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.

Schools

Student-led programming competition returns for a second year at APS

By Scott McCaffrey
2025 coding competition (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington Public Schools aims to build on the success of a coding competition for students that launched last year.

The second annual High School Programming Competition — which is open to both middle and high schoolers — will be held on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 10:45 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Arlington Career Center.

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News

Civic Federation eyes more recruitment, possible Potomac Yard group in 2026

By Scott McCaffrey
Jacqueline Snelling, left, and Adam Henderson at 2024 Civic Federation banquet (via Civic Federation)

The Arlington County Civic Federation opens the new year with a renewed emphasis on recruiting new organizations and better serving all member groups.

“In the new year, I’m planning to work with members to expand the recruitment strategy and to renew and update the strategy and actions for member support that were developed a few years ago,” the chair of the reconstituted membership committee, Jacqueline Snelling, said in the January edition of The Civic Voice, the organization’s monthly newsletter.

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News

New 9/11 education center near the Pentagon to break ground this summer

By Scott McCaffrey
Design of visitor-education center at 9/11 Pentagon Memorial (courtesy Pentagon Memorial Fund)

Plans for a $35 million visitor education center near the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial are expected to take a major step forward later this year.

“We are committed to a Sept. 10 groundbreaking, with overall construction moving forward shortly thereafter,” said Joseph Kornhoff, executive director of the Pentagon Memorial Fund, which is spearheading the initiative.

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News

De Ferranti launches County Board reelection bid, facing returning challenger

By Scott McCaffrey
County Board candidates James DeVita and Matt de Ferranti (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti formally announced his reelection campaign this week, and he has already picked up a challenger in the June primary.

Both de Ferranti and returning candidate James DeVita announced their bids for County Board at a Wednesday meeting of the Arlington County Democratic Committee.

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News

N. Va. reports 8,200 fewer jobs after federal workforce cuts in 2025

By Scott McCaffrey
Job seekers line up at career day in Crystal City (staff file photo by Jay Westcott)

Northern Virginia lost 8,200 jobs as the commonwealth shed tens of thousands of federal workers between November 2024 and November 2025, new data shows.

Non-farm employment in Northern Virginia was down 0.5% as of November, according to data that the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement reported yesterday (Wednesday). The commonwealth as a whole, meanwhile, had lost 22,400 federal jobs year-over-year — an 11.5% decrease.

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News

Ebbin takes cannabis role in Richmond, kicking off race for his Va. Senate seat

By Scott McCaffrey
Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-39, speaks to Arlington Democrats (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The race is on to succeed State Sen. Adam Ebbin, who announced Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 7) he would resign in February to take a post in the Spanberger administration.

In the hours after his announcement, one current and one former member of the House of Delegates launched bids for the seat.

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News

Ranked-choice voting will be possible in Falls Church in 2027

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

Falls Church will be able to hold ranked-choice City Council elections as early as 2027, if current Council members want to make the switch.

The city is on track to acquire new voting equipment that would accommodate the ranked-choice format in time for the 2027 elections, city elections director David Bjerke told the Falls Church Electoral Board on Monday.

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News

Congressional Gold Medal for local civil-rights icon stalls, despite Beyer’s backing

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington activist Joan Trumpauer Mulholland was honored by the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington in 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Rep. Don Beyer’s efforts to secure a Congressional Gold Medal for a local civil-rights icon remain in limbo.

A piece of legislation, introduced last May, would make Joan Trumpauer Mulholland the newest recipient of Congress’s highest honor. But it is unlikely to win passage while Republicans control Congress, a staff member said.

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Schools

New pen pal program with high schoolers in Ukraine coming to Arlington this year

By Scott McCaffrey
Streetscape in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine (photo via Maksym Kytsiuk/Unsplash)

Students from Arlington high schools will have the opportunity to connect directly with their counterparts in a city in Ukraine later this year.

A new pen pal initiative with Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine will add to a pilot program connecting local high schoolers to Reims, France.

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News

Letty Hardi will remain the mayor of Falls Church after split 4-3 Council vote

By Scott McCaffrey
Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi (screenshot via City of Falls Church)

Falls Church’s incumbent mayor narrowly won reappointment to a new two-year term yesterday (Monday).

Letty Hardi was selected by colleagues to continue in the post on a 4-3 vote, with new Council member Arthur Agin delivering the slim margin of victory.

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News

Matt de Ferranti becomes new Arlington County Board chair for 2026

By Scott McCaffrey
County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti (screenshot via Arlington County)

Matt de Ferranti is the new chair of Arlington County Board for 2026, while Maureen Coffey is the new vice-chair.

De Ferranti, who was first elected in 2018 and who previously held the chairmanship in 2021, used his remarks last night (Monday) to tout a local government that can be responsive to community needs and fight for local values while being prudent with taxpayer funds.

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News

Plans for 15 townhomes in Falls Church head to Planning Commission

By Scott McCaffrey
Construction of the first phase of the Lee Park townhouse project (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A plan to consolidate and then subdivide three parcels in Falls Church to build 15 townhomes is heading to the Planning Commission.

The commission will be briefed on Madison Homes’ plans for the parcels at 701, 703 and 705 Park Avenue, just north of W. Broad Street, on Wednesday.

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