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

Annapolis, MD
Breaking News
Coast Is Clear At Maryland Park After Bizarre Stretch Of Rabid Beaver Attacks Coast Is Clear At Maryland Park After Bizarre Stretch Of Rabid Beaver Attacks Coast Is Clear At Maryland Park After Bizarre Stretch Of Rabid Beaver Attacks
Coast Is Clear At Maryland Park After Bizarre Stretch Of Rabid Beaver Attacks The coast is clear at one Maryland park after a bizarre stretch of rabid beaver attacks. At another, the search isn't over yet. Hunting Creek Lake and the surrounding areas of Cunningham Falls State Park in Thurmont reopened on Monday, Aug. 24, nearly three weeks after the second of two beaver attacks forced officials to shut down more of the popular recreation area. Both attacks ended with the beavers being killed. Both animals later tested positive for rabies. That prompted an extensive search around Hunting Creek Lake to determine whether any others remained. Wildlife biologists went l…

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by Zak Failla
Odenton, MD
Obituaries
He'd Just Retired After 20 Years, But Maryland Dad Edwin Pierce Was Never Done Serving He'd Just Retired After 20 Years, But Maryland Dad Edwin Pierce Was Never Done Serving He'd Just Retired After 20 Years, But Maryland Dad Edwin Pierce Was Never Done Serving
He'd Just Retired After 20 Years, But Maryland Dad Edwin Pierce Was Never Done Serving Edwin Pierce had finally reached the part where he was supposed to slow down. After more than 20 years in the US Army, the Maryland father had only recently retired, closing a career that took him from aviation to public affairs and ultimately the Pentagon. But Pierce was never much for sitting on the sidelines. Out of uniform, he poured that same energy into Woodlawn Little League, where he coached, mentored, umpired, worked concessions, handled audio and visual duties, and seemingly stepped in whenever somebody needed a hand. His sudden death prompted an outpouring of tributes from the …

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by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Breaking News
Guns Go Flying From Stolen Challenger Before Getaway Hits Dead End In Waldorf: Sheriff Guns Go Flying From Stolen Challenger Before Getaway Hits Dead End In Waldorf: Sheriff Guns Go Flying From Stolen Challenger Before Getaway Hits Dead End In Waldorf: Sheriff
Guns Go Flying From Stolen Challenger Before Getaway Hits Dead End In Waldorf: Sheriff A car alarm went off. Then things got considerably louder in Maryland. It started shortly after 1:45 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 21, when Charles County Sheriff's Office patrol officers were called to the 15500 block of Woodward Place in Waldorf for a report of someone possibly breaking into vehicles while another person appeared to be keeping watch near a Dodge Challenger. As officers arrived, they heard the alarm and spotted someone peering into a vehicle with a flashlight, according to the sheriff's office. Then came the getaway. When confronted, the person immediately ran to the passenger si…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
WATCH: Hit-Run Driver Gets SUV Stuck, Calls For Backup To Make Fredericksburg Getaway WATCH: Hit-Run Driver Gets SUV Stuck, Calls For Backup To Make Fredericksburg Getaway WATCH: Hit-Run Driver Gets SUV Stuck, Calls For Backup To Make Fredericksburg Getaway
Watch: Hit-Run Driver Gets SUV Stuck, Calls For Backup To Make Fredericksburg Getaway Sometimes, it takes a village. A man and woman who crashed into the side of a building in Northern Virginia had to call in for assistance after their SUV got stuck near a busy intersection, police say. The Fredericksburg Police Department released photos and video of three suspects wanted for a hit-and-run that was partially caught on camera. Early on Thursday, Aug. 20, a woman struck the AC unit outside the building, then failed several times to free the vehicle from the bushes surrounding the crash scene. After they failed to free it, police say a third man was called in for assistan…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Your Community
SUV Crashes Through Kids' Dance Studio In Maryland, Leaving It Uninhabitable SUV Crashes Through Kids' Dance Studio In Maryland, Leaving It Uninhabitable SUV Crashes Through Kids' Dance Studio In Maryland, Leaving It Uninhabitable
SUV Crashes Through Kids' Dance Studio In Maryland, Leaving It Uninhabitable A Maryland dance studio built to give kids a safe place nearly became the scene of something much worse. An SUV crashed through the Dynamic Divas of Princess Anne studio on Mt. Vernon Road at approximately 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, tearing through the side of the building before exiting through the front, according to studio director Leslie Nelson. No children or staff members were inside at the time. Photos from the aftermath show a gaping hole ripped through the front of the studio, with walls buckled, windows shattered and insulation, glass and other debris scattered across the park…

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by Zak Failla
Annapolis, MD
Breaking News
Homeowner Couldn't Smell Propane Leaking Before Deadly Annapolis Explosion: Officials Homeowner Couldn't Smell Propane Leaking Before Deadly Annapolis Explosion: Officials Homeowner Couldn't Smell Propane Leaking Before Deadly Annapolis Explosion: Officials
Homeowner Couldn't Smell Propane Leaking Before Deadly Annapolis Explosion: Officials A deadly Maryland home explosion came down to one accidental cut and a single spark. The Aug. 20 blast on Green Holly Drive in the Cape St. Claire community near Annapolis was caused by propane that accumulated inside the home after the homeowner inadvertently cut a gas line while working on the HVAC system, Anne Arundel County fire investigators announced on Monday, Aug. 24. What happened next proved catastrophic. Investigators said the damaged line allowed propane to leak into the residence without the homeowner realizing it. As he continued working, he used a metal grinder. That provi…

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by Zak Failla
Sterling, VA
Breaking News
Sterling Man Sold To Northern Park View HS Students Before Overdoses: Sheriff Sterling Man Sold To Northern Park View HS Students Before Overdoses: Sheriff Sterling Man Sold To Northern Park View HS Students Before Overdoses: Sheriff
Sterling Man Sold To Northern Park View HS Students Before Overdoses: Sheriff The man suspected of selling fentanyl that led to overdoses involving students in Northern Virginia is behind bars, officials say. Isaac Melendez-Carranza, 31, was arrested by deputies following an investigation into a dealer wanted for selling drugs to Park View High School students in May, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office on Monday, Aug. 24. When he was arrested, investigators say Melendez-Carranza was in possession of an undisclosed amount of cash and suspected narcotics. He was charged with two counts of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of …

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by Zak Failla
Oxon Hill, MD
Obituaries
His 20th Birthday Was Supposed To Be A Celebration, Then Tragedy Struck In PG County His 20th Birthday Was Supposed To Be A Celebration, Then Tragedy Struck In PG County His 20th Birthday Was Supposed To Be A Celebration, Then Tragedy Struck In PG County
His 20th Birthday Was Supposed To Be A Celebration, Then Tragedy Struck In PG County What should have been a day of celebration became a day of heartbreak for a Maryland family. Inmar Nazareth Campos-Rivera, of Oxon Hill, died on his 20th birthday after crashing his motorcycle shortly after midnight on Friday, Aug. 21, in Prince George's County, according to police and his family. The crash happened at approximately 12:20 a.m. in the 10700 block of Tucker Street in Beltsville. Campos-Rivera had been traveling along Tucker Street when he lost control of his motorcycle for reasons that remain under investigation and crashed, Prince George's County Police said. He was rushed…

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by Zak Failla
Chesapeake City, MD
Breaking News
Smoke Was Visible From C&D Canal Bridge Before Crews Reached Maryland House Fire (PHOTOS) Smoke Was Visible From C&D Canal Bridge Before Crews Reached Maryland House Fire (PHOTOS) Smoke Was Visible From C&D Canal Bridge Before Crews Reached Maryland House Fire (PHOTOS)
Smoke Was Visible From C&D Canal Bridge Before Crews Reached Maryland House Fire (Photos) A column of smoke was already hanging over Maryland before the first firefighters reached the flames. Multiple 911 calls began pouring in shortly after 2 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 24, reporting a house on fire in the 800 block of Biddle Street in Chesapeake City, according to the Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 of Chesapeake City. The warning signs were visible from a distance. While still responding, the department's chief reported seeing a column of smoke from the C&D Canal Bridge. Moments later, crews arrived to find fire ripping through the two-story home. The call quickly became a wor…

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Your Community
They Tried To Stay Open, But Flood Damage Finally Forces Arlington Restaurant To Close They Tried To Stay Open, But Flood Damage Finally Forces Arlington Restaurant To Close They Tried To Stay Open, But Flood Damage Finally Forces Arlington Restaurant To Close
They Tried To Stay Open, But Flood Damage Finally Forces Arlington Restaurant To Close For weeks, they tried to keep the pasta coming. The water damage finally won. Corso Italian in Arlington's Village at Shirlington has been forced to close temporarily after flooding caused significant damage to the restaurant earlier this month, leaving dozens of employees facing an unexpected stretch without their regular paychecks. Water entered both of Corso's dining rooms and its basement on Sunday, Aug. 2, during an ongoing construction project, according to an email from the restaurant shared online. But the popular eatery didn't immediately shut down. For the next several weeks, th…

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by Zak Failla
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