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 election officials prep for the first day of early voting on Friday

By Scott McCaffrey
Voting at Arlington Central Library on Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

While election officials in Arlington and Falls Church are not expecting an early rush to vote in the Democratic primary, they’re ready for those who do come.

Arlington elections director Gretchen Reinemeyer told ARLnow she expects a relatively modest first-day turnout when early voting begins on Friday.

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News

Arlington unemployment claims spiked in March, adding to region-wide pessimism

By Scott McCaffrey and Vernon Miles
A town hall for federal workers and contractors at Central Library in February (staff photo by Dan Egitto)

Hundreds more Arlington County residents began seeking work in March as federal layoffs continue to drive a region-wide surge in unemployment, new data shows.

A total of 4,929 Arlington residents were counted as without jobs and seeking work in March, the Virginia Employment Commission reported yesterday (Tuesday). That’s up 16% from the 4,249 recorded in February, and up a hefty 60% from 3,116 in March 2024.

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Schools

School Board candidates back superintendent but say APS can do more

By Scott McCaffrey
Superintendent Francisco Durán (screenshot via APS)

Arlington’s superintendent earns passing grades from the two Democratic candidates vying for a post on the School Board.

At an online candidate forum hosted by the Arlington NAACP, Monique “Moe” Bryant and June Prakash voiced support for Superintendent Francisco Durán but challenged other aspects of Arlington Public Schools leadership.

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News

Falls Church seeks compromise on Arlington’s proposed ambulance fee changes

By Scott McCaffrey
An ACFD ambulances heads to a call (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Falls Church leaders are seeking a compromise on a new ambulance fees agreement with Arlington County.

In addition to increasing the amount that the City of Falls Church pays for fire and ambulance services, the proposed agreement would cap the amount of revenue that the city can receive from ambulance transport fees at $295,000 annually.

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News

Arlington County promises Meals on Wheels $105K to cover increasing costs

By Scott McCaffrey
A person enjoying a meal (via Ryan Reinoso/Unsplash)

A nonprofit providing meals to older Arlington County residents is on track to receive county funding for the first time.

The county plans to provide $105,000 in direct support to the Arlington Meals on Wheels program in the coming fiscal year. This is the first time that the nonprofit has asked for local funding in response to a growing community need.

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News

Falls Church plans $1.4M for road paving, but backlog will remain

By Scott McCaffrey
A youth watches street repaving on 41st Street N. in Arlington (Flickr pool photo by Alan Kotok)

The City of Falls Church plans to spend more on paving roads in the coming year, but it will still have unfunded needs.

The proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget includes $1.4 million for road-paving initiatives, up from $870,000 in the coming fiscal year.

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News

Historic Arlington fire station celebrated at dedication of $28M facility

By Scott McCaffrey
Fire Chief David Povlitz at Fire Station #8 dedication (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Fire Station #8’s dedication ceremony on Saturday included equal nods to the past, present and future.

“It symbolizes struggle, determination, progress,” Arlington Fire Chief David Povlitz said at the formal opening of the four-bay, three-level, 20,000-square-foot facility that is expected to serve until at least the mid-2070s.

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News

First candidates emerge in race for Falls Church City Council

By Scott McCaffrey
City Council agenda-setting meeting (City of Falls Church)

The race for four seats on the Falls Church City Council is underway.

Incumbents Laura Downs and David Snyder have already qualified for the Nov. 4 ballot. Several other aspirants, including incumbent Marybeth Connelly, have started the process of qualifying, city elections director David Bjerke told ARLnow.

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News

Impending REAL ID deadline brings surge of customers at Arlington DMV sites

By Scott McCaffrey
REAL ID countdown clock at Reagan National Airport (courtesy MWAA)

Customers are flocking to Department of Motor Vehicles locations across the country, including in Arlington, as a deadline to get REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses approaches.

Arlington’s two service centers were recently singled out by DMV officials as areas where customer traffic had increased significantly in the run-up to the May 7 deadline changing access rules for airline flights and government buildings.

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News

Plans to add 73 units at Shirlington House cruise through initial review meeting

By Scott McCaffrey
Architectural rendering of proposed new apartment building on Shirlington House parcel (via Snell Properties)

A developer’s plans to add 73 units while retaining the existing Shirlington House apartment building have cruised relatively unscathed through the county’s site-plan review process.

“It’s a good project,” James Lantelme, a member of the Planning Commission who serves on the panel evaluating the proposal, said on Monday.

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News

Agency envisions bus rapid transit along Columbia Pike and across the Potomac

By Dan Egitto and Scott McCaffrey
A proposed network of bus rapid transit lines across Northern Virginia (via NVTA)

A new long-term “blueprint” to dramatically expand Northern Virginia’s bus rapid transit lines calls for significant investment along core Arlington routes.

A draft Bus Rapid Transit Action Plan, unveiled yesterday (Wednesday) is meant to guide agencies throughout the region as they consider future transit investments. A proposed map of possible BRT lines envisions two routes connecting Columbia Pike to Crystal City and D.C., and another route running east from Falls Church into Rosslyn, across the Potomac River and into Georgetown.

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