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

Clarendon code-enforcement efforts earn mixed reviews from neighbors

By Scott McCaffrey
Trash outside Clarendon eatery (courtesy local resident)

Neighborhood leaders have mixed reviews of the county’s stepped-up code-enforcement efforts in the Clarendon area.

On the positive side, the effort “has really made things a whole lot better for the neighborhood,” said Andy Rude, president of the Lyon Village Citizens Association.

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News

Proposal for foundation supporting Arlington’s parks comes into focus

By Scott McCaffrey
Gateway Park in Rosslyn (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The concept of creating a foundation to support county parks is coming a little closer into focus.

“It’s a really good time to talk about those options and to think about what might be the best way to move forward,” said Jane Rudolph, director of the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation, at the Nov. 18 meeting of the Park and Recreation Commission.

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News

Former elected officials raise concerns about moving too fast on Arlington governance changes

By Scott McCaffrey
Former County Board member Jay Fisette (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Several former elected officials in Arlington are expressing caution over moving too fast on potential changes to the county’s form of governance.

At issue at the moment is a proposal to form a working group to study possibilities. It has attracted skepticism from former County Board, School Board and General Assembly members advocating for restraint on embarking on change-of-government planning.

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News

Falls Church police recruitment lags behind other efforts to fill personnel vacancies

By Scott McCaffrey
Falls Church police officer at event (via City of Falls Church)

The Falls Church city government continues to chip away at its staff vacancies, but faces ongoing challenges with public safety recruitment.

The 8% vacancy rate recorded across all city departments in early November “is, I think, the lowest we’ve been since the pandemic,” City Manager Wyatt Shields told members of the City Council’s government-operations committee on Nov. 26.

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News

Arlington pedestrian committee seeks to remain relevant despite reduced responsibilities

By Scott McCaffrey
A pedestrian with an umbrella crosses N. Lexington St. in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Members of the Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC) are looking for ways to stay relevant despite new limitations on their responsibilities.

After County Manager Mark Schwartz directed the committee to focus less on individual capital projects, members are discussing working through commissions that report to the County Board to provide input on issues they deem important.

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Sports

Arlington athletes team up to unload 2,000 Christmas trees for Optimist sale

By Scott McCaffrey
Unloading Optimist Christmas trees (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Athletes from three Arlington high schools provided the muscle to unload 2,000 Christmas trees in preparation for an annual fundraising sale.

Members of the Yorktown, Washington-Liberty and Wakefield crew teams, plus the Yorktown and W-L lacrosse squads, were up early this morning (Wednesday) to remove the Optimist Club of Arlington’s trees from three tractor-trailers that had arrived overnight from Galax, Va.

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News

Revised markers honoring Arlington civic figures coming to Shirlington

By Scott McCaffrey
Current placement of Campbell markers in Shirlington (via Arlington County)

Updated markers are coming to Shirlington next year in honor of a husband and wife who made waves in Arlington civic life for more than half a century.

The Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HARLB) has approved a request from Federal Realty Investment Trust to replace the existing markers honoring Edmund and Elizabeth Campbell.

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Schools

APS considers new program for high schoolers needing mental health breaks

By Scott McCaffrey
Darrell Sampson, former executive director of student services (screenshot via APS)

Arlington Public Schools staff are proposing a new self-contained high school program for students who face recurring mental health challenges.

The proposed Flexible Learning Program would include dedicated clinical staff in addition to classroom teachers. It could serve up to 100 students at a time and would be located in the same Pentagon City office building that will house Arlington Community High School starting next fall.

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News

Arlington’s state delegates hope to get more done in 2026 after Democratic wins

By Scott McCaffrey
Del. Alfonso Lopez and Del. Adele McClure at a recent County Board work session (via Arlington County)

Arlington’s state delegates aim to use a stronger majority and a new Democratic governor to push through legislation that had previously stalled.

Dels. Patrick Hope (D-1), Adele McClure (D-2) and Alfonso Lopez (D-3) all plan to return to past legislative priorities, resubmitting some bills and advancing new ones.

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Schools

APS considers changes to block scheduling at high schools in 2027-28

By Scott McCaffrey
Washington-Liberty High School (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

The Arlington School Board is considering a possible change to the daily schedules at local high schools.

Staff laid out possible changes to the current “seven-period block schedule” at a School Board work session on Nov. 18. Options on the table, in addition to maintaining the status quo, include:

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News

Falls Church officials consider future of affordable housing in Virginia Village

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

Next year could be make-or-break time for Falls Church officials’ desire to do something big on the affordable-housing front.

The city, through its Economic Development Authority, already owns nine small apartment properties in the Virginia Village community near Annandale Road. At a Nov. 19 meeting between elected officials and staff, discussion turned to moving forward on a consolidated plan for housing the neighborhood.

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News

Local homelessness advocate and Rotary Club member receives leadership award

By Scott McCaffrey
Liz Nohra, holding plaque, with dignitaries at ISCC luncheon (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A member of the Arlington Rotary Club and leader at an Arlington homelessness nonprofit has received a local leadership award.

Liz Nohra received the Inter-Service Club Council of Arlington’s 2025 Community Leader Award at the organization’s 86th annual awards luncheon, held at Washington Golf & Country Club last week.

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