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.

Countywide

FCPS budget proposal includes funding to expand athletics in middle, high schools

By Scott McCaffrey
Westfield High School's girls wrestling team in action (photo by Karen Bolt/FCPS)

The proposed fiscal year 2027 Fairfax County Public Schools budget includes funding to increase athletic programming and augment stipends to coaches.

“We’re expanding middle school sports again next year, as well as adding junior-varsity boys volleyball,” Superintendent Michelle Reid said during her Jan. 22 budget briefing to the Fairfax County School Board.

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News

Facility upgrade aims to contain stink affecting Braddock Road communities

By Scott McCaffrey
Existing Lincoln Lewis Vannoy Odor Control Facility (via Fairfax County Capital Facilities)

The Fairfax County Planning Commission has approved plans to modernize a facility used to reduce the amount of smelly — in some cases potentially lethal — hydrogen sulfide in neighborhoods near Braddock Road in the southwestern part of the county.

The unanimous vote on Wednesday (Jan. 28) paves the way for the 35-year-old Lincoln Lewis Vannoy Odor Control Facility to be replaced with more updated technology to limit unwanted smells emanating from pressure sewers in the vicinity.

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Around Town

Reston Community Players, Providence Players nominated for regional theater awards

By Scott McCaffrey
Stephen Yednock as Max Bialystock in the Reston Community Players' production of "The Producers" in spring 2025 (Heather Regan Photography via RCP)

Two Fairfax County community-theater organizations garnered a total of 34 nominations in the annual Washington Area Theatre Community Honors (WATCH) awards program.

Reston Community Players received 25 nominations, tying with Prince William Little Theatre for the most of any troupe, and Providence Players of Fairfax received nine.

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Countywide

Commuting disparities among Fairfax’s high, low earners raise equity concerns

By Scott McCaffrey
Traffic on Route 50 (Arlington Blvd) facing Seven Corners (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Lower-income Fairfax County residents rely more on their own vehicles to get to and from work, and are less likely to be able to telework throughout the week, than those at the top of the income spectrum.

Though not necessarily surprising, the data from the 164-page 2025 State of the Commute report recently issued by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) does have public policy implications.

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News

Community panel seeks outside experts to study Reagan National flight-path noise

By Scott McCaffrey
Plane at Reagan National Airport (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A citizens’ advisory panel is formally pressing for an outside consultant to be hired to analyze noise related to air traffic at Reagan National Airport.

But the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) appears disinclined to acquiesce to that request.

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Countywide

FCPS superintendent zeroes in on staff pay and other ‘essentials’ in proposed $4.1B budget

By Scott McCaffrey
Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid presents her proposed fiscal year 2027 budget to the school board on Jan. 22, 2026 (via FCPS/YouTube)

Fairfax County Public Schools leaders say the proposed $4.1 billion fiscal year 2027 budget presented Jan. 22 by Superintendent Michelle Reid is fiscally responsible and worthy of full support by the Board of Supervisors.

School Board Chair Sandy Anderson termed it a “nothing-fancy” package that fits the economic times.

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Countywide

International service helps propel Dulles to new passenger record in 2025

By Scott McCaffrey
Ribbon-cutting at first Boliviana flight at Washington Dulles International Airport (via MWAA)

Ongoing growth in international travel helped propel Dulles International Airport to a record-setting year in 2025.

Officials with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) will not have confirmed final passenger counts until late February or March, but the authority’s president and CEO, Jack Potter, said the expectation is for a 6% increase from the record year in 2024.

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Countywide

Travelers rank Dulles Airport ‘very good,’ but slightly below National in 2025 report card

By Scott McCaffrey
Dulles International Airport main terminal at sunrise (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) officials say they are generally pleased with results of 2025 customer-satisfaction data at its facilities.

“Customers like our airports,” Gene Sutch, MWAA’s director of revenue strategy and analysis, said last Wednesday (Jan. 21) in a briefing to the authority’s business administration committee.

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Countywide

Nearly half of D.C.-area workers stick with hybrid schedule post-pandemic, report finds

By Scott McCaffrey
Weekday traffic on I-66 near Vaden Drive in Oakton (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Post-pandemic commuting trends appear to be stabilizing in the D.C. region, with workers spending more days at the office, but remote work remains prevalent.

“We seem to be approaching a much more settled ‘new normal,'” Dan Sheehan, transportation operations program director for the Transportation Planning Board (TPB) said at a Jan. 21 meeting, where staff unveiled the new State of the Commute report.

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Countywide

Fairfax County unemployment still elevated compared to 2024 in new state data

By Scott McCaffrey
Virginia Career Works advertises job transition resources on a Metro train (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The number of Fairfax County residents among the ranks of the unemployed was up 43% year-over-year, new state jobs data show.

A total of 24,051 county residents were recorded as seeking jobs in November, according to figures reported on Wednesday (Jan. 22) by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.

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