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

Fairfax County board backs GMU president facing pressure from Trump administration

By Scott McCaffrey
George Mason University President Gregory Washington delivers his annual report to the Board of Visitors at its Aug. 1, 2025 meeting (via GMU)

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors went on record yesterday (Tuesday) supporting George Mason University President Gregory Washington as “a critical partner” of the county government and local residents.

The action, taken at the request of Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, came amid scrutiny of Washington and the university he heads by the Trump administration.

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Countywide

Fairfax leaders pause consideration of county-run trash collection proposal

By Scott McCaffrey
Fairfax County trash collection (photo via Fairfax County)

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is pumping the brakes on consideration of a plan for the county government take over management of trash collection services for all single-family neighborhoods.

“We need to do some more work,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said at the board’s meeting today (Tuesday).

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News

Dulles receives $7 million in federal funds to improve airport taxiways

By Scott McCaffrey
An United Airlines plane taxiing at Dulles International Airport (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (WMAA) will receive nearly $7 million in federal funding to support taxiway reconstructions at Dulles International Airport.

The $6.8 million in funding represents the second-largest amount among 18 aviation-related projects approved statewide by the Federal Aviation Administration. Funding comes from a $25 billion appropriation in the 2021 Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act.

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News

Public input sought on new identifying signage for Bailey’s Crossroads, Seven Corners

By Scott McCaffrey
Participants in signage design workshop (screenshot via Fairfax County)

Local residents have until Aug. 31 to provide feedback on new gateway signage for the Bailey’s Crossroads and Seven Corners areas of the county.

Fairfax County’s Community Revitalization Section has unveiled a number of design options, aimed at providing consistent branding and a sense of excitement in the Route 7 corridors.

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Countywide

D.C. region ranks second nationally in ‘mansion’-sized homes, new data finds

By Scott McCaffrey
McLean and Great Falls are home to a large number of 5,000-square-foot homes (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The D.C. area is the sixth or seventh largest metropolitan area in the nation any given year, but when it comes to the number of mansions dotting its landscape, it ranks second.

That’s according to new data from Zillow, which defines a “mansion” as a home with more than 5,000 square feet.

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News

Neighbors voice concerns about proposed 16-house development in Franconia

By Scott McCaffrey
Proposed Crested Knolls development in Franconia (via Supervisor Rodney Lusk)

Residents concerned about a proposal for additional single-family homes in one Franconia neighborhood may not have much recourse, they learned at a recent community meeting.

“I don’t have the ability to stop this process,” Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said at a community forum last Thursday (Aug. 14) attended by about 35 residents.

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News

Fairfax home prices higher in July, but housing market saw other signs of cooling

By Scott McCaffrey
Home for sale sign (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Sales were down overall, but average prices were up in all three market segments, as the Fairfax County real estate market moved through the summer under challenging economic conditions.

A total of 1,144 properties went to closing in July, according to new figures from the Bright MLS multiple-listing service. That’s down 5% from 1,220 transactions in July 2024.

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Countywide

High-end home sales outperform overall market across D.C. region, new data shows

By Scott McCaffrey
The home shown at left on Crest Lane in McLean was the most expensive residential property sold in the Mid-Atlantic during the second quarter of 2025 (via Washington Fine Properties)

The Fairfax area’s luxury housing sector is holding up slightly better than the overall real estate market, according to a new data analysis.

Sales prices for the top 5% of the D.C. region’s market increased 2.3% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2025, according to a new report issued by multiple-listing service Bright MLS.

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News

County’s new active adults center offers programming for older Springfield, Burke residents

By Scott McCaffrey
The Burke-Springfield Active Adult Center ribbon-cutting (courtesy Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services)

Fairfax County officials on Aug. 5 formally opened the Burke-Springfield Center for Active Adults, featuring more than 8,000 square feet of accessible space for a variety of programs.

Located in a renovated former retail space, the facility at 7541 Huntsman Blvd in Springfield aims to support older adults (ages 50+) through wellness, connection and lifelong learning, said Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay.

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News

HVAC upgrades at Franconia Rec Center will require facility closures

By Scott McCaffrey
Franconia Rec Center pool (via Fairfax County Park Authority/YouTube)

Portions of the Franconia Rec Center will close later this month through mid-September so that the Fairfax County Park Authority can upgrade air-quality systems in the facility.

The work will include two full-building closures, slated for Wednesdays, Aug. 20 and Sept. 3. Backup days are scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 21 and Sept. 4.

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