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

Apartment rental rates rising in most of Fairfax, with exception of Tysons

By Scott McCaffrey
The Bolden and Rise apartment buildings at The Boro in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County in October saw rising year-over-year apartment rents in most corridors except Tysons, which saw a decline but remains the priciest area countywide.

Six of seven areas across Fairfax posted median rent increases ranging from less than 1% to 7%, according to figures reported Oct. 30 by Apartment List.

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News

County board OKs eminent domain to acquire land along Route 1 BRT project

By Scott McCaffrey
Richmond Highway street sign (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County supervisors on Tuesday (Oct. 28) took steps to acquire private property needed for construction of the Richmond Highway bus rapid transit (BRT) project.

With three members absent and one seat vacant, the Board of Supervisors voted 6-0 to authorize county staff to move forward with filing paperwork in court allowing for the condemnation and acquisition of property needed for utility relocation as the nearly billion-dollar project begins to move from planning to construction.

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Countywide

Fairfax County might increase fee for towed vehicles up to 40%

By Scott McCaffrey
A-1 Towing truck in Rose Hill (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Owners of vehicles towed for improper parking on private property across Fairfax County could soon see an increase of up to 40% in the fee to retrieve them.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Oct. 28) set a public hearing for Tuesday, Dec. 9 to consider adjustments to towing fees most recently raised four years ago.

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Countywide

Task force recommends increasing Metro funding, starting at $460M

By Scott McCaffrey
An Orange Line Metro train stops at Foggy Bottom en route to Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Virginia’s state and local governments would be required to come up with $136 million annually in additional funding for Metro rail and bus service starting in mid-2027, if recommendations from a key regional task force make it through a still-uncertain future.

The DMV Moves task force approved a nonbinding framework yesterday (Wednesday) for increased, dedicated capital spending in support of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). It recommends $460 million in additional funding split between Virginia, Maryland and D.C., starting in fiscal year 2028 and rising after that at a rate of 3% per year.

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News

Distillery building in Reston among Fairfax’s most endangered historic structures

By Scott McCaffrey
The historic Bowman distillery building, also known as Wiehle Town Hall, in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey

The historic A. Smith Bowman Distillery building in Reston remains one of the county’s most endangered properties, the Fairfax County History Commission warned leaders in its annual report.

The building, which dates to the 1880s, is among four properties the advisory panel sees as most imperiled, commission chair Gretchen Bulova told the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Oct. 28).

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Countywide

Fairfax County accepts $150K grant to help federal workers, contractors launch new careers

By Scott McCaffrey
Virginia Career Works Northern Region table at a University of Virginia job fair in August 2025 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County leaders on Tuesday (Oct. 28) added another tool to address the economic impacts of the recent federal worker layoffs under the Trump administration.

The Board of Supervisors approved $150,000 in grant funding from the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (Virginia Works) in support of a new initiative known as Talent Up Northern Virginia.

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Countywide

FCPS students report improved mental health in new county youth survey

By Scott McCaffrey
Students walk down a school hallway (via FCPS/YouTube)

Fairfax County school leaders see signs of improving mental health, but also some ongoing red flags, in the county’s most recent youth survey.

“This is always a bittersweet report to read,” at-large Fairfax County School Board member Kyle McDaniel said after Superintendent Michelle Reid detailed the report’s findings at the board meeting last Thursday (Oct. 23).

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Countywide

N. Va. office vacancies hit lowest level since 2020, led by Reston and Herndon, report finds

By Scott McCaffrey
A for lease sign for the office building at 11487 Sunset Hills Road in Reston in June 2025 (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The Reston and Herndon business corridor was the standout for office leasing across Northern Virginia in the third quarter, according to new data.

While total leasing volume regionwide dipped 25.8% year-over-year, the Reston and Herndon area posted its best performance in three years and totaling about one-third of leasing activity in Northern Virginia as government contractors shrugged off economic challenges and looked toward higher defense spending, according to Savills Research & Data Services.

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News

Proposed flight path changes around DCA could benefit Fairfax neighborhoods

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

A key advisory panel has signed off on a proposal aimed at spreading out flight corridors departing to and arriving from the south at Reagan National Airport.

The plan, which now heads to local governments and ultimately the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), could provide relief for those living in a swath of southern Fairfax County that currently bears the brunt of aircraft noise in the corridor.

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Countywide

N. Va. business leaders grow more pessimistic about near-term future of local economy

By Scott McCaffrey
A flyer for FedSupport, a hub of resources for current and former federal workers, seen at a Northern Virginia job fair (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A quarterly survey of Northern Virginia business leaders shows an increasing level of concern about the near-term future of the region’s economy.

Just under half the 120 business leaders surveyed — 49% — foresee the economy declining either “slowly” or “significantly” over the next six months, according to results released yesterday (Thursday) by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and Pinkston for the fourth quarter of 2025.

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