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

Capitol Heights-District Heights, MD

Breaking News

Two Capitol Heights Residents, One Deadly Shooting, No Known Connection: Police A Maryland man was found fatally shot inside his own home, and the 19-year-old accused of killing him may have had no connection to his victim, police say. Domingo Saavedra-Escalona, 50, was found suffering from a gunshot wound inside his Capitol Heights residence early on Saturday, Oct. 31, according to the Prince George's County Police Department. Investigators have since arrested Anthony Javier Rubio, 19, also of Capitol Heights, in connection with his death. Officers responded to the unit block of Quire Avenue at approximately 4:35 a.m. on Halloween after receiving a report of a …

by Zak Failla

11/02/2026

Manassas, VA

Breaking News

Manassas DUI Suspect Accused Of Attacking Cops Twice On Halloween In Woodbridge, Police Say Christopher Sandoval Polanco took a bad situation and made it infinitely worse in Northern Virginia on Halloween morning. Shortly after 3:15 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, the 25-year-old Manassas man was involved in a single-vehicle crash in the area of Dale Boulevard and Keystone Road in Woodbridge, according to the Prince William County Police Department. During the investigation, officers determined that Sandoval Polanco was intoxicated, police said. While officers were conducting sobriety tests, Sandoval Polanco allegedly became aggressive and assaulted one of the officers before being de…

by Zak Failla

11/02/2026

St. Leonard-Port Republic, MD

Breaking News

Motorcyclist, 30, Killed In Sunday Afternoon Collision With SUV In St. Leonard, Sheriff Says A Sunday afternoon motorcycle ride turned fatal for a 30-year-old Maryland man following a collision with an SUV. Millersville resident AJ Travis Watson died after the crash at the intersection of Route 4 and St. Leonard Road shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 1, according to the Calvert County Sheriff's Office. Investigators say Watson was riding north on his motorcycle when he collided with a Honda SUV driven by 64-year-old Lusby native Carloe Anne Hamel. Deputies and emergency medical personnel attempted to save Watson, who was rushed to CalvertHealth Medical Center, where he was pronounc…

by Zak Failla

11/02/2026

Arlington, VA

Breaking News

Man Fighting For His Life After Police Divers Pull Him From Water Near Key Bridge (Video) A man is fighting for his life after being pulled from the water near Key Bridge on Sunday. DC Fire and EMS crews were called on Nov. 1 to rescue a person near the 3300 block of Water Street NW, officials confirmed. With emergency boats on the scene, divers from the Metropolitan Police Department rescued the man near the bridge, officials said. Water Rescue: 3300 Block of Water Street NW@dcfireems responded for the report of one person in the water. @DCPoliceDept divers rescued one adult male from the water in the area of Key Bridge.Patient transported in critical condition. pic.twitte…

by Zak Failla

11/02/2026

Fredericksburg, VA

Obituaries

Baby Killed In Virginia Crash Witnessed By 3-Year-Old Sister: 'Our Hearts Are Shattered' A Virginia family was supposed to be planning a first birthday party this December. Instead, they're planning a funeral. Nayilah Anamiko Butler was just 10 months old when she died following a crash on Spring Run Road in Chesterfield County on Wednesday, Oct. 28, leaving behind a grieving family and a 3-year-old sister who witnessed the tragedy. Four people were hospitalized following the collision, according to CBS 6. For Nayilah's grandmother, Constance Butler, the tragedy has brought an unimaginable responsibility: arranging a funeral for her granddaughter while seeking support for the …

by Zak Failla

11/02/2026

Aldie, VA

Breaking News

Armed, Dangerous Suspect Captured Following Aldie Search Sparked By 911 Call (Updated) A frantic 911 call with a woman screaming in the background sparked a massive search for an armed-and-dangerous suspect in Virginia who is now behind bars, authorities announced. Christian De Jesus Santiago, 30, of Manassas, was arrested Sunday evening, Nov. 1, following an alleged domestic assault that prompted an extensive search in the area of Conejo Way and Northstar Boulevard in Aldie, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office. Deputies were initially called to the 41000 block of Conejo Way around 11:55 a.m. after receiving a 911 hang-up call during which a woman could be heard …

by Zak Failla

11/02/2026

Mount Airy-Woodbine, MD

Breaking News

Raging Inferno Rips Through Woodbine Property, Sending Firefighter To Hospital (Photos) A firefighter was hospitalized after a massive blaze ripped through a Maryland property, sending flames shooting through the roof as crews from four counties rushed to contain the inferno. Howard County Fire and Rescue crews were called early on Monday, Nov. 2, following reports of a barn fire that quickly became a major operation. The intensity of the blaze prompted a response that extended well beyond Howard County, with firefighters from Montgomery, Carroll, and Frederick counties joining the effort to bring the flames under control. Howard County Fire and Rescue During the resp…

by Zak Failla

11/02/2026

Wheaton-Glenmont, MD

Breaking News

Killer At Large After Man Stabbed To Death In Wheaton: Police (Developing) A man was stabbed to death in Maryland in the middle of the night, and his killer remains on the loose, police say. Montgomery County Police officers responded to the 11300 block of Elkin Street in Wheaton shortly after midnight on Monday, Nov. 2, where they found a man suffering from an apparent stab wound. Officers immediately began lifesaving efforts, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the department. As of Monday morning, no arrests had been made, and police had not released any information about a possible suspect. The victim's identity is being withheld pe…

by Zak Failla

11/02/2026

Fallston, MD

Breaking News

Two Killed In Halloween Night Fallston Crash, Teen Airlifted As Police Probe Speed (Developing) Halloween night turned deadly on a Maryland roadway, where two people riding together were killed in a crash that sent a teenage driver to a trauma center by helicopter. Kimberly Anne Miller, 60, and Brian Walter Miller, 61, both of Fallston, died at the scene of the Saturday, Oct. 31 collision in Harford County, according to Maryland State Police. A third person, 19-year-old Matthew Thomson Howard Waylett, of Monkton, survived the crash and was flown to a trauma center by a Maryland State Police helicopter. Authorities have not provided an update on his condition. Now, investigator…

by Zak Failla

11/02/2026

Gaithersburg, MD

Obituaries

Gaithersburg Crew Mourns Father Of Four After Reported Cardiac Arrest: 'One Of Our Own' Moises Abrahan Bueso Urrea spent his days providing for his family and leading a Maryland work crew. Now, following his sudden death, both are coming together to bring him home one last time. Bueso Urrea, a father of four and crew leader for Gaithersburg-based Terra Insulation, died on Wednesday, Oct. 28, after reportedly suffering a sudden cardiac arrest, according to a social media tribute shared following his death. His passing has left his family mourning the man they depended on for financial support, while his coworkers are remembering a dependable leader whose kindness and work ethic…

by Zak Failla

11/01/2026

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