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

Arlington, VA
Breaking News
DC Police Found Crashed Motorcycle Saturday Night, But Rider Was Nowhere To Be Found: MPD DC Police Found Crashed Motorcycle Saturday Night, But Rider Was Nowhere To Be Found: MPD DC Police Found Crashed Motorcycle Saturday Night, But Rider Was Nowhere To Be Found: MPD
DC Police Found Crashed Motorcycle Saturday Night, But Rider Was Nowhere To Be Found: MPD Police found a crashed motorcycle in DC, but it would be hours before they discovered the 18-year-old rider who had been thrown from it and died. The rider, identified as Southeast DC resident Francisco Benavides, was found unconscious and not breathing on Sunday, Oct. 18, after officers initially discovered his motorcycle near Suitland Parkway and Stanton Road SE at approximately 10:40 p.m. the previous night, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. Investigators said Benavides was speeding when he lost control of the motorcycle, struck a guardrail, and was thrown from the bike, w…

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by Zak Failla
Brandywine, MD
Obituaries
PG County Dad Fighting To Overcome Drug Addiction Gunned Down: 'He Was Winning The Battle' PG County Dad Fighting To Overcome Drug Addiction Gunned Down: 'He Was Winning The Battle' PG County Dad Fighting To Overcome Drug Addiction Gunned Down: 'He Was Winning The Battle'
PG County Dad Fighting To Overcome Drug Addiction Gunned Down: 'He Was Winning The Battle' A Maryland father known around his neighborhood as "Face" was fighting to overcome his demons and rebuild his life when he was gunned down, leaving his son without a dad. Devin Shawn Mason Sr., 45, was shot and killed on Saturday, Oct. 17, in the 5000 block of Emo Street in Capitol Heights, leaving behind a grieving family now struggling to come to terms with his death. Known affectionately as "Face," Mason was remembered by loved ones as a caring man who was working to overcome addiction and get his life back on track before his life was cut short. "Devin was in the wrong place at the wro…

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by Zak Failla
Silver Spring, MD
Breaking News
'90s Alt-Rockers Sponge Robbed Of Guitars After Silver Spring Concert: 'It Happened Again' '90s Alt-Rockers Sponge Robbed Of Guitars After Silver Spring Concert: 'It Happened Again' '90s Alt-Rockers Sponge Robbed Of Guitars After Silver Spring Concert: 'It Happened Again'
'90s Alt-Rockers Sponge Robbed Of Guitars After Silver Spring Concert: 'It Happened Again' A popular '90s rock band is scrambling to replace several stolen guitars after thieves targeted its equipment following a concert in Maryland, marking what the musicians say is the second time they've been victimized. Detroit-based alternative rock band Sponge, best known for its hits "Plowed" and "Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)," reported the theft on Wednesday, Oct. 21, after performing with Candlebox at The Fillmore Silver Spring. "It happened again, we got robbed!!!" the band posted on Facebook. According to published reports, the guitars were stolen from a trailer outside a Holiday…

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by Zak Failla
Rockville, MD
Breaking News
Mike Locksley Out At Maryland As Police Called On Student Reporters Covering His Exit Mike Locksley Out At Maryland As Police Called On Student Reporters Covering His Exit Mike Locksley Out At Maryland As Police Called On Student Reporters Covering His Exit
Mike Locksley Out At Maryland As Police Called On Student Reporters Covering His Exit Maryland football had just lost its head coach. Hours later, two student journalists trying to cover the fallout found themselves dealing with police instead of players. The unusual encounter unfolded outside Jones-Hill House in College Park, after University of Maryland officials announced that head coach Mike Locksley was stepping down effective immediately following a five-game losing streak. Nolan Rogalski and Jude Wilkenfeld, who cover Maryland athletics for Testudo Times, were waiting outside the football practice facility hoping to speak with players about the coaching shakeup when a…

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by Zak Failla
Beltsville, MD
Your Community
Massive Beltsville Industrial Park Changes Hands In Deal Backed By $37M In Financing Massive Beltsville Industrial Park Changes Hands In Deal Backed By $37M In Financing Massive Beltsville Industrial Park Changes Hands In Deal Backed By $37M In Financing
Massive Beltsville Industrial Park Changes Hands In Deal Backed By $37M In Financing A sprawling Maryland industrial complex spanning six buildings and more than 275,000 square feet has changed hands in a deal backed by $37 million in financing. Ammendale Technology Park in Beltsville was acquired by Miami-based Adler Real Estate Partners, with commercial real estate firm JLL announcing on Thursday, Oct. 22, that it arranged the financing for the purchase. The 31-acre property is already 96% leased, with 24 tenants operating businesses ranging from technology and distribution to light manufacturing and other services, according to JLL. Built in 1985 and 1986, the complex i…

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by Zak Failla
Lexington Park, MD
Breaking News
Maryland Bar Beating Leaves Man Fighting For His Life, Suspected Attacker On The Run: Police Maryland Bar Beating Leaves Man Fighting For His Life, Suspected Attacker On The Run: Police Maryland Bar Beating Leaves Man Fighting For His Life, Suspected Attacker On The Run: Police
Maryland Bar Beating Leaves Man Fighting For His Life, Suspected Attacker On The Run: Police A Maryland man is fighting for his life after two men allegedly knocked him to the ground and repeatedly kicked him during a violent confrontation outside a bar. Officers from the Salisbury Police Department responded to the sidewalk outside Bury Tavern at 212 W. Main St. at approximately 10:40 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, where they found a 43-year-old man unconscious with serious injuries. The victim was rushed to TidalHealth Peninsula Regional, where he remained in critical condition as of Thursday, Oct. 22. Investigators say the violence began as a verbal dispute involving the victim and t…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Third Time's A Charm? Virginia Thieves Return To Scene Of $200K Copper Heist At Data Center Third Time's A Charm? Virginia Thieves Return To Scene Of $200K Copper Heist At Data Center Third Time's A Charm? Virginia Thieves Return To Scene Of $200K Copper Heist At Data Center
Third Time's A Charm? Virginia Thieves Return To Scene Of $200K Copper Heist At Data Center Three overnight break-ins, more than $200,000 in stolen copper, and a pair of masked thieves who just keep coming back for more have Virginia investigators hunting for answers. The Culpeper County Sheriff's Office is searching for two suspects believed to be behind a string of thefts at a data center construction site along Germanna Highway, where thieves have struck three times in a month, cutting through locks and fencing to steal valuable materials and equipment. The first break-in happened overnight between Sept. 22 and Sept. 23, when thieves forced their way through the property's fron…

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by Zak Failla
Sterling, VA
Breaking News
Accused Fentanyl Dealer Drove Dead Sterling Man To DC Fire Station, Feds Say Accused Fentanyl Dealer Drove Dead Sterling Man To DC Fire Station, Feds Say Accused Fentanyl Dealer Drove Dead Sterling Man To DC Fire Station, Feds Say
Accused Fentanyl Dealer Drove Dead Sterling Man To DC Fire Station, Feds Say Jack Hargreaves had his entire life ahead of him. Instead, the 20-year-old Virginia man is dead, and the accused drug dealer who allegedly supplied the fatal dose of fentanyl that killed him is facing federal charges more than two years later. DC resident Anthony "Ant" Winslow, 44, has been indicted on a charge of unlawfully distributing fentanyl that resulted in Hargreaves' death in May 2024. “Jack Hargreaves was just 20 years old. His parents are now living every family’s worst nightmare. Anthony Winslow is being held accountable for his death, but no prosecution can undo this loss,” US …

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
DC Felons Wanted An Audience For Their Guns, Got Federal Investigators Instead: DOJ DC Felons Wanted An Audience For Their Guns, Got Federal Investigators Instead: DOJ DC Felons Wanted An Audience For Their Guns, Got Federal Investigators Instead: DOJ
DC Felons Wanted An Audience For Their Guns, Got Federal Investigators Instead: DOJ Turns out, the feds have Internet access too. Two felons in the DMV weren't shy about showing off their guns for social media clout.   Federal investigators in DC were watching the whole time. The online showboating helped launch a federal probe that ultimately landed Travis Foster, 25, and Reginald Monroe, 23, both of DC, in prison after authorities uncovered an arsenal of firearms, hundreds of suspected fentanyl pills, and evidence of drug dealing. US Attorney's Office The two men were sentenced on Thursday, Oct. 22, to a combined 103 months behind bars, federal prosecutors …

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by Zak Failla
Arlington, VA
Breaking News
Arlington Teen Accused Of Stealing Girl's Clothes, Trying To Escape On Bus: Police Arlington Teen Accused Of Stealing Girl's Clothes, Trying To Escape On Bus: Police Arlington Teen Accused Of Stealing Girl's Clothes, Trying To Escape On Bus: Police
Arlington Teen Accused Of Stealing Girl's Clothes, Trying To Escape On Bus: Police A teenage girl accused of chasing down another teen, beating her up, and stealing her clothes tried to make her getaway on a bus in Virginia, but her troubles were just getting started, police said. Arlington County Police officers were called to the 2800 block of South Quincy Street at approximately 4:42 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, following reports of an assault involving two teenage girls who knew each other. Investigators said the victim was outside when the suspect approached and began chasing her, eventually catching up to her outside a nearby business, where she allegedly assaulted t…

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by Zak Failla
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