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

Kensington, MD

Breaking News

Kensington Teen Killed After Being Hit By Car On University Boulevard, Police Confirm A Maryland teen was struck and killed while crossing University Boulevard in Montgomery County, officials confirm. Police identified the victim as 16-year-old James Evert Anderson, of Kensington. According to police, shortly before 9:15 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21, officers and Montgomery County Fire Rescue crews responded to the 3300 block of University Boulevard West after multiple 911 calls reported a pedestrian struck, according to police. First responders found Anderson in the roadway. Despite lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives said Anderson was crossing…

by Zak Failla

09/23/2025

Columbia, MD

Breaking News

Vigilante Justice Backfires: Columbia Mom Learns Her Prison Fate After Shooting Teens Vigilante justice is real. Real bad. A Maryland mother who shot two teens as revenge for allegedly robbing her son is going to prison for decades, authorities announced. Howard County officials announced that Dieneba Sekou Traore, 48, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 30 years, with all but 20 years suspended in connection with a 2024 shooting that left two juveniles wounded. The case stemmed from a violent night on Oct. 12, 2024, around 9:10 p.m., when Howard County Police responded to the 8800 block of Centre Park Drive in Ellicott City for reports of shots fired. Police arrived t…

by Zak Failla

09/22/2025

Pasadena-Lake Shore, MD

Breaking News

Cop Car Smashed By Fleeing UTV During Wild Pasadena School Parking Lot Chase: Police A police cruiser was slammed by a fleeing UTV outside a Maryland elementary school — and the driver didn’t stick around, according to Anne Arundel County Police. The crash happened just after 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 14, when officers were called to the 1700 block of Poplar Ridge Road in Pasadena for a report of UTVs tearing around the parking lot at Fort Smallwood Elementary School. When officers arrived, police said, the group bolted. Anne Arundel County Police One of the UTVs struck a marked cruiser near the intersection of Belhaven Avenue and Poplar Ridge Road and then took off. Th…

by Zak Failla

09/22/2025

North Bethesda, MD

Breaking News

North Bethesda Horror: Man Found Shot Dead, Woman Kidnapped, Found At Mall, Police Say A 29-year-old man was found shot dead in his apartment on Sunday morning — and what followed led to more chaos for police in Maryland. Officers from the Montgomery County Department of Police were called around 7:40 a.m. on Sept. 21 to the 5900 block of Montrose Road for a reported medical emergency. Inside, first responders found Akwalabeng Fontava suffering from a fatal gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. But the case didn’t stop there. Detectives learned that a man and woman inside the apartment were allegedly kidnapped and forced into a vehicle after the s…

by Zak Failla

09/22/2025

Landover, MD

Breaking News

Teen’s Fast & Furious Fantasy In Landover Ends With Spray Paint, Gun Bust, Jail, Police Say An 18-year-old driver who was a bit too fast and too furious is now facing charges after striking a woman during an illegal car takeover in Maryland. Millersville native Naef Salmo was taken into custody after doing donuts during an event in Landover, striking a woman — and then attempting to cover it up, according to the Prince George's County Police Department. Officers said the illegal vehicle takeover happened around 1:45 a.m. in a shopping center parking lot in the 8500 block of Landover Road last weekend. According to PGPD, vehicle takeovers are "large, unauthorized gatherings …

by Zak Failla

09/22/2025

Prince Frederick, MD

Your Community

Prince Frederick School Bus Driver Slapped Student On Last Day — Now He’s In Jail: Prosecutors A school bus driver who slapped a young student in the face in Maryland will spend time behind bars, authorities announced. Mark Travis Bright, 60, has been convicted of second-degree assault after allegedly striking an elementary school student, according to the Calvert County State's Attorney's Office. The assault involving the Prince Frederick man was reported on the last day of the 2024-2025 school year. Prosecutors said that Bright was driving a school bus when he and an elementary school student had an exchange of words. During the exchange, Bright slapped the student in the face — …

by Zak Failla

09/22/2025

Waldorf, MD

Breaking News

‘Peeping Tom’ Freed After Turning Himself In For Indecent Act In Waldorf, Sheriff Says A Maryland man accused of peering through a Waldorf apartment window while committing an indecent act was released from jail just one day after turning himself in, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office charged Emanuel Jermaine Simmons, 42, of Hughesville, in connection with an incident earlier this month, authorities announced on Monday. Police said a caller reported seeing a man outside a ground-floor apartment at around 7 a.m. in the 1100 block of Heritage Place. The suspect was observed “looking through a bedroom wind…

by Zak Failla

09/22/2025

Fredericksburg, VA

Breaking News

130 MPH Chase On I-95 Lands Spotsy Felon Behind Bars, Sheriff Says A Virginia man hit speeds topping 130 mph during a high-speed chase that ended in a crash on I-95, authorities said. Spotsylvania resident Dareion English, 28, is facing a host of charges following a high-risk, low-reward chase that ended with the convicted felon busted with an illegal weapon. Deputies were called around 9:07 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, to the 10000 block of Patriot Highway for a report of a person brandishing a firearm, according to the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office. A deputy spotted the suspect vehicle and tried to stop it, but English refused, fleeing north on Patriot …

by Zak Failla

09/22/2025

National Interest

Watch: Travis Kelce Fined $14K For Viral ‘Obscene Gesture’ During Eagles Loss Travis Kelce couldn't "shake it off," and now he's going to pay. The NFL fined the Kansas City Chiefs' tight end $14,491 over the weekend for his outburst during the team's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 14. The incident in question came after a 23-yard reception from quarterback Patrick Mahomes when Kelce made what the League deemed "obscene gestures" while facing the opponents' sideline. Video of the celebration has since gone viral. It can be viewed here. * WARNING * CONTENT MAY BE CONSIDERED INAPPROPRIATE * Did anyone else catch this Travis Kelce…

by Zak Failla

09/22/2025

Fredericksburg, VA

Breaking News

Chaos At Phish Show: Band Responds After Fatal Stabbing Outside Virginia Concert Phish has spoken out after a fatal stabbing outside the band's concert in Virginia over the weekend. Shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 19, officers were called to the Hampton Coliseum during a Phish show to investigate reports of a stabbing involving at least two victims. According to the Hampton Police Department, investigators believe an argument took place among a group of people that escalated into a physical altercation. During that fight, one person suffered a life-threatening injury, while two others were also hurt during the fracas. Wikimedia Commons/Erik Axdahl First res…

by Zak Failla

09/22/2025

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