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

Fewer will pay 2026 car tax, but clean fuel vehicles will see higher bills

By Scott McCaffrey
Electric-vehicle charging (via Marek Studzinski/Unsplash)

Nearly 48,000 Arlington vehicles will not be charged any car tax this year, an increase of 32% from 2025, based on tax changes made by County Board members during the fiscal 2027 budget process.

For those that will be taxed, some owners will pay less while others — particularly those owning clean-energy vehicles — will pay more.

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News

Latest Democratic County Board candidate rips own party’s local leadership

By Scott McCaffrey
County Board candidate Julie Farnam (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Arlington’s third and final Democratic contender for County Board launched her campaign May 6 with criticism of county political leadership.

“I’m a serious person, and this is a serious job. I’m not just challenging an incumbent — I’m challenging a system,” Julie Farnam said during kickoff remarks Wednesday night (May 6) in front of the Arlington County Democratic Committee.

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Schools

APS rescinds plan for AI-generated name reading at W-L’s graduation

By Scott McCaffrey
Washington-Liberty High School principal Alexander Duncan III (screenshot via Arlington Public Schools)

Arlington Public Schools has rescinded a plan to have Washington-Liberty High School graduates’ names read by artificial intelligence during next month’s graduation ceremony.

Christina Arpante, the school system’s communications director, told ARLnow the decision was made after students “expressed a preference for having their names read by a familiar voice.”

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News

‘Make DC Square Again’ follows several doomed attempts to reunite Arlington and D.C.

By Scott McCaffrey
Map showing areas of D.C. and Virginia after retrocession vote of 1846 (via Library of Congress)

This reporting was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join to support in-depth local journalism — and get an exclusive early morning email with a preview of that day’s planned news coverage.

Arlington is set to reach a historic milestone in September — the 180th anniversary of its return from the District of Columbia to Virginia sovereignty.

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News

Wilson Blvd development proposal takes a step forward as Fairfax OKs apartments, retail

By Scott McCaffrey
Rendering of the proposed new Cavalier Club apartment building (via Hord Coplan Macht Fairfax County)

A major development project straddling the Arlington-Fairfax county line on Wilson Blvd took another procedural step forward this week.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (May 5) gave the owner of a key Seven Corners residential parcel the ability to more than double units on the site while also adding retail space.

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News

Block party in Crystal City planned as ‘signature event’ for Pride Month

By Scott McCaffrey
An LGBTQ+-inspired art installation at 23rd Street S. and S. Fern Road (courtesy of Tracy Sayegh Gabriel)

Arlington’s LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee is in full organizing mode for a June block party in Crystal City honoring Pride Month.

Organizers are hoping for upwards of 500 attendees at next month’s first Arlington Pride 23rd Street Block Party. Sponsored by Equality Arlington in collaboration with several other community organizations, the event is slated for Saturday, June 6 from 3-7 p.m. in the Restaurant Row area of 23rd Street S.

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Schools

Arlington fifth graders return from trip to sister city in Germany

By Scott McCaffrey
Arlington and Aachen students at welcome ceremony in Aachen's city hall (courtesy Arlington Sister City Association)

With its 2025-26 fifth-grade student exchange complete, the Arlington Sister City Association is looking for those who would like to take part in the coming school year.

Fifty Arlington families recently returned from a spring break journey to Aachen, Germany, where they were hosted by families that had visited Arlington last fall.

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News

More congressional hopefuls may address Arlington Democrats at meeting this week

By Scott McCaffrey
Elizabeth Guzman is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District (via campaign website)

More candidates may kick off campaigns for Virginia’s new 7th Congressional District at this week’s Arlington County Democratic Committee meeting.

A host of aspirants already announced their candidacies at the party’s March and April meetings. But some contenders — including Dorothy McAuliffe and Elizabeth Guzman — have yet to stand in front of the party rank-and-file.

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News

Rules for clearing snow from businesses’ sidewalks could get revamp in Falls Church

By Scott McCaffrey
Ice-covered sidewalk on W. Broad Street after January 2026 storm (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

It will be the heat of summer when Falls Church leaders consider possible changes to the city’s snow-removal ordinance.

At an April 29 calendar-setting work session, City Manager Wyatt Shields told City Council members he’d like to hold a “scoping” session on July 20, focused on rules applying to commercial property after snowstorms.

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Schools

Plan to have AI read names at W-L graduation draws criticism at School Board meeting

By Scott McCaffrey
June Prakash speaks to School Board members (screenshot via Arlington Public Schools)

A plan to use artificial intelligence to read off the names of graduates at Washington-Liberty High School received pushback at last week’s School Board meeting.

June Prakash used the Board’s public-comment period to decry a partnership with a company that uses AI to correctly pronounce students’ names and read them off at a consistent rhythm during graduation ceremonies.

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Around Town

Mount Olivet holds rededication, celebrating end of renovations after 2022 fire

By Scott McCaffrey
Choir members at Mount Olivet rededication ceremony (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A rededication ceremony at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church over the weekend marked the completion of restoration work following a fire more than three years ago.

“We at Mount Olivet have been tested,” the Rev. Sara Keeling said at the service of thanksgiving. “We have come back better and stronger and more beautiful.”

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News

Arlington jobless rate decreases slightly, but so does the labor force

By Scott McCaffrey
Job seekers at a Crystal City career fair (file photo by Jay Westcott)

The number of Arlington residents counted as unemployed in February stood at the third lowest level over the past year, according to new state data.

That may be little consolation to the nearly 5,000 county residents seeking jobs, however — and it doesn’t count those who have left the labor force entirely over the last year.

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