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

Police & Fire

14 Killed In Maryland Traffic Crashes During Deadly Fourth Of July Holiday Week: State Police It was a deadly start to July on Maryland's roads. Fourteen people were killed in traffic crashes across the state between Monday, June 29, and Sunday, July 5, according to preliminary data released by the Maryland Department of Transportation and Maryland State Police following the busy Fourth of July holiday weekend. The deadly stretch pushed Maryland's traffic death toll to 195 so far this year, though that's down from 235 fatalities reported at the same point in 2025, according to state data. Officials said eight of those deaths have already occurred in July. Among this year's victims…

by Zak Failla

07/06/2026

Arlington, VA

Police & Fire

Church Volunteer Charged With Sexually Abusing Teen In Arlington As Police Fear More Victims A Virginia man who volunteered with youth at a church is facing charges after allegedly sexually abusing a teen girl in his care multiple times. Jeremy Mishler, 42, is in custody following an investigation into sex offenses as the Arlington County Police Department searches for possible additional victims, authorities announced on Monday, July 6. On June 5, detectives launched a criminal investigation after receiving a tip that Mishler had inappropriate contact with a teen he knew on several occasions in May 2026. According to officials, Mishler is known to have previously volunteered…

by Zak Failla

07/06/2026

Parkville-Carney, MD

News

'No Child Should Go Through This': Maryland Teen Loses Both Parents As Friends, Family Step Up A Maryland teenager is facing the unimaginable after losing both of his parents in the span of about a year, leaving family members to rally around him as they help him navigate a future forever changed. Ryan Aigner lost his father, Robert, last year. Now, after the recent death of his mother, Roblyn Aigner, relatives have stepped in to care for him while trying to provide the stability every child deserves. Ryan Aigner GoFundMe As family members grieve two heartbreaking losses, they're also hoping the community that has already surrounded them with love can help ease som…

by Zak Failla

07/06/2026

Woodbridge, VA

Police & Fire

Woodbridge Man Secretly Filmed Women At Dollar Tree, Then Fought Family Member: Police What started as a shopping trip inside a Virginia Dollar Tree ended with two women allegedly being secretly filmed, a confrontation in the aisle, and a man's arrest. The incident happened around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2, inside the Dollar Tree on Worth Avenue in Woodbridge, where Prince William County police say Pedro Alvarado, 58, was using his phone to secretly record two women, ages 19 and 21, as they shopped. According to investigators, one of the women alerted a family member, who immediately confronted the suspect. Police said the encounter quickly turned physical. The suspect al…

by Zak Failla

07/06/2026

Annapolis, MD

Traffic

Police Activity Shuts Down All Northbound Lanes Of MD-295 In Anne Arundel County (Developing) Drivers are hitting a wall on one of Maryland's busiest highways Monday afternoon. All northbound lanes of MD-295 have been shut down in Anne Arundel County as police investigate an active incident near MD-175, triggering major delays for commuters. The closure was reported around 1:24 p.m. Monday, July 6, on northbound MD-295 at the MD-175 interchange, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation. Traffic cameras showed vehicles backed up for miles as all three northbound travel lanes were closed. The northbound exit ramp at MD-175 was also shut down, along with both shoulders,…

by Zak Failla

07/06/2026

Hagerstown, MD

Police & Fire

Two Wanted For Murder After Maryland Man Gunned Down In Downtown Hagerstown: Police A deadly downtown shooting that shattered the early morning quiet in Maryland has now turned into a manhunt. Two Hagerstown residents are wanted on murder charges after police identified them as suspects in the fatal shooting of a 30-year-old man over the holiday weekend. Officers with the Hagerstown Police Department were called around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, to the first block of East Antietam Street, where they found Dalonte Dametrius Young suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. Young, 30, of Hagerstown, was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives with the department's Crimina…

by Zak Failla

07/06/2026

Fredericksburg, VA

News

19-Year-Old Spotsy Teen Killed After Jeep Slams Into Tree In Early Morning Crash, Sheriff Says The Fourth of July weekend ended in tragedy for one Virginia family before most people were even awake. Spotsylvania resident Carter Ajello, 19, was killed early Sunday morning after the Jeep he was driving left Ridge Road and crashed into a tree, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies and Spotsylvania Fire Rescue crews were called to the 6000 block of Ridge Road around 5:45 a.m. on July 5, where they found Ajello's heavily damaged 2009 Jeep Cherokee wrapped around a tree. He died at the scene. Investigators believe Ajello was the only person in the SUV when it left the roadway for r…

by Zak Failla

07/06/2026

Bowie, MD

Obituaries

'You Never Missed A Beat': Bowie Father Honre McDade Jr. Remembered After Fatal Crash A Maryland community is mourning the loss of Honre Dexter McDade Jr., a 23-year-old Bowie father remembered by loved ones as a devoted dad whose life revolved around his young son, Truce. McDade was killed shortly after 12:10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1, when a 2015 Audi he was driving left the northbound lanes of Crain Highway near Rosaryville Road in Prince George's County and struck a utility pole, according to Maryland State Police. He was pronounced dead at the scene. In the days since his death, family members have filled social media with photos showing McDade and his son t…

by Zak Failla

07/06/2026

Annapolis, MD

Weather

27K+ Maryland Residents Still Without Power Hours After Severe Storms A weekend of violent weather is still leaving thousands of Maryland families in the dark. More than 27,500 customers across Maryland remained without electricity as of 11:45 a.m. on Monday, July 6, hours after powerful thunderstorms swept through the state with damaging winds that toppled trees and power lines. The hardest-hit outages remained concentrated in central Maryland, where Baltimore Gas and Electric reported more than 25,300 customers without power. Harford County led the utility's service area with 5,670 customers still in the dark, followed by Carroll County (4,864) and Howard C…

by Zak Failla

07/06/2026

Temple Hills-Camp Springs, MD

Police & Fire

Ex Charged After Capitol Heights Woman Found Shot Dead In Car On Fourth Of July: Police A Maryland woman's Fourth of July ended in tragedy when she was found shot to death inside a vehicle, police say, and her former boyfriend is now charged with her murder. Prince George's County police were called shortly after 10:10 p.m. Friday, July 4, to the 1900 block of Brooks Drive in Capitol Heights for a reported shooting. When officers arrived, they found 31-year-old Dakota Keys suffering from gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide detectives identified the suspect as 31-year-old Terrence Penn Jr. of Temple Hills, who police say fled after …

by Zak Failla

07/06/2026

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