Author: Scott McCaffrey

A Northern Virginia native, Scott McCaffrey has four decades of reporting, editing and newsroom experience in the local area plus Florida, South Carolina and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. He spent 26 years as editor of the Sun Gazette newspaper chain. For Local News Now, he covers government and civic issues in Arlington, Fairfax County and Falls Church.

News

Young gymnasts rally to stop programming cuts, keep Barcroft open

By Scott McCaffrey
Emilia Lopez speaks to County Board members about gymnastics (screenshot via Arlington County)

Gymnastics boosters continue their push to have County Board members rescind proposed cuts to programming and the closure of the Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center.

Much of the lobbying is now coming from youths who would be impacted by the closure.

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Schools

APS students will have off for April 21 redistricting referendum after split vote

By Scott McCaffrey
School Board member Kathleen Clark (screenshot via Arlington Public Schools)

Arlington Public Schools students will have off during a statewide redistricting referendum following a divided School Board vote last week.

In a 3-2 vote last Thursday, School Board members voted to give students the day off on Tuesday, April 21. The decision represented a split between a majority who saw logistical and safety concerns in keeping students in class, and those who did not wish to lose another instructional day and force parents to scramble for daycare options.

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Around Town

Encore Stage & Studio debuts youth production of ‘Sherlock in Wonderland’

By Scott McCaffrey
Sherlock Holmes, portrayed by Wanjiru Ogonji, considers a clue (courtesy Cindy Kane Photography)

A youth production combining the worlds of Sherlock Holmes and Alice in Wonderland is debuting at Arlington’s Encore Stage & Studio.

“Sherlock in Wonderland” opened last Friday at Thomas Jefferson Community Center (3501 S. 2nd Street), marking the second collaboration between Encore and playwright Lynne Streeter Childress.

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News

Falls Church ‘civic jam’ will celebrate citizen involvement before July 4

By Scott McCaffrey
Jim Coyle and Elise Neil-Bengtson brief Falls Church City Council members (screenshot via City of Falls Church)

Plans to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday with a July 3 “civic jam” celebration are solidifying in Falls Church.

Rather than attempt to compete with national celebrations the following day, the Falls Church event will focus on citizen involvement.

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News

Arlington police chief seeks funding to unfreeze 20 officer positions

By Scott McCaffrey
Police Chief Andy Penn at budget work session (screenshot via Arlington County)

Arlington’s police chief is seeking to free up funding for about half of all officer positions that are currently frozen, capitalizing on a surge in job applications.

Chief Andy Penn argues that more funding could help the Arlington County Police Department get closer to full staffing and significantly cut overtime costs. He is asking the County Board to consider unfreezing 20 full-time sworn officer positions in the coming fiscal year.

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News

Fire chief offers to ‘reevaluate’ controversial plan to consolidate rescue units

By Scott McCaffrey
Fire Chief David Povlitz and County Manager Mark Schwartz at budget hearing (screenshot via Arlington County)

Arlington’s fire chief says he is willing to reconsider a contentious plan to consolidate the county’s two heavy rescue companies — if county leaders can find the funding to make that possible.

Fire Chief David Povlitz told County Board members that he would need about $480,000 in additional funding to halt a proposal to combine the two existing rescue units, which has drawn criticism from the county’s firefighter union over public safety concerns.

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News

Affordability issues rise to top of Arlington NAACP’s policy concerns

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington NAACP president Rev. DeLishia Davis (screenshot via NAACP)

A consistent theme emerged as members of the Arlington NAACP brainstormed to determine 2026 policy priorities.

“Affordability is coming through every single group,” the organization’s president, the Rev. DeLishia Davis, said after reports from breakout sessions at the organization’s Monday meeting.

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News

Black Wellness Expo comes to Green Valley for the first time, promoting health resources

By Scott McCaffrey
Attendees at the Links health event (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A regional health fair focused on both physical and mental wellness took place in Arlington for the first time last weekend.

Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School hosted the 2026 Black Wellness Expo, sponsored by the Arlington chapter of The Links, Incorporated, on Saturday.

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News

Falls Church budget proposes more spending on schools, higher fees for property owners

By Scott McCaffrey
Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields makes fiscal 2027 budget presentation (screenshot via City of Falls Church)

Higher fees for property owners pair with rising real estate assessments in the Falls Church budget proposal unveiled by City Manager Wyatt Shields Monday night.

Falls Church homeowners would pay an average $611 more — an increase of 5% — in real estate taxes under the $134.3 million fiscal year 2027 budget.

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News

Zoning proposal seeks to make it easier to charge electric vehicles in Arlington

By Scott McCaffrey
Former Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey charging an electric vehicle (courtesy Arlington County)

Proposed zoning changes headed to County Board members by summer may make it easier to install electric-vehicle charging facilities across Arlington.

Proposed zoning changes include:

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News

Arlington View’s new neighborhood plan targets lack of open space, poor traffic flow

By Scott McCaffrey
Entrance to Arlington View neighborhood (via Arlington County)

More park space, improved traffic flow and better emergency-vehicle access are among the key desires of the Arlington View community.

Those concerns were outlined to County Board members on March 17, as the Board formally accepted an updated neighborhood plan that will guide future county planning efforts. It marks the first update to the original Arlington View Neighborhood Plan, which, when adopted in 1965, was the first of its kind in the county.

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Schools

Rally for permanent after-school programming happening this week at Kenmore Middle School

By Scott McCaffrey
Reading partner at Aspire! Afterschool Learning (photo via Aspire Afterschool Learning/Facebook)

A rally in support of after-school programming in Arlington will take place later this week at Kenmore Middle School.

Organizers plan to ask leaders to “work with us over the next year to ensure that what has been called a pilot program will become permanent, with ongoing funding and a path toward expansion to meet the needs of children in our community,” said Marjorie Green of Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE).

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