Scott McCaffrey | ARLnow

Council considers allowing up to 100 e-scooters and e-bikes in Falls Church

Published February 4, 2026 at 2:45PM | Updated February 5, 2026 at 1:57PM

Seated and standing e-scooters by LINK (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Nearly seven years after a failed first attempt, Falls Church officials are trying again to entice e-scooter and e-bike operators to the city.

Council members are considering a proposal to allow a maximum of 100 total operating certificates for “shared mobility devices”: motorized skateboards, scooters, bicycles and electrically assisted bicycles.

News

County ends quest to recoup up to $500K from Arlington Independent Media

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 4, 2026 at 8:30AM

WERA control room in 2015 (Courtesy of Paul LeValley/AIM)

Arlington officials say they’ve exhausted all options to settle up to half a million dollars in debts from Arlington Independent Media (AIM) after the organization’s operational collapse.

Local leaders have “spent a lot of time and energy” to make sure there is no replication of the situation with other grantees, County Manager Mark Schwartz said at a Jan. 22 meeting of the county’s Audit Committee.

News

How four Arlington seventh graders helped end segregation in Virginia schools

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 3, 2026 at 3:50PM

Tributes to the students who integrated the former Stratford Junior High School, outside of Dorothy Hamm Middle School in 2023 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The following in-depth local history feature was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join to support local journalism and to get an exclusive version of our afternoon newsletter, plus an early look at what we’re covering each day.

This week marks the 67th anniversary of the integration of Arlington’s Stratford Junior High School by four Black seventh-grade students: Lance Newman, Michael Deskins, Gloria Thompson and Michael Jones.

News

County Board to decide whether to make increased parking prices permanent

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 3, 2026 at 2:45PM

Parking meter in a performance parking zone in Ballston (staff photo)

The future of increased parking rates along Arlington’s commercial corridors is expected to go before the County Board later this month.

The Board is on track to decide whether to eliminate the “performance parking” pilot project or make the rate changes for about 4,500 parking spaces permanent.

News

Arlington syphilis infections are on the rise, nearly 50% over statewide average

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 3, 2026 at 8:30AM

A stock photo of prescription medicine (via Christine Sandu/Unsplash)

A rising number of syphilis infections in Arlington is driving a push to do better at testing and treating the sexually transmitted infection.

In the most recent data, from 2024, Arlington’s rate of syphilis infection — 31.2 cases per 100,000 population — was nearly 50% higher than the Virginia rate of 21.4 cases per 100,000, and was more than double that of Northern Virginia as a whole (14.3 cases per 100,000).

News

Falls Church leaders plan potential large-scale redevelopment of townhome community

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 2, 2026 at 1:45PM

One of the Virginia Village quadplex apartment buildings owned by Falls Church (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Falls Church city officials have started talking with potential partners about what could be one of the largest housing projects in the city’s history.

In discussing possibilities with four nonprofit or governmental housing organizations, the city has “laid out a road map” for what could happen to the Virginia Village community, including the construction of a substantial amount of affordable housing, City Manager Wyatt Shields told City Council members at a Jan. 27 meeting.

News

County staff seek clarity on how often sports leagues use the fields they reserve

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 2, 2026 at 10:00AM

Baseball in Barcroft Park (via Arlington County)

Arlington County parks officials plan to renew efforts to determine how often sports leagues actually end up using the fields that they reserve in advance.

The initiative has been ongoing for nearly two years but remains “a work in progress,” said Ignacio Rodriguez, manager of sports leagues and athletic-field management for the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Events

History festival in May to anchor Arlington’s 250th anniversary celebration

By Scott McCaffrey

Published February 2, 2026 at 8:30AM

Peter Vaselopulos provides Karen Darner information on the Arlington Historical Museum (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington is gearing up to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday with a history festival and, potentially, a bell-ringing, outdoor movies and more.

“It’s a great opportunity” to bring history to the people, said Peter Vaselopulos, president of the Arlington Historical Society.

News

Arlington apartment rents continued slight decline in January

By Scott McCaffrey

Published January 30, 2026 at 9:15AM

Looking down Fairfax Drive toward Virginia Square after a past snowfall (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The cost of rent in Arlington appeared to continue a slight decline in January after decreasing in 2025.

The median price of a two-bedroom apartment, $3,120, was down 0.6% month-over-month and 4.9% year-over-year in data reported Jan. 27 by Zumper. The median cost of a one-bedroom apartment, $2,330, was flat month-over-month but down 4.1% from this time last year.

News

Falls Church Council to consider $460M plan to increase Metro funding region-wide

By Scott McCaffrey

Published January 30, 2026 at 8:30AM

A westbound Metro train and light traffic in the snow (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Falls Church City Council is preparing to vote on a region-wide proposal to increase annual spending for Metro by $460 million every year.

On Monday, Feb. 2, Council members are slated to discuss a request from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) to formally support the DMV Moves funding proposal to augment Metro service.

News

Scapegoat Beer Garden granted more time to plan opening in Crystal City

By Scott McCaffrey

Published January 29, 2026 at 1:45PM

Outdoor patios at 556 22nd Street S. in January 2025 (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A planned beer garden and Korean street food restaurant in Crystal City has received more time to address code and permitting issues as it continues working toward opening.

County Board members have extended the existing use permit for Scapegoat Beer Garden for six months before it returns to staff for further review.

Schools

Amid controversy, School Board delays programming decisions at new Career Center space

By Scott McCaffrey

Published January 29, 2026 at 9:15AM

Arlington Tech Robotics club adviser Steve Nystrom, works with students on projects (staff photo by Savannah Taffe)

School Board members are giving themselves extra time before making final decisions on rearranging the locations of some non-traditional secondary programs.

Rather than being taken up the first week of February, as would be the typical cycle following its Jan. 22 presentation as an information item, final discussion and vote will be taken two weeks later.