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

Advocates seek county support for cutting red tape around affordable housing in 2026

By Scott McCaffrey
Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Unity Homes on April 15, 2024 (staff photo by Savannah Taffe)

Numerous affordable-housing advocates showed up at a recent local government meeting to push for county support in removing regulatory hurdles around construction.

The advocacy group Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) is pressing for state-level changes to streamline the construction of affordable housing on land owned by faith-based and nonprofit organizations.

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Schools

Audit raises red flags about oversight and security of tech equipment at APS

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington School Board auditor Alice Blount-Fenney (screenshot via APS)

A new report from Arlington Public Schools’ internal auditor is raising concerns about how the school system handles student and staff tech equipment.

Inventory control is “unsatisfactory and requires improvement,” the report, detailed to School Board members on Aug. 21, says.

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News

Additional Langston Blvd turning lane could ease congestion in East Falls Church

By Scott McCaffrey
Intersection of Langston Blvd and Washington Blvd at I-66 (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A second left-turn on Langston Blvd could help ease a major rush-hour traffic choke point in East Falls Church, county staff believe.

Later this month, County Board members will be asked to request $1.5 million from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for another turning lane from eastbound Langston Blvd onto westbound Washington Blvd adjacent to Interstate 66.

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News

Arlington seeks replacement for ‘creaky’ elevator at Courthouse Metro

By Scott McCaffrey
Aging elevator at Court House Metro station (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington County staff are seeking state funding to replace an old elevator at the Courthouse Metro station with two up-to-date lifts.

It could be a decade before the multimillion-dollar proposal becomes reality.

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News

Arlington apartment costs decrease for the first time in months

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

For the first time in months, the median rental cost for a two-bedroom Arlington apartment has dipped below $3,000.

That’s according to Apartment List, whose August report pegged the median cost of an Arlington one-bedroom unit at $2,473, a two-bedroom unit at $2,989 and the median for all sizes at $2,627.

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News

‘Kinhaven’ preschool returns to Ballston, completing church redevelopment project

By Scott McCaffrey
Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Unity Homes on April 15, 2024 (staff photo by Savannah Taffe)

After more than a decade, the redevelopment of Ballston’s Central United Methodist Church site is about to conclude.

The reopening of Kinhaven School in Ballston on Tuesday will represent “the last piece of the puzzle,” the Rev. Sarah Harrison-McQueen said during an Aug. 27 online program sponsored by the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (NVAHA).

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News

How N. Va. Democrats came tantalizingly close to ousting their Republican congressman in 1964

By Scott McCaffrey
Augustus Johnson with President Lyndon Johnson (via Charlie Clark Center for Local History)

The following in-depth local history feature was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join to support local journalism and to get an exclusive version of our afternoon newsletter, plus an early look at what we’re covering each day.

To Northern Virginia Democrats, 1952 will be remembered as the year victory slipped narrowly away.

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News

Arlington unemployment continues to rise, adding to round of finger-pointing in N. Va.

By Scott McCaffrey
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin in Tysons (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington’s unemployment rate ticked up once again in July, continuing a months-long trend that has paralleled federal downsizing across the region.

The county’s unemployment rate stood at 3.5% last month, slightly above 3.4% in June and a major increase from 2.5% in July 2024.

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News

Commission raises new alarms about transit program for people with disabilities

By Scott McCaffrey
Bus that serves Arlington's STAR program (via Arlington County)

Members of an advisory panel are suggesting that the County Board might need to intervene in issues with a transportation program for residents with disabilities.

Karen Audant, interim chair of the Disability Advisory Commission, said she is “deeply concerned” about the operations of the Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents (STAR) program following a scathing report on the initiative from the county’s internal auditor, Wayne Scott.

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News

Two new ‘stumbling stones’ honor people once enslaved in Boulevard Manor

By Scott McCaffrey
Unveiling of Boulevard Manor stumbling stones (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

New “stumbling stones” are honoring the lives of two individuals enslaved in present-day Boulevard Manor in the 18th century.

The brass markers in the sidewalk at 516 N. Livingston Street honor the lives of Con and Killemacse, who in the mid-1700s were enslaved on farmland that now forms the Boulevard Manor neighborhood.

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News

Arlington NAACP seeks to avoid partisanship while advocating for civil rights

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington NAACP president Rev. DeLishia Davis (screenshot via Arlington NAACP)

Leaders of the NAACP Arlington branch acknowledge they are walking a fine line in the era of Donald Trump.

The group will continue to press its values while refraining from direct political activity, the Rev. DeLishia Davis, president of the Arlington NAACP, said at a Monday meeting.

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News

Historical society seeks writers to chronicle 250 years of Arlington history

By Scott McCaffrey
Jeanine Brundage and Karen Darner explore Arlington Historical Museum exhibition (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The Arlington Historical Society is calling on local writers to bring key aspects of the county’s history to life as the nation’s 250th birthday approaches next year.

The new writing project, “250 by 2026,” aims to round up 250 stories that may not be in the public consciousness.

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