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

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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News

County Board considers better bike lanes and new stop light on S. Walter Reed Drive

By Scott McCaffrey
S. Walter Reed Drive looking toward Grace Hopper Center construction (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Protected bike lanes, a new stop light and improved bus stops along S. Walter Reed Drive are included in a proposed $7 million county contract.

The transportation improvement contract, slated for County Board consideration on Saturday, is for part of the “Complete Streets” project on Walter Reed between 5th Street S. and Columbia Pike.

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News

Arlington Historical Museum reopens with updated exhibits and expanded access

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

Crowds descended on the Arlington Historical Museum on Saturday as the facility reopened after months of renovations.

Hundreds of people filtered through the six-hour open house, appreciating the new facelift to the museum’s physical presence and exhibitions. The building at 1805 S. Arlington Ridge Road had been closed since the summer of 2024 to allow for the restoration of 47 original windows.

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News

County Board candidate places ‘tracking chips’ in signs over theft allegations

By Dan Egitto and Scott McCaffrey
Campaign signage in median, May 2025 (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

An Arlington County Board candidate claims to have begun placing “tracking chips” in his campaign signs after he says many of them were stolen.

James DeVita, who is challenging incumbent Takis Karantonis in the Democratic primary, spent over $10,000 on campaign signs in March alone, according to campaign finance records.

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Schools

Most APS students and staff feel safe in schools, new data shows

By Scott McCaffrey
James Miller and Oakridge Elementary assistant principal Adrion Walker address school-safety issues (screenshot via Arlington Public Schools)

The vast majority of Arlington Public Schools students and faculty feel safe at school, new data suggests.

A recent survey found that 88% of respondents in grades 4-5 and 85% in grades 6-12 said they felt safe, Aaron Queen, the school system’s director of safety, security and emergency management, said at a School Board meeting last week.

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News

New rush-hour bus route would connect Shirlington to Alexandria and Metro Center

By Scott McCaffrey
Metrobus service in Arlington (file photo)

A new bus route could provide Shirlington-area residents and workers with rush-hour service between D.C.’s Metro Center and the Alexandria/Fairfax line.

The new line, which would run via Beauregard Street, Mark Center, Southern Towers and the Shirlington Bus Station, is among 15 projects totaling $39.5 million that the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission is currently considering.

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News

Plans for 309-unit development in Clarendon head to County Board

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

Plans to rebuild a Clarendon office building as an eight-story, 309-unit multifamily building are about to reach the Arlington County Board.

Developer Carr Properties aims to raze a nearly 40-year-old office building at 3033 Wilson Blvd and replace it with a development called Clarendon Square.

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