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.

Around Town

Community health fair provides one-stop shop for Arlington families

By Scott McCaffrey
Group of five volunteers in blue shirts posing with blue tote bags at a health fair camp.
Kiwanis Club members and volunteers at health fair (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington’s third annual community health fair brought crowds to Carlin Springs Elementary School over the weekend.

From flu shots and eye exams to bike giveaways and tips for healthier eating, the event hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Arlington and VHC Health offered a one-stop shop for families.

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News

Arlington’s human rights office could be split into two, with more staffing

By Scott McCaffrey
County Manager Mark Schwartz (screenshot via Arlington County)

Arlington’s Office of Human Rights could receive a revamp next year, potentially dividing into two separate offices with additional staffing.

A proposal, set to be included in County Manager Mark Schwartz’s fiscal year 2028 budget proposal early next year, would expand resources allocated to human rights cases and Equal Employment Opportunity complaints.

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News

Mount Zion Baptist Church celebrates 160th anniversary in Green Valley

By Scott McCaffrey
Eight adults in formal attire pose in a council chamber; center man receives a certificate from a colleague while others smile behind.
Kyra Hicks, Rochelle Day, Dr. André Ivy and James Jordan with County Board members during proclamation ceremony honoring Mount Zion Baptist Church (courtesy Mount Zion)

County Board members last week honored major milestones for a South Arlington church and North Arlington civic association.

Board members on Sept. 22 saluted Green Valley’s Mount Zion Baptist Church, which this year is marking its 160th anniversary.

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News

Arlington labor force shrinks to smallest size in over four years

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

Arlington’s civilian workforce continued to shrink in August, with the county posting its lowest employment figures in over four years.

The 145,818 Arlington residents counted as employed in August was the lowest number since 144,681 in February 2022, when the region and nation were still contending with the economic impacts of the pandemic.

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News

Arlington apartment rents rise year-over-year but remain below record high

By Scott McCaffrey
An apartment building in Courthouse (courtesy George Brazier)

Median Arlington rental costs moved slightly higher year-over-year in September, but stayed below all-time highs set in 2025, according to new data.

The overall median apartment rent countywide stood at $2,610 in September, up 0.2% from a year before, based on data reported Sept. 29 by Apartment List.

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News

Arlington GOP endorses returning challenger in School Board race

By Scott McCaffrey
Two panelists sit at a long table with microphones during a discussion; woman on left speaks, man on right listens, blue and white banner in front.
School Board candidates Bethany Zecher Sutton and James "Vell" Rives IV (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The Arlington County Republican Committee has endorsed independent School Board candidate James “Vell” Rives IV.

Rives is facing incumbent Democrat Bethany Zecher Sutton in the Nov. 3 election. This is the second time Rives will carry the GOP endorsement after he secured it in 2025, as well.

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Schools

APS test scores improve overall, but achievement gaps persist

By Scott McCaffrey
School Board member Zuraya Tapia-Hadley (screenshot via Arlington Public Schools)

Last year brought overall improvements to standardized test scores at Arlington Public Schools, but results throughout the school system remain uneven.

School Board members dissected results for 2025-26 Standards of Learning, or SOLs, by school and different racial, ethnic and socioeconomic categories. The data “tells two stories simultaneously,” School Board member Monique “Moe” Bryant said at the Sept. 24 School Board meeting.

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News

Challengers to Rep. Beyer debate SAVE Act, term limits in Congress

By Scott McCaffrey
Three panelists sit behind a purple-draped table with League of Women Voters banners at a Fairfax Area event.
Challengers to Rep. Don Beyer, D-8, at candidate forum (screenshot via League of Women Voters)

The three challengers to Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) debated federal intervention in the voting process and other topics at a candidate forum on Tuesday.

Beyer skipped the debate, but Republican Tony Sabio, Libertarian Shelly Arnoldi and independent Tim Sharman accepted the invitation to spread the word about their uphill battles.

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Around Town

Local artist presents ‘time capsule’ photo collages of Arlington’s Black history

By Scott McCaffrey
Man posing beside a large framed collage titled Drew Community Center, depicting a dense urban neighborhood with storefronts and street signs.
Zane Killgo with his photo montage of the Green Valley community (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A fundraiser supporting the arts and efforts to preserve Black history in Arlington showcased the work of a local artist last week.

The Langston Boulevard Alliance hosted the event on Sept. 24, displaying photographic collages created by Zane Killgo that explore the Halls Hill, Arlington View (Johnson’s Hill) and Green Valley communities.

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News

Arlington homebuyers are treading cautiously as mortgage rates hit 7%

By Scott McCaffrey
Real estate for sale sign (photo illustration by ARLnow)

Surging mortgage rates are leading to a more cautious approach to real estate in Arlington, but overall, they don’t currently seem to be scaring off many prospective buyers.

Months of rising interest rates, which surpassed 7% for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages last week, have led homebuyers to tread more carefully, even as local home sales have been holding relatively steady, a cross section of real estate professionals told ARLnow.

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News

Sheriff’s office still studying impacts of body-worn cameras at Arlington jail

By Scott McCaffrey
Male police officer in a tan uniform with a black tie speaking, badge visible on chest.
Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Juan Gelabert (screenshot via Arlington NAACP)

Leaders in the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office continue to evaluate the impacts of body-worn cameras used by deputies in the county’s detention facility.

“We are getting feedback for the unintended consequences,” Chief Deputy Sheriff Juan Gelabert said at a Sept. 28 discussion with members of the Arlington NAACP.

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News

New healthcare fund could reduce costs for 200,000 Virginians

By Scott McCaffrey
Medical exam room with a blue padded examination table, wall sailboat decals, and pink sharps containers; cabinets and medical supplies visible to the right.
An exam room at a Department of Public Health office (AP Photo/Kristen Norman)

An estimated 200,000 Virginians will be eligible for reductions in their health insurance costs through a new fund in the state government’s biennial budget.

Legislators approved a $150 million Healthcare Affordability Fund, supported by taxes levied on energy usage by data centers. It will support eligible Virginians not covered by insurance through their employer, Medicare or Medicaid.

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