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

Fairfax, VA
Breaking News
Same Date, Same Jail, Same Inmate: Fairfax Man Attacked Two Female Deputies One Year Apart Same Date, Same Jail, Same Inmate: Fairfax Man Attacked Two Female Deputies One Year Apart Same Date, Same Jail, Same Inmate: Fairfax Man Attacked Two Female Deputies One Year Apart
Same Date, Same Jail, Same Inmate: Fairfax Man Attacked Two Female Deputies One Year Apart A Virginia inmate attacked two female jail deputies exactly one year apart, on the same date, inside the same detention center, prosecutors say. Shane David Lucas, 23, of Fairfax, has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for the violent encounters at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, where he was being held on unrelated charges. The first attack happened on May 16, 2025, when Deputy Hayden was conducting a security check in one of the jail's housing pods. According to the Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, Lucas was using an inmate telephone when he ap…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Obituaries
He Was Her 'Mini Me': Virginia Mom Mourns Son, 29, Killed On Way To Work He Was Her 'Mini Me': Virginia Mom Mourns Son, 29, Killed On Way To Work He Was Her 'Mini Me': Virginia Mom Mourns Son, 29, Killed On Way To Work
He Was Her 'Mini Me': Virginia Mom Mourns Son, 29, Killed On Way To Work A Virginia mother who watched her son find his footing and begin building a future is now mourning the 29-year-old she affectionately called her “mini me” after he was killed in a crash on his way to work. Acie Dylan Francis was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Friday, Oct. 30, on Calohan Road in Campbell County while he was on his way to work, according to police.  Francis shared an especially close bond with his mother, Karen Honaker, who described him as her "sidekick" for the past five years as he worked to build a life for himself. "Karen was just 16 years old when she became …

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
She Was No Master: Virginia Spa Owner's Laser Treatments Left Clients Burned, Scarred, Feds Say She Was No Master: Virginia Spa Owner's Laser Treatments Left Clients Burned, Scarred, Feds Say She Was No Master: Virginia Spa Owner's Laser Treatments Left Clients Burned, Scarred, Feds Say
She Was No Master: Virginia Spa Owner's Laser Treatments Left Clients Burned, Scarred, Feds Say They came for cosmetic treatments. Some left with burns and scars after putting their trust in a Virginia spa owner who wasn't qualified to perform the procedures, federal prosecutors say. Hayley Nicole Atwood, 33, of Chesapeake, pleaded guilty to wire fraud after federal prosecutors say she spent years falsely presenting herself as a master esthetician while operating spas in Virginia and North Carolina. Atwood held only a basic esthetician license through the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, but had been claiming more advanced credentials since at least 2…

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by Zak Failla
Wheaton-Glenmont, MD
Breaking News
Driver, 21, Ejected From Honda In Fatal Montgomery County Crash Identified By Police (UPDATED) Driver, 21, Ejected From Honda In Fatal Montgomery County Crash Identified By Police (UPDATED) Driver, 21, Ejected From Honda In Fatal Montgomery County Crash Identified By Police (UPDATED)
Driver, 21, Ejected From Honda In Fatal Montgomery County Crash Identified By Police (Updated) A 21-year-old Maryland man who was killed in an early-morning crash was ejected from his car after it overturned and struck a utility pole, authorities said. Angel Canales, of Silver Spring, has been identified as the driver killed in the single-vehicle crash near Randolph Road and Bluhill Road shortly before 5 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, according to Montgomery County Police. Investigators say Canales was driving a gray 1990 Honda Civic westbound on Randolph Road when he lost control of the vehicle for reasons that remain under investigation. The Honda struck a curb, overturned, and crashe…

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by Zak Failla
Temple Hills-Camp Springs, MD
Breaking News
Temple Hills Dad Came To America For A Better Life, Now His Family Fights To Bring Him Home Temple Hills Dad Came To America For A Better Life, Now His Family Fights To Bring Him Home Temple Hills Dad Came To America For A Better Life, Now His Family Fights To Bring Him Home
Temple Hills Dad Came To America For A Better Life, Now His Family Fights To Bring Him Home He came to America chasing a better life. Now, after a Maryland father was gunned down waiting for a bus home from work, his grieving family is fighting to bring him back to Venezuela one final time. Yeferson Alejandro Moreno-Gimenez, 27, of Temple Hills, was shot at a bus stop in the 4100 block of Minnesota Avenue NE in Washington, DC, around 5 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29. Less than 20 minutes later, his accused killer, William Louis Chase Jr., 47, was shot by a police officer during a separate confrontation just blocks away, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. But for those w…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Halloween Pursuit Ends With Spotsy Deputies Striking Maryland Driver's Vehicle: Sheriff Halloween Pursuit Ends With Spotsy Deputies Striking Maryland Driver's Vehicle: Sheriff Halloween Pursuit Ends With Spotsy Deputies Striking Maryland Driver's Vehicle: Sheriff
Halloween Pursuit Ends With Spotsy Deputies Striking Maryland Driver's Vehicle: Sheriff Trick-or-treaters weren't the only ones in for a Halloween surprise when a Maryland man turned a festive night in Virginia into a police pursuit. Drew Mason, 37, of Hughesville, found himself in handcuffs after deputies in Spotsylvania County used their cruisers to bring his fleeing vehicle to a stop as families were heading home from Halloween festivities, according to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office. The incident began shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, when deputies were called to Indian Acres at 6437 Morris Road for a reported hit-and-run crash involving a pedestria…

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by Zak Failla
Alexandria, VA
Breaking News
Halloween Hooliganism: Nine Arrested During Boozy Virginia Weekend, Sheriff Says Halloween Hooliganism: Nine Arrested During Boozy Virginia Weekend, Sheriff Says Halloween Hooliganism: Nine Arrested During Boozy Virginia Weekend, Sheriff Says
Halloween Hooliganism: Nine Arrested During Boozy Virginia Weekend, Sheriff Says Halloween weekend brought more than costumes and candy to one Virginia county, where nine people found themselves posing for mugshots following a series of alcohol-related arrests. The Fauquier County Sheriff's Office reported nine arrests over the holiday weekend, including five for driving under the influence and four for being drunk in public. Deputies described the arrests as alcohol-related "hooliganism" in a Halloween-themed roundup that included a collage of all nine suspects. According to the sheriff's office, two of the DUI arrests were made on Marsh Road (Route 28), while the oth…

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by Zak Failla
Cockeysville-Hunt Valley, MD
Breaking News
Halloween Horror Comes Back To Haunt Two Masked Men Who Targeted Cockeysville Homeowner Halloween Horror Comes Back To Haunt Two Masked Men Who Targeted Cockeysville Homeowner Halloween Horror Comes Back To Haunt Two Masked Men Who Targeted Cockeysville Homeowner
Halloween Horror Comes Back To Haunt Two Masked Men Who Targeted Cockeysville Homeowner There was neither trick, nor treat. Two masked men who survived a Halloween night shootout with a Maryland homeowner that left their accomplice dead are now facing criminal charges. Elias Bitar, 22, and Aaron Walker Jr., 24, have been charged with attempted home invasion, assault, and firearm-related offenses following the deadly confrontation in Cockeysville, Baltimore County Police announced on Monday, Nov. 2. Both men are being held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center. Investigators also revealed that the Halloween night encounter appears to have been targeted, though…

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by Zak Failla
Gaithersburg, MD
Breaking News
A $75 Deal, A Fake Friend, A Fatal Gunshot: Gaithersburg Killer Learns His Fate A $75 Deal, A Fake Friend, A Fatal Gunshot: Gaithersburg Killer Learns His Fate A $75 Deal, A Fake Friend, A Fatal Gunshot: Gaithersburg Killer Learns His Fate
A $75 Deal, A Fake Friend, A Fatal Gunshot: Gaithersburg Killer Learns His Fate A $75 marijuana deal arranged through a friend's Instagram account cost a Maryland man his life.  For one of the men responsible for turning the transaction into a deadly robbery, it will cost him 45 years in prison. Demari Brown, 21, of Montgomery Village, was sentenced on Monday, Nov. 2, to life in prison with all but 45 years suspended for the execution-style murder of Henry Krishawn Gilbert, 20, who was shot in the head during a robbery in April 2025. What Gilbert believed was a routine marijuana sale had actually been orchestrated by Brown and Jorden Hungerford, 20, who prosecuto…

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by Zak Failla
Fredericksburg, VA
Breaking News
Spotsy Driver Doing Donuts Leads Deputies On Chase Before Crashing Into Ditch: Sheriff Spotsy Driver Doing Donuts Leads Deputies On Chase Before Crashing Into Ditch: Sheriff Spotsy Driver Doing Donuts Leads Deputies On Chase Before Crashing Into Ditch: Sheriff
Spotsy Driver Doing Donuts Leads Deputies On Chase Before Crashing Into Ditch: Sheriff A driver doing donuts on a Northern Virginia roadway wound up behind bars after a hit-and-run, a police pursuit, a crash into a ditch, and one last unsuccessful attempt to escape on foot, authorities said. Stephon Wilkins-Booker, 36, of Spotsylvania, was arrested following the incident, which began around 9:40 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, when deputies from the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office were called to the area of Patriot Highway and Orchard Ridge Drive. According to the sheriff's office, callers reported that two Dodge Chargers were driving recklessly and performing donuts in the roa…

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by Zak Failla
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