye. Loved ones describe De La Cruz as a kind, hardworking young man with deep community roots. His loss has left a painful silence that neighbors and friends are trying to fill with action — not words. “We unfortunately lost a great …

by Zak Failla

10/14/2025

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