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

Falls Church eyes fewer voting sites, but would need permission from Richmond

By Scott McCaffrey
Falls Church's voting dropbox at City Hall (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Falls Church could consolidate all Election Day voting in a single location, if the General Assembly supports doing so next year.

The city currently is divided into three voting wards, with two voting in different parts of the Falls Church Community Center and the third at Oak Street Elementary School.

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News

Arlington’s hotel occupancy rate, revenue increase slightly year-over-year

By Scott McCaffrey
A 2025 view of the lobby at the then-new Hilton hotel in Rosslyn (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Recent trends in Arlington’s hotel-occupancy and room rates are pointing modestly upward after a downturn in 2025.

For the first four months of 2026, the county’s hotel-occupancy rate was up 2% year-over-year, while the revenue per available room was up nearly 6%, according to new data.

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News

County Board rejects historic status at Melwood site, allowing affordable housing to proceed

By Scott McCaffrey
Rendering of Melwood site redevelopment proposal (via Melwood and Wesley Housing)

After months of buildup, County Board members have rejected a request to provide historic status to portions of a site approved for an affordable housing project.

In a 4-0 vote last night (Wednesday), with one abstention, the County Board paved the way for development partners Melwood and Wesley Housing to move forward with plans for construction of a five-story, 105-unit mixed-use affordable-housing project in place of the former Nelly Custis School.

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News

Owner of shuttered Days Inn gets three more years to redevelop or sell

By Scott McCaffrey
The former Days Inn at 2201 Arlington Blvd in early 2025 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

The County Board has provided a three-year extension to redevelopment plans for a shuttered Days Inn hotel on Arlington Blvd.

In a 5-0 vote last night (Wednesday), County Board members provided more time for the owner — a limited-liability company that has been unable to move forward on redevelopment plans at 2201 Arlington Blvd — to attempt to sell the 2.4-acre parcel with the approved site plan in place.

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News

Arlington GOP considers stance on abortion, same-sex marriage, voting rights referendums

By Scott McCaffrey
Party chair Matthew Hurtt leads members in the Republican Creed at a 2025 meeting (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington Republicans are deciding on whether to take a position on upcoming referendums connected to several controversial topics.

The local party is expected to decide on Monday, June 22 whether to take a public stance on amendments approved by Democratic majorities in the General Assembly.

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News

Vehicles worth up to $3K could become exempt from Falls Church car tax

By Scott McCaffrey
Falls Church vehicle decal (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

More owners of low-valued vehicles could receive a full exemption from car taxes in Falls Church.

Vehicles assessed at $1,500 or less are currently exempt from the city’s car tax of $4.80 per $100 assessed valuation. Under a proposal brought to Council members by Commissioner of Revenue Tom Clinton and city staff, the exemption level would double to $3,000.

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News

Arlington homeowners to receive $30 rebates after months of ‘suboptimal’ trash collection

By Scott McCaffrey
A county government recycling container on N. Glebe Road (file photo)

Despite an increase in annual trash-collection costs, Arlington’s single-family homeowners will end up paying less over the coming year.

Customers will receive a one-time, $30-per-household rebate, County Manager Mark Schwartz said at the June 13 County Board meeting.

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News

Arlington seeks $46M in state funds for intersection upgrades

By Scott McCaffrey
N. Meade Street over Arlington Blvd (via Google Maps)

County Board members have authorized the submission of three transportation improvement projects worth a combined $46 million for possible state funding.

The three proposals will now vie in the next round of “Smart Scale” funding, with winning projects receiving funding starting in 2029. They concern Arlington Blvd ramps, pedestrian facilities along N. Glebe Road and an intersection with an I-66 off-ramp.

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Schools

Arlington Community High School graduates celebrate diverse paths to success

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington Community High School student speakers Edwin Sibrian Menjivar, Brandon Campbell and Grace Duran Velasquez (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Ranging in age from 16 to 46, those in the graduating Class of 2026 at Arlington Community High School proved there was no single path to educational success.

“Every road led here,” Principal Jeannette Allen said at the graduation ceremony, held June 12 at Washington-Liberty High School.

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News

Neighbors already arguing over operating hours at new Walter Reed pickleball complex

By Scott McCaffrey
Pickleball players at Walter Reed Community Center (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Just weeks after Arlington’s new outdoor pickleball complex at Walter Reed Community Center opened for play, a battle over operating hours is underway.

With some pickleball supporters circulating a petition to expand the schedule, a representative of the Columbia Heights Civic Association went to Saturday’s County Board meeting to denounce the idea.

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News

Advocates seek more upgrades to Arlington’s Native American history exhibits

By Scott McCaffrey
Portion of Native American exhibit at Gulf Branch Nature Center (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Some local parks boosters say they are eager to work with county officials to upgrade an exhibit on Arlington’s Native American history.

Representatives of Friends of Gulf Branch Nature Center recently met with officials from the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to discuss ways to move forward at the nature center. The meeting came after two refurbished exhibits recently reopened following a multi-year restoration effort.

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News

Residents around S. Carlin Springs Road press for faster safety progress

By Scott McCaffrey
Aftermath of a crash on S. Carlin Springs Road in November 2024 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Neighbors are pressing county leaders to deliver tangible safety improvements to S. Carlin Springs Road by the time students return to school in August.

“This is an immediate emergency — an urgency that we cannot look beyond,” Glencarlyn resident Dixie Duncan said at the Board’s public-comment period on Saturday.

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