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

Fort Washington, MD
Breaking News
Woman Tracked Down After Fatally Stabbing Grandmother In Fort Washington, Police Say Woman Tracked Down After Fatally Stabbing Grandmother In Fort Washington, Police Say Woman Tracked Down After Fatally Stabbing Grandmother In Fort Washington, Police Say
Woman Tracked Down After Fatally Stabbing Grandmother In Fort Washington, Police Say A 28-year-old woman was tracked down and arrested in Maryland after allegedly killing her grandmother and stabbing another family member. On Thursday, Sept. 18, authorities say that Waldorf resident Breante Thomas has been apprehended in connection with the fatal stabbing of Helen Thomas, 81, inside her Fort Washington home, according to the Prince George's County Police Department. Officers were called to conduct a welfare check around 1:50 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14 at a home in the 500 block of Bonhill Drive, where they found Helen Thomas suffering from stab wounds. She died at the s…

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by Zak Failla
Aldie, VA
Your Community
Virginia Powerball Winner Donates $150K Jackpot To Charity: ‘God Is Blessing Me’ Virginia Powerball Winner Donates $150K Jackpot To Charity: ‘God Is Blessing Me’ Virginia Powerball Winner Donates $150K Jackpot To Charity: ‘God Is Blessing Me’
Virginia Powerball Winner Donates $150K Jackpot To Charity: ‘God Is Blessing Me’ Talk about hitting the jackpot and paying it forward. Most people dream of a new house, car, or vacation. Carrie Edwards dreamed of giving it all away. The Midlothian woman won $150,000 in the Sept. 8 Powerball drawing after matching four numbers plus the Powerball and playing Power Play, according to Virginia Lottery officials.  It was the first time she had ever bought a ticket online. On Sept. 16, Edwards accepted her prize from Virginia Lottery Executive Director Khalid Jones. Then she stunned everyone: she gave every single penny away. Three charities are splitting her entire j…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Obituaries
‘My Rock And Protector’: Maryland Dad Joshua Freeman Dies Suddenly Days Before 44th Birthday ‘My Rock And Protector’: Maryland Dad Joshua Freeman Dies Suddenly Days Before 44th Birthday ‘My Rock And Protector’: Maryland Dad Joshua Freeman Dies Suddenly Days Before 44th Birthday
‘My Rock And Protector’: Maryland Dad Joshua Freeman Dies Suddenly Days Before 44th Birthday A family in Maryland is grieving after a beloved father and corrections officer died unexpectedly, days before his 44th birthday. Joshua David Freeman passed away on Saturday, Sept. 13, as the community rallies support for his fiancée and family while they prepare for his funeral. Freeman was a graduate of Crisfield High School before heading to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. At the time of his death, he was serving as a correctional officer for Worcester County. According to his obituary, Freeman, "enjoyed playing pool, darts and cornhole and was an award-winning soccer pl…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Maryland ‘Clown’ Who Scammed 80-Year-Old Virginia Woman Out Of $26K Busted In Sting: Sheriff Maryland ‘Clown’ Who Scammed 80-Year-Old Virginia Woman Out Of $26K Busted In Sting: Sheriff Maryland ‘Clown’ Who Scammed 80-Year-Old Virginia Woman Out Of $26K Busted In Sting: Sheriff
Maryland ‘Clown’ Who Scammed 80-Year-Old Virginia Woman Out Of $26K Busted In Sting: Sheriff An 80-year-old Virginia woman was conned out of more than $26,000 by crooks posing as US Treasury agents — until detectives set a trap that ended with a Maryland man in cuffs, officials said. The suspect, James Smith, 30, of Gaithersburg, was arrested after showing up to grab another $10,000 in cash from the victim, the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office said.  Deputies were waiting. Smith had already squeezed $26,000 from the woman over several days, investigators said.  He and others pretended to be Treasury agents, threatening the woman with “criminal charges” unless she handed…

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by Zak Failla
La Plata, MD
Breaking News
Child Assaulted, Woman Threatened With Knife Before La Plata Barricade: Sheriff Child Assaulted, Woman Threatened With Knife Before La Plata Barricade: Sheriff Child Assaulted, Woman Threatened With Knife Before La Plata Barricade: Sheriff
Child Assaulted, Woman Threatened With Knife Before La Plata Barricade: Sheriff A man threatened a woman's life and assaulted a child in Maryland before barricading himself inside a La Plata home, according to the Charles County Sheriff's Office. Christopher Dale Buchanan, 37, is behind bars after a scary scene played out last week involving a woman and young child, the agency announced on Thursday, Sept. 18.  Officers from the sheriff's office were called around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10 to the 6300 block of Nelson Drive in La Plata, where there was a reported domestic disturbance.  During the incident it is alleged Buchanan choked the woman, as…

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by Zak Failla
National Interest
Washington Commanders’ $3.8B RFK Stadium Deal Approved By DC Council: 'Today Is A Historic Day' Washington Commanders’ $3.8B RFK Stadium Deal Approved By DC Council: 'Today Is A Historic Day' Washington Commanders’ $3.8B RFK Stadium Deal Approved By DC Council: 'Today Is A Historic Day'
Washington Commanders’ $3.8B RFK Stadium Deal Approved By DC Council: 'Today Is A Historic Day' The Washington Commanders are officially coming home. The DC City Council voted 11-2 late on Wednesday, Sept. 17 to give the final approval for a $3.8 billion project to build a 65,000-seat stadium at the old RFK Stadium site. The plan also calls for a mixed-use development project in the surrounding neighborhoods, as well as affordable housing in the area. "Today is a historic day for DC, the Commanders organization, and our fans," Commanders owner Josh Harris said in a statement. "With the Council's approval, we can now move forward on the transformative RFK project that will bring lasti…

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by Zak Failla
Elkton, MD
Breaking News
Citizenship Yanked After Maryland Man’s Horrific Child Rape Conviction Exposed: DOJ Citizenship Yanked After Maryland Man’s Horrific Child Rape Conviction Exposed: DOJ Citizenship Yanked After Maryland Man’s Horrific Child Rape Conviction Exposed: DOJ
Citizenship Yanked After Maryland Man’s Horrific Child Rape Conviction Exposed: DOJ A convicted child rapist in Maryland has been stripped of his US citizenship after federal prosecutors revealed he repeatedly raped a girl under 14 and lied to immigration officials to hide his crimes, the Justice Department announced. Jorge Antonio Graciano Lara lost his naturalization status after a federal judge in Maryland granted the Justice Department’s motion to revoke it this week, according to federal officials. The government filed its suit in November 2024, arguing that Graciano Lara should never have been granted citizenship because of his September 2017 conviction for second-de…

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by Zak Failla
Silver Spring, MD
Breaking News
Florida Woman, 55, Dies From Gunshot Wound During Visit To Elderly Parents In Dickerson: Police Florida Woman, 55, Dies From Gunshot Wound During Visit To Elderly Parents In Dickerson: Police Florida Woman, 55, Dies From Gunshot Wound During Visit To Elderly Parents In Dickerson: Police
Florida Woman, 55, Dies From Gunshot Wound During Visit To Elderly Parents In Dickerson: Police A Florida woman is dead after visiting her elderly parents in Maryland, police say. Tallahassee resident Abby Elaine Dunn, 55, was shot on Friday afternoon while spending time with family in Dickerson, according to the Montgomery County Department of Police. Officers were called shortly after 4 p.m. on Sept. 12 to a home in the 23000 block of Mt. Ephraim Road to investigate a shooting. There, they found Dunn in an upstairs bedroom suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the leg, police said. She was rushed to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead on Saturday, Sept. 13.  …

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by Zak Failla
Leesburg, VA
Breaking News
Infant Strangled In Leesburg Home, Suspect Arrested After Search, Police Say Infant Strangled In Leesburg Home, Suspect Arrested After Search, Police Say Infant Strangled In Leesburg Home, Suspect Arrested After Search, Police Say
Infant Strangled In Leesburg Home, Suspect Arrested After Search, Police Say A 21-year-old Virginia man is behind bars after an infant was rushed to the hospital in critical condition following a violent assault, police said. Alvaro Mejia Ayala, 21, was arrested after a brief manhunt and charged with strangulation in Leesburg on Wednesday, Sept. 17, authorities said. Shortly after 10 a.m., officers from the Leesburg Police Department were called to the unit block of Hancock Place NE for a report of a child not breathing. The infant was taken to an area hospital and listed in critical condition after investigators said the child was the victim of an assault. A manh…

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by Zak Failla
Woodbridge, VA
Obituaries
‘Always & Forever’: Woodbridge Wife Pens Heartbreaking Tribute To Late Air Force Vet ‘Always & Forever’: Woodbridge Wife Pens Heartbreaking Tribute To Late Air Force Vet ‘Always & Forever’: Woodbridge Wife Pens Heartbreaking Tribute To Late Air Force Vet
‘Always & Forever’: Woodbridge Wife Pens Heartbreaking Tribute To Late Air Force Vet He survived serving as a firefighter in Kuwait with the United States Air Force — but Jesse Allen Sullivan, a Virginia native, died unexpectedly at 48, leaving behind a devastated family and a community rallying to honor his life. The Prince William County native and Woodbridge High School graduate died on Sunday, Sept. 7, according to his family, who described him as a "loyal friend with a vibrant personality that would light up any room." When he returned from Kuwait, Sullivan went on to become a fixture as an elevator mechanic with Otis for more than two decades as a member of IUEC …

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by Zak Failla
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