Scott McCaffrey | ARLnow

VHC Health’s plans for S. Carlin Springs facility face questions from local residents

Published July 20, 2026 at 2:45PM

Bird's-eye view of VHC behavioral-health facility as submitted to county officials (via Earl Swensson Associates and Arlington County)

Future neighbors of a planned behavioral-health and rehabilitation compound on S. Carlin Springs Road are pressing for more details about management and oversight.

Representatives of VHC Health and Lifepoint Behavioral Health met with local residents during a July 16 meeting convened by the Glencarlyn Civic Association to discuss the proposed 146-bed facility.

News

Residents press county leaders for answers on Columbia Pike police shooting

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 20, 2026 at 9:15AM

Police confront Shawn Valn along Columbia Pike before he barricaded himself in the 7-Eleven on May 8, 2026 (courtesy Dave Statter/X)

County Board members are asking for residents’ patience as authorities continue an investigation into a fatal police shooting on Columbia Pike in May.

Board Chair Matt de Ferranti responded to a petition drive launched for information and dialogue around the death of 33-year-old Shawn Valn, who was shot and killed by Arlington officers after barricading himself in a 7-Eleven store at 3602 Columbia Pike.

News

County promises to improve ‘report-a-problem’ tool, criticized for poor user experience

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 20, 2026 at 8:30AM

A pothole on 10th Street N. near Courthouse in 2025 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

County staff say work is ongoing to make the government’s “report-a-problem” online portal more user-friendly and responsive.

“I hear your frustration,” said Nicole Jackson, a business systems analyst for the county government, during the July 8 joint meeting of the county’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC).

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Reagan National targets summer rebound after rocky start to 2026

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 19, 2026 at 10:30AM

The air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport on a sunny day (staff photo)

After a challenging 2025 and an up and down start to 2026, airport officials are hopeful for sustained passenger strength at Reagan National Airport through autumn.

“We anticipate the [summer] months to be strong,” said Paul Bobson, vice president for airline business development at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).

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Big-picture planning for future of Central Library, Quincy Park sparks early debate

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 17, 2026 at 3:45PM

Arlington Central Library building (file photo)

County Board members are wrestling with the timing and potential scope of future changes to Central Library and adjacent Quincy Park.

At a July 14 capital-spending work session, Board members tried to find common ground on how to approach what could become one of the county’s most contentious planning efforts of the 2030s.

News

Local duo rings in new Arlington exhibit on immigrant experiences in Virginia

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 17, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated July 17, 2026 at 4:06PM

Judith and Ingrid Morroy performing at Arlington Historical Society event (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The opening of a new exhibition on Virginia’s immigrant experience included a concert by a duo that has lived it.

Judith and Ingrid Morroy performed Sunday afternoon (July 12) at the Arlington Historical Museum, marking the local opening of the “We the People: The World in Our Commonwealth” traveling exhibit of the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.

News

Almost 1 in 3 crashes in Falls Church took place at one intersection last year

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 17, 2026 at 1:45PM

Falls Church Police Chief Shahram Fard (screenshot via Falls Church)

Two Falls Church intersections — one a major crossroads, the other somewhat less expected — accounted for a large portion of the city’s collisions in 2025.

Of 134 crashes recorded in the city last year, 42 took place at the intersection of Washington Street and E. Broad Street, according to the Falls Church Police Department’s annual report. That’s almost 1 in 3.

News

Arlington vs. invasive plants: Commission seeks $1M per year for ongoing battle

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 17, 2026 at 12:45PM

Arlington students clear out invasive plants (via Arlington County)

The Arlington Park and Recreation Commission is seeking more funding to combat invasive species, arguing it will provide long-term cost savings.

“Invasives do not stop growing in lean budget years,” commission chair William Way said at a July 9 County Board work session on the proposed capital improvement plan (CIP).

News

New Arlington treasurer expects tax delinquency rate to remain low in 2026

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 17, 2026 at 9:15AM

County Treasurer Kim Rucker, second from right, speaks with Commissioner of Revenue Kim Klingler, right, and constituents at Democratic Committee's July 11 picnic (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington’s new treasurer expects the county’s numbers on tax delinquency to remain on par with last year’s.

Given the region’s challenging current economic realities, “it will be a great accomplishment to keep it where it was,” Treasurer Kim Rucker told members of Arlington Senior Democrats at a July 14 luncheon.

News

Former county prosecutor Stamos tapped for U.S. Attorney post

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 16, 2026 at 5:55PM | Updated July 16, 2026 at 10:11PM

Former Arlington/Alexandria Commonwealth's Attorney Theo Stamos (file photo)

Theo Stamos, who served two four-year terms as Arlington’s commonwealth’s attorney before being defeated in a costly and contentious 2019 primary, has been tapped to lead the U.S. attorney’s office in Alexandria.

Stamos has been appointed first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. With the U.S. Attorney position currently vacant, she also will serve as acting U.S. Attorney until the post is filled permanently.

News

Buried in unmarked grave, founder of Green Valley church receives headstone after 123 years

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 16, 2026 at 3:45PM

Gravestone honoring Rev. Robert Laws (courtesy George Medley)

More than a dozen leaders from Green Valley’s Mount Zion Baptist Church traveled to Pittsburgh last week to dedicate a gravestone honoring the congregation’s first pastor.

For the past 123 years, the Rev. Robert Simon Laws’ remains had rested in an unmarked grave at historic Homewood Cemetery in Pittsburgh. After learning of the lack of a gravestone, Mount Zion decided to do something about it.

News

County Board considers $10M upgrade to Kenmore Middle School fields

By Scott McCaffrey

Published July 16, 2026 at 2:45PM

Planned design for field complex adjacent on Kenmore Middle School campus (via Arlington County)

County Board members are considering a contract to convert Kenmore Middle School’s athletic fields from grass to synthetic turf, among other improvements.

Set for approval as part of the Board’s consent agenda, the contract is slated to be awarded to the LandTek Group, the low bidder among four competitors.