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

Lyon Park residents demand answers after iconic tree removed from median

By Scott McCaffrey
Removal of tree in Lyon Park (photo courtesy Natalie Roy)

County Board members are promising a detailed written response after Lyon Park residents accused the local government of cutting down and carting off a “gateway” tree without cause.

The removal came despite efforts of the Lyon Park Citizens Association to preserve the tree, which had been located for the past 40 years on an island in the middle of N. Fillmore Street near 3rd Street N.

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News

Arlington home prices edge upwards despite ‘cautious’ buyer activity

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

Arlington per-square-foot sales prices for homes hovered just below $500 in November, the second-highest in the region and up ever so slightly from a year ago.

For the month, the average cost per square foot for the 145 residential properties changing hands in Arlington was $498, according to figures reported Dec. 10 by MarketStats by ShowingTime. That was up by just under 1% from a year before, but slightly trailed the average of $504 recorded in Arlington for the first 11 months of the year.

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News

Healthier meals, eco-friendly living among this year’s highlights at university extension

By Scott McCaffrey
Staff members of the Arlington office of Virginia Cooperative Extension (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Staff and volunteers at Virginia Cooperative Extension put on a showcase of the year gone by and plans for the future last week.

From healthier meals to more energy-efficient living, those serving Arlington out of the Fairlington Community Center shared their experience helping thousands of local residents this year and every year.

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Schools

Change in plans for new Career Center facility angers Arlington Tech parents

By Scott McCaffrey
Construction at the forthcoming Grace Hopper Center in August (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Planned program changes at the new home for the Arlington Career Center are prompting anger at a parent group supporting Arlington Tech.

Concerns are being raised that a shift in proposed programming at the forthcoming Grace Hopper Center, detailed by Superintendent Francisco Durán and staff to School Board members during a Nov. 18 work session, could dilute the specialty program and the opportunities it provides to students.

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News

County manager punts on questions of local takeover of Glebe Road and Langston Blvd

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

Arlington’s county manager is holding off on a firm stance regarding local control of roads currently controlled by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

County Manager Mark Schwartz told the Arlington County Civic Federation that he hasn’t ruled out the idea of the county assuming responsibility for Glebe Road and Langston Blvd, which are among the network of local roads under state control.

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News

‘Soapbox’ speech series coming to Falls Church for nation’s 250th birthday

By Scott McCaffrey
'No Kings' protesters in Falls Church in June 2025 (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A series of public forums celebrating free speech is coming to Falls Church next year in celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday.

Members of the Falls Church250 Committee have tentatively agreed to sponsor a series of at least two dozen “soapbox” forums, giving residents the opportunity to speak about their views on the current state of national and local affairs.

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Around Town

Local ‘Geezers’ use lunch gatherings to keep tabs on Arlington politics

By Scott McCaffrey
Members of the Geezers at Dec. 3, 2025, luncheon gathering (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

With age comes wisdom — sometimes, at least — and in the case of one Arlington group of civic leaders, it brings a sense of humor, too.

They call themselves the Geezers. Among their ranks are two retired judges, a trio of former elected officials, several lobbyists and — a Geezer-in-waiting — the current clerk of the circuit court.

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News

Higher towing fees and taxi fares to be considered at County Board meeting

By Scott McCaffrey
A-1 Towing is among firms authorized to conduct trespass tows in Arlington (file staff photo by James Jarvis)

Potential increases to towing fees and taxi rates are on the agenda as County Board members close out 2025.

Both matters will be considered at the Board meeting on Saturday, Dec. 13.

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Around Town

Drop-off toy drive returns to spread Christmas cheer in North Arlington

By Scott McCaffrey
Volunteers move donated toys into a storage unit (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A holiday toy drive born out of pandemic-era restrictions returned last weekend to the Yorktown neighborhood.

Knights of Columbus Arlington Council 2473 once again hosted a drop-off collection site for Toys for Tots, continuing a tradition of spreading cheer to local children.

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News

Hearing on whether to change Arlington’s governance structure happening next week

By Scott McCaffrey
Julius "JD" Spain, Sr., is the chief County Board proponent of a governance-change task force (screenshot via Arlington County)

A hearing on whether to study changes to the form of Arlington’s local government is scheduled to take place next week.

County Board members have set aside an entire evening — Wednesday, Dec. 17 beginning at 6 p.m. — to hear from the public and then decide whether to set up a task force looking at the hotly debated issue. Registration is open now.

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Schools

Arlington School Board Chair preps reelection bid as Dems plan May caucus

By Scott McCaffrey
Bethany Zecher Sutton (screenshot via Arlington Public Schools)

Arlington Democrats have approved rules for the party’s 2026 School Board caucus, though whether it will be held remains to be seen.

Arlington County Democratic Committee on Wednesday nearly unanimously set in place rules for a springtime caucus that will only be required if more than one candidate files for the lone position on the ballot next year.

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News

Proposal to add 700+ more housing units to RiverHouse heads to County Board

By Scott McCaffrey
Seven-story residential building proposed for RiverHouse site (via Arlington County)

A proposal to add hundreds more homes to Pentagon City’s RiverHouse site is heading to the County Board this week with the Planning Commission’s blessing.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously last week to recommend approving JBG Smith’s plan to add more than 740 townhouses, stacked flats and multifamily units to the 36-acre parcel located along Army Navy Drive and S. Joyce Street.

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