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

Arlington Democrats’ focus shifts to trying to retake the House and Senate

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington Democrats volunteer outside of the Madison Community Center on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 (staff photo)

Arlington Democrats are turning their attention to attempts to help the national party take back the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in 2026.

“We do have our work cut out for us,” said Kip Malinosky, a former chair of the Arlington County Democratic Committee who chairs its “Beyond Arlington” initiative.

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News

Veterans Day ceremony brings call to provide more support for those who served

By Scott McCaffrey
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) speaks as Barbara Favola and Susan Cunningham look on (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Elected leaders at the local, state and federal levels used a Veterans Day event in Arlington to press for more support for those who have served and are serving their country, and for their families, as well.

“We need to take care of them,” said Rep. Don Beyer, attending the annual ceremony sponsored by John Lyon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3150 and held at the Clarendon War Memorial.

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News

Payment options expanding for Metrobus riders in coming weeks

By Scott McCaffrey
A Metrobus in Arlington (file photo)

Metrobus riders will soon have the ability to use credit and debit cards to pay for rides.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is adding the same “Tap-Ride-Go” ability to its buses as it currently has on the rail system, creating an alternative to cash and physical or phone-based SmarTrip cards.

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News

Rental housing has become more accessible to some in county’s economic middle

By Scott McCaffrey
Crystal House Apartments (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The number of Arlington rental units that are financially accessible to those earning less than 80% of area median income (AMI) has skyrocketed rather than plummeted over the past decade.

Not because housing is becoming cheaper, but because incomes of local residents have risen faster than the cost of renting.

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News

Arlington Democrats leader joins race to become the next party chair

By Scott McCaffrey
Paul Ruiz checks messages at Democratic Committee meeting, with Tony Weaver in the background (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The current deputy chair of the Arlington County Democratic Committee has launched a bid to become the next chair, competing against another party leader.

Deputy Chair Paul Ruiz spent part of the Nov. 5 monthly party meeting working the room for support of his campaign to succeed Chair Steve Baker. He has said he wants to “build a Democratic committee that listens, builds up new leaders and leads with purpose.”

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Schools

W-L’s very first yearbook provides clues to student life a century ago

By Scott McCaffrey
Washington-Lee football team (via 1927 yearbook)

This reporting was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Get upgraded email newsletters while supporting in-depth local journalism.

The recent 100th-anniversary celebration at Washington-Liberty High School saw current-day students poring over yearbooks from the 1960s-70s.

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News

Sen. Favola: Redistricting effort holds potential, but also pitfalls, for Democrats

By Scott McCaffrey
Sen. Barbara Favola (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

While supportive of redrawing congressional boundaries, one of Arlington’s state legislators isn’t convinced that it will guarantee her party more seats in the House of Representatives next year.

“This is sort of a risky business,” Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40) said at a community roundtable yesterday (Thursday). “It could go either way. It is not a magic bullet.”

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News

As Arlington governance-change supporters gear up for Richmond, one key legislator is wary

By Scott McCaffrey
Early voting at the Madison Community Center on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025 (staff photo)

With election season in the rear-view mirror, Arlington’s civic and political leaders are again turning to potential changes in the county’s form of governance.

But while several local organizations have given the concept their blessing, a key state legislator who supported efforts in the 2025 legislative session has said she wants to hold off in 2026.

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News

One Falls Church School Board seat too close to call while Arthur Agin wins City Council post

By Scott McCaffrey
Campaign signage for some of the winning Falls Church candidates (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Three incumbents and one newcomer on the Falls Church City Council ballot were elected yesterday (Tuesday), while the winner of the final seat on the School Board hangs in the balance.

Challenger Arthur Agin prevailed in the City Council race, as did incumbents Laura Downs, Marybeth Connelly and David Snyder. Agin will take the seat of Debora Schantz-Hiscott, who did not seek re-election, in January.

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News

Arlington Democrats hold up local and statewide wins as rebuke of Trump

By Dan Egitto and Scott McCaffrey
County Board Chair Takis Karantonis addresses supporters following his reelection on Tuesday, Nov. 4 (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Arlington Democrats celebrated big wins at both the local and state level yesterday (Tuesday), connecting voters’ decisions to the Trump administration’s impacts on Virginia.

In speeches before a jubilant crowd at Fire Works Pizza in Courthouse, several victors in Arlington’s blue sweep lifted up the success of gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and other Democrats in statewide races on Election Day.

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News

Nonprofits unsure of county’s expectations in new Green Valley initiative

By Scott McCaffrey
Apartments and retail next to John Robinson, Jr. Town Square (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Nonprofits had many questions at a recent forum on new county funding to support placemaking initiatives in Green Valley.

The County Board set aside $80,000 in the fiscal year 2026 budget for the Green Valley Neighborhood Partnership Initiative. The deadline for applications from nonprofits seeking all or part of the funding is Nov. 14, with a final decision expected in January.

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News

Federal shutdown isn’t deterring home-buyers in Arlington, much of N. Va.

By Scott McCaffrey
Home for sale in Falls Church (staff file photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Despite the federal-government shutdown, Arlington and much of Northern Virginia are seeing robust interest among potential home-buyers, something unusual this time of year.

The county recorded 728 home showings for the week ending Nov. 2, according to figures reported by the Bright MLS multiple-listing service.

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