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

Home sales are down but prices are up in Arlington and Falls Church

By Scott McCaffrey
Signage advertising homes in 'The Grove at Dominion Hills' (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Arlington’s homes market saw a slight year-over-year decline in sales in 2024 — but prices kept rising.

A total of 2,196 properties changed hands during the year, according to preliminary figures reported by Bright MLS, the region’s multiple-listing service.

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Schools

‘Toxicity’ one reason Kadera isn’t running for School Board re-election

By Scott McCaffrey
School Board Chair Mary Kadera (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Stressful relations with former colleagues and the challenges of spring campaigning are among the reasons the Arlington School Board’s chair says she isn’t seeking another term.

“If I didn’t love the work so much, then the toxicity aimed at me, personally, from some of my former colleagues would have driven me out the door already,” Kadera told members of the Arlington County Democratic Committee on Wednesday (Dec. 8) as she announced she won’t be running for re-election this year.

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News

Plans for traffic roundabout running up against deadline in Falls Church

By Scott McCaffrey
The Falls Church roundabout proposal (via City of Falls Church)

The clock is ticking for Falls Church officials to approve the construction of a traffic roundabout at Annandale Road and S. Maple Avenue.

The Virginia Department of Transportation “is breathing down our neck to get this done,” City Manager Wyatt Shields said at a Wednesday agenda-setting session with Mayor Letty Hardi and City Council members.

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News

Arlington state reps ready for start of delayed legislative session

By Scott McCaffrey
Del. Adele McClure is starting her second year in the legislature (courtesy of Adele McClure)

With water-system issues in Richmond delaying the start of the legislative session, Arlington representatives are ready with firm goals as the Virginia General Assembly prepares to get going next week.

“There is so much more to do to continue building a more just, equitable Commonwealth,” said Del. Adele McClure (D-2), who is entering her second legislative session after winning election in 2023.

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News

Tax hikes vs. budget cuts: County Board faces ‘tough choices’ filling $30-40M budget gap

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington fiscal 2025 spending (Arlington County)

As Arlington County eyes another possible tax increase this fiscal year, County Manager Mark Schwartz warns that trimming the county $1.65 billion budget would be no small task.

From the rising costs of compensation to funding commitments that can’t be altered in the short term, Schwartz suggested that cutting costs to fill an anticipated budget gap of $30 to $40 million — about 2% of Arlington’s $1.65 billion budget — isn’t as easy as some might think.

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News

Karantonis picks up challenger in County Board primary

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

The Democratic field for the lone County Board seat on Arlington’s 2025 ballot ticked up to two on Wednesday night (Jan. 8).

As expected, incumbent Takis Karantonis launched a re-election bid at the monthly meeting of the Arlington County Democratic Committee.

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News

As ART bus facility leaves Va. Square, site’s future remains unclear

By Scott McCaffrey
Layout of the county-owned 1425 N. Quincy Street site with the temporary Arlington Transit bus storage (via Arlington County)

As Arlington Transit buses prepare to move south from the Virginia Square to a new facility, the future of the N. Quincy Street site remains an open question.

“I can’t promise in the future that we won’t consider that property will be used for things that people would rather not have there,” County Manager Mark Schwartz told delegates to the Arlington County Civic Federation during his annual visit to the organization in mid-December.

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News

Finding consensus on Falls Church bike plan could be uphill climb

By Scott McCaffrey
Dedicated cyclists riding in the snow (Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann)

An update to the Falls Church Bicycle Master Plan has the potential to remake some city streets.

But only if there is more effort put into turning aspirations to reality than has been the case with the existing plan, adopted in 2015, according to some members of a key advisory panel.

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News

New Board chair Karantonis: County’s values must survive the challenges of 2025

By Scott McCaffrey
Takis Karantonis at 2025 County Board organizational meeting (via Arlington County)

Arlington residents and its county government need to face an uncertain future by remaining committed to community values, Arlington’s new County Board chair says.

Takis Karantonis, who has sat on the Board since 2020, on Tuesday (Jan. 7) was elected unanimously to serve as chair for the coming year. After the vote, he laid out his priorities for 2025 and expressed his emotions about elevation to the top position in county leadership.

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Schools

Peanuts officially banished from APS cafeteria food

By Scott McCaffrey
Peanut butter on supermarket shelf (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

It’s been the practice for some years, but now peanuts and their derivatives are formally banished from food served in Arlington public-school cafeterias.

Cafeterias now must “provide exclusively peanut-free food,” an Arlington Public Schools policy implementation procedure (PIP) mandates.

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News

In wake of Pentagon City stabbing, local GOP ramps up criticism of prosecutor

By Scott McCaffrey
Parisa Dehghani-Tafti at her election watch party in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Arlington Republicans are setting their sights on the 2027 Commonwealth’s Attorney race amid an ongoing dispute between the county’s police union and its top prosecutor.

It’s been decades since the GOP has fielded a candidate in that particular race. However, local Republican chair Matthew Hurtt has joined the Arlington Coalition of Police in sharply criticizing Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti following a Pentagon City homicide.

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News

Schwartz: Arlington happy to hire displaced, disaffected federal workers

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz (via Arlington County/YouTube)

Federal-government employees irked at the prospect of being forced back into the office five days a week might want to check out job opportunities with the Arlington County government.

Arlington continues to offer a relatively flexible work-from-home policy, and would be happy to talk with those who might wish to avail themselves of it, the county’s top staffer said.

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