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.

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Arlington libraries digitize 3,000 newspaper photos from ’80s-’90s

By Scott McCaffrey
Bill Clinton campaigns for Chuck Robb in Arlington (Arlington Courier via Charlie Clark Center for Local History)

The Arlington library system has opened a new window on the county’s history during the 1980s-90s.

The library’s Charlie Clark Center for Local History has digitized approximately 3,000 photos from the Arlington Courier, a weekly newspaper covering the county during that period.

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‘Glencarlyn Days’ celebrate neighborhood’s community with patriotic theme

By Scott McCaffrey
Youth and parents line up for the Glencarlyn Days Parade (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Glencarlyn residents used the weekend to celebrate their community, get an early start on the nation’s 250th birthday and express concerns about ongoing issues.

The two-day Glencarlyn Neighborhood Days event is an annual opportunity for the South Arlington community to both reflect and look forward.

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Water tower near Dominion Hills to be replaced with bigger but ‘less visible’ tank

By Scott McCaffrey
Willston water tank as seen from Patrick Henry Apartments (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A 75-year-old water tank serving the Dominion Hills and Boulevard Manor neighborhoods is on track for a replacement — eventually.

The 200,000-gallon Willston tank is “inadequate to meet the needs of the current service area,” Fairfax Water General Manager Jamie Bain Hedges said at a June 2 meeting between the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax Water Board.

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Plan for 394-unit project near Courthouse advances to County Board this weekend

By Scott McCaffrey
A conceptual rendering of a proposed multifamily building at 2000 15th Street N. (via Arlington County)

County Board members are about to consider replacing an aging office building in the Courthouse area with a new 19-story residential building.

The project, called Alexan Courthouse, is expected to go before the Board on Saturday (June 13) with support from three key advisory bodies and county staff, likely paving the way for approval.

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Changes to sidewalks, lanes beginning soon on Wilson Blvd near Va. Square

By Scott McCaffrey
Current sidewalk conditions along Wilson Blvd (via Arlington County)

County officials are preparing for the final phase of a nearly 20-year effort to improve conditions for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists along Wilson Blvd.

“The goal is to start in late summer — late July or sometime in August,” said Gabriela Kock, the county government’s project manager for the streetscape project.

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Housing panel may seek more transparency on rent increases in Arlington

By Scott McCaffrey
The Grace and Reva apartment buildings in Crystal City (courtesy Jason Gooljar)

One of Arlington’s advisory panels is considering a push to require local landlords to make their rent increases public annually.

The legislative subcommittee of the county government’s Housing Commission has included the proposal on a list of potential 2027 legislative priorities.

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News

As vote on gas-powered leaf blower ban approaches, phase-in period remains uncertain

By Scott McCaffrey
A leaf blower at the US Air Force Memorial in a past year (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

County Board members are approaching an initial vote on potentially prohibiting gas-powered leaf-blowers, but it’s still unclear when such a ban would go into effect.

The Board is slated to vote this Saturday on setting a a public hearing for next month that could start the clock ticking. County staff is sticking with its past recommendation for a three-year phase-in period, unswayed by recommendations by a number of advisory panels for a shorter phase-in period.

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Metro CEO knocks N. Va. leaders for inconsistency in bus fares, enforcement

By Scott McCaffrey
A Metrobus makes its way down Columbia Pike (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Inconsistent policies on bus fares and enforcement are creating confusion among riders and challenges for transit in Northern Virginia, Metro’s top official says.

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority CEO Randy Clarke critiqued the D.C. area’s patchwork of rules for where riders must pay to ride the bus, along with the limits placed on the Metro system’s ability to enforce its payment requirement.

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De Ferranti’s challengers rip tax levels, allege excessive spending by County Board

By Scott McCaffrey
County Board challengers James DeVita and Julie Farnam (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Democrats challenging incumbent Matt de Ferranti are criticizing the County Board for what they see as putting government spending ahead of tax relief.

Echoing a theme long trumpeted by Republican and independent political challengers to the county’s all-Democratic Board, candidates James DeVita and Julie Farnam each used the June 3 Arlington County Democratic Committee candidate forum to accuse the Board of excessive spending.

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GMU panelists call for revising zoning policies to help build more housing

By Scott McCaffrey
Jason Stanford speaks as Taylor Chess and Ryan McLaughlin look on (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Relatively modest changes to Northern Virginia zoning requirements could be a key step to delivering on more housing stock, panelists suggested last week.

Members of a panel convened by George Mason University last Wednesday argued in favor of looser zoning policies and other changes to how localities approach the development process. The alterations don’t need to be draconian or revolutionary to have a positive effect, participants said.

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Arlington jobless rate drops below 3%, but fewer residents are employed than a year ago

By Scott McCaffrey
Job seekers at a Crystal City career fair (file photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington’s unemployment rate dropped below 3% in April for the first time since last June, with the lowest number of residents counted as jobless in a year.

With 146,680 county residents employed in the civilian workforce and 4,424 looking for jobs, the county’s unemployment rate stood at 2.9% for the month, according to data reported June 3 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.

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Arlington’s 2001 bicentennial offered a chance to review the past, look to the future

By Scott McCaffrey
Coverage of 2001 bicentennial kickoff with Al Eisenberg as the "Spirit of Arlington" and County Board Chair Jay Fisette beside him (photo by Beth Cruz, Sun Gazette, via Charlie Clark Center for Local History)

This reporting was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join to support in-depth local journalism — and get an exclusive early morning email with a preview of that day’s planned news coverage.

When plans were announced for Arlington’s bicentennial celebration in 2001, one question emerged among county residents: It was the bicentennial of what, exactly?

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