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

Audit raises red flags for Arlington transit program serving people with disabilities

By Scott McCaffrey
An Arlington Transit (ART) bus outside the Ballston Metro station (staff photo)

County leaders are promising action after an audit found major deficiencies in the operation and oversight of a transit program serving Arlington residents with disabilities.

Identified issues with the Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents (STAR) program ranged from billing discrepancies to a lack of review of driver manifests by WeDriveU, which operates the paratransit program under contract to the county.

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News

New rules on parking, towing and trees could be coming to Falls Church

By Scott McCaffrey
Falls Church streetscape (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Revamps of parking, towing and tree-canopy requirements could be coming to an increasingly urbanized Falls Church.

A work plan from City Manager Wyatt Shields includes a possible rewrite of existing rules for how much parking new development projects must include, plus possible changes to the city’s tree canopy ordinance and towing ordinance.

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Around Town

‘Arlington Cares’ event salutes contributions of local volunteers

By Scott McCaffrey
Honorees at the 2025 Arlington Cares event (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington residents’ commitment to serving others took center stage at the 2025 Arlington Cares event last week.

More than 200 people attended the Tuesday gathering at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association headquarters in Ballston.

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News

Arlington’s 1976 bicentennial bash featured contests, a parade and a 300-pound cake

By Scott McCaffrey
Members of Arlington Bicentennial Task Force (courtesy Charlie Clark Center for Local History)

Sitting on the reference stacks at the Charlie Clark Center for Local History at Arlington Central Library are five thick, blue, nearly 50-year-old bound editions.

They are the archives of the Arlington County Bicentennial Commission, which, from 1974 through the end of 1976, was tasked with overseeing local efforts to celebrate the nation’s 200th birthday.

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News

Arlington Democrats abandon proposal for voting restrictions in leadership election

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington County Democratic Committee chair Steve Baker (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The Arlington County Democratic Committee has abandoned a proposal to place major restrictions on who can vote for top leadership positions.

Just a month after the Democratic steering committee floated the idea, party leaders announced at a party meeting yesterday (Wednesday) that they were pulling it from consideration.

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News

N. Va. print publications evolve to survive in increasingly digital industry

By Scott McCaffrey
Newspaper boxes knocked over by heavy wind in Clarendon in 2018 (file photo)

Some Northern Virginia newspaper publishers are taking creative chances to retain a viable print presence in an industry where online news is increasingly dominant.

As instability in readership and advertising has disrupted revenue streams, some specialized publications have still found success. Meanwhile, at least one local newspaper, the Falls Church News-Press, has embarked on an effort to form a partnership with local municipal leaders.

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News

Culpepper Garden announces plans to phase out assisted-living facilities

By Scott McCaffrey
Culpepper Garden senior living center (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

The Culpepper Garden senior-housing community has announced plans to close its assisted-living wing, leaving some families to scramble to find new homes for loved ones.

Current residents will be able to stay until at least next summer, which leadership hopes will give families enough time to find other housing. Still, the closure means Northern Virginia will be losing one of its only assisted-living facilities for low-income seniors.

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News

Arlington Republicans introduce candidates for statehouse and County Board

By Scott McCaffrey
House of Delegates candidate Wendy Sigley (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington Republicans introduced two candidates for the House of Delegates and one County Board challenger at a Monday meeting.

The party acknowledges that, as always, November will be an uphill battle in Arlington. However, the goal is to put forward “candidates who are well-versed in what’s happening locally” as part of a five-year strategy, party chair Matthew Hurtt said.

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News

Leaders emphasize communication and election strategies at NAACP forum

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington County Board member Julius "JD" Spain, Sr. (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Political leaders need to meet the moment and connect with a fearful and angry Northern Virginia electorate, one county leader believes.

“The status quo is just not good enough. What are we going to do about it?” County Board member Julius “JD” Spain Sr. said during a Saturday forum sponsored by NAACP branches of Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County.

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News

Trash collection task force starts to address key decisions in Falls Church

By Scott McCaffrey
Recycling collection in Arlington (photo courtesy Arlington County)

The ad-hoc task force studying trash collection options in Falls Church continues to refine ideas as a key deadline draws ever nearer.

With two meetings down and two more to go, the goal is to now “get closer to a path forward,” said Deputy City Manager Andy Young, who is chairing the panel.

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News

First responders to deadly crash at National Airport honored at Arlington event

By Scott McCaffrey
2025 Arlington Chamber of Commerce Public-Safety Awards (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce saluted public safety responses to this winter’s deadly mid-air crash over the Potomac River at an event last week.

A special Excellence Award was bestowed on the Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Fire Department, Arlington County Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for their efforts at the scene of the crash.

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News

Local employment picture still murky, but worst fears haven’t materialized

By Scott McCaffrey
Job seekers line up at career day in Crystal City (staff file photo by Jay Westcott)

Local employment conditions appear to be holding up better than expected given federal-government cutbacks and their ripple effects across the broader economy.

“Is the situation as dire as we were thinking? Right now, I don’t think so,” said David Remick, executive director of the Alexandria-Arlington Regional Workforce Council.

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