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

Independent candidate vows to fight highways, rental housing, ‘fascists’

By Scott McCaffrey
Jeramy Olmack (via campaign website)

A second independent has qualified to be on the County Board ballot in November, guaranteeing that the election again will be run under the still controversial ranked-choice format.

Jeramy Olmack has successfully filed paperwork to be on the Nov. 4 County Board ballot, election officials have confirmed to ARLnow.

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News

County may step in to fill gaps as AmeriCorps services are defunded

By Scott McCaffrey
Reading partner at Aspire! Afterschool Learning (photo via Aspire Afterschool Learning/Facebook)

Arlington leaders say they will do what they can to blunt the loss of AmeriCorps staff at local nonprofit organizations.

The Trump administration has targeted the federal agency for downsizing or elimination. It is a domestic version of the Peace Corps, providing personnel — from young adults to seniors — who help staff social-safety-net organizations.

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News

County leaders plan to end police ‘Section 7’ interactions with ICE

By Scott McCaffrey
An Arlington immigration arrest on Feb. 11, 2025 (via ICE/Flickr)

Arlington leaders on Tuesday, May 13, plan to further restrict cooperation of the county’s police department with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

Board members are expected to strip the ability of police to interact with ICE on local arrests out of the Arlington County Police Department’s policy.

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News

County Board approves 309-unit Clarendon apartment building

By Scott McCaffrey
Renderings of the planned redevelopment at 3033 Wilson Blvd (via Arlington County)

County Board members on Saturday (May 10) unanimously approved a developer’s plan to demolish an existing office building in Clarendon to make way for a 309-unit apartment building.

“It looks good. It’s a very nice building,” Board Chair Takis Karantonis said of the project, proposed by Carr Properties, dubbed Clarendon Square.

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Schools

Bryant wins 69% in Democratic School Board caucus, advances to general election

By Scott McCaffrey
School Board candidate Monique "Moe" Bryant (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Monique “Moe” Bryant defeated June Prakash in the Arlington County Democratic Committee caucus, moving on to the Nov. 4 general election.

Bryant, executive director of Challenging Racism, won 1,288 votes (69%) to 582 for Prakash, president of the Arlington Education Association.

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News

APS ‘Outdoor Lab’ to expand by 85 acres through land purchase

By Scott McCaffrey
Open-house visitors view a map showing expansion of Arlington Outdoor Lab property (via Arlington Outdoor Education Association)

The Arlington Outdoor Lab is expected to grow by 85 acres through the purchase of an adjacent tract in Fauquier County.

The Arlington Outdoor Education Association’s (AOEA) purchase will increase the lab’s current 226 acres by over a third.

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News

Missing Middle and urbanization remain hot topics in County Board primary

By Scott McCaffrey
Candidates Takis Karantonis and James DeVita (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Debate over housing and urbanization once again took center stage as candidates for the Democratic County Board nomination squared off at a forum last week.

Current County Board Chair Takis Karantonis met his sole challenger, James DeVita, at an Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting that attracted about 150 people on Wednesday.

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News

Youth restorative justice program touts successes but wrestles with complex needs

By Scott McCaffrey
Chairs at the Center for Youth and Family Advocacy's PEER Ambassador Academy (via CYFA/X)

A new restorative justice program for youth has scored some success but continues to grapple with layered challenges around juvenile offenses in Arlington, leaders say.

“What stands out most is the complexity of needs among the young people we serve,” said Devanshi Patel, CEO of the nonprofit Center for Youth and Family Advocacy (CYFA).

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News

Falls Church launches task force on who should pay for trash collection

By Scott McCaffrey
City Council work session of May 5, 2025 (screenshot via City of Falls Church)

In just a few months, Falls Church leaders are hoping to reach a final decision on whether to shift how they fund city trash collection.

City Council members on Monday directed City Manager Wyatt Shields to set up a task force on the issue and come back to Council members by Aug. 4 with recommendations.

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News

Three County Board members endorse Karantonis in re-election bid

By Scott McCaffrey
Current County Board Chair Takis Karantonis (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

County Board Chair Takis Karantonis has picked up the support of three of his four colleagues as he seeks to beat back a primary challenge.

The Karantonis campaign last week announced it had received endorsements from County Board members Matt de Ferranti, Maureen Coffey and JD Spain, Sr. Also announced as supporters were School Board members Mary Kadera and Zuraya Tapia-Hadley, and several environmental and labor organizations.

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News

Alcohol sales on fairgrounds, Army Navy Drive bike lane top County Board agenda

By Scott McCaffrey
Scene from the 2024 Arlington County Fair (staff photo by James Jarvis)

A possible beer garden at the Arlington County Fair and a proposed protected bike lane on Army Navy Drive are up for County Board consideration this weekend.

Other topics scheduled for consideration this Saturday include traffic signal upgrades on S. Carlin Springs Road and Richmond Highway, a pair of sports courts in Crystal City and $100,000 in arts grants.

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News

Falls Church leaders zero in on smaller-than-expected tax cut

By Scott McCaffrey
Falls Church's finance director Kiran Bawa and City Manager Wyatt Shields (screenshot via City of Falls Church)

Falls Church property owners are probably getting a tax cut, though it’s not as high as initially proposed.

City Council has tentatively settled on a rate of $1.20 per $100 assessed valuation, down from $1.21 in the current fiscal year.

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