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

Casino, budget priorities dominate annual hearing for Fairfax County’s state legislators

By Scott McCaffrey
Del. Vivian Watts (via Channel 16 screenshot)

A proposed casino in Tysons and calls for the state to provide more money for education and social services dominated a 3.5-hour public hearing hosted Saturday (Jan. 4) by Fairfax County’s delegation to the Virginia General Assembly.

About 70 people, speaking for themselves or on behalf of organizations, each had three minutes to make their case for priorities in the 2025 legislative session, which convenes tomorrow (Wednesday).

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Countywide

Fairfax environmental council worried about data centers’ impact on local water supply

By Scott McCaffrey
A person fills a glass with tap water (photo by Eric Vance/U.S. EPA)

Northern Virginia’s wary embrace of data centers could have major long-term impacts on both water consumption and wastewater treatment across the region, the Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) says in its annual report for 2024.

The 134-page document offers a status update and recommendations on environmental issues, including land use, air and water quality, transportation, waste management, climate change and ecological conservation.

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Countywide

Better data, more hunters needed to manage Fairfax County’s deer population, report says

By Scott McCaffrey
A deer crosses an asphalt trail through Vienna's Wildwood Park (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

A new report says Fairfax County leaders need to work on better determining the county’s deer population, explaining the need for deer management to the public and recruiting volunteers for deer-culling efforts.

Those are some of the suggestions made to the Board of Supervisors by the Fairfax County Environmental Quality Advisory Council (EQAC) in its 134-page annual report for 2024.

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Countywide

Here are the new Virginia laws taking effect on Jan. 1, 2025

By Scott McCaffrey
The Virginia State Capitol building (file photo)

New Year’s Day will bring a number of new laws and regulations into effect across Virginia.

While legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor typically has an effective date of the start of the state government’s fiscal year on July 1, some measures are delayed until Jan. 1 each year.

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News

Public input sought on Royal Lake Park trail improvements

By Scott McCaffrey
A trail in Royal Lake Park (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The new year will bring some upgrades to the trails at Royal Lake Park.

With a two-year-long design and permitting process nearing completion, the Fairfax County Park Authority is accepting public comments through Jan. 27 on an environmental review of the planned trail-network improvements at the park in Kings Park West.

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News

Two options on table for safety improvements on Lee Chapel Road

By Scott McCaffrey
Fairfax County will evaluate the cost of removing hills on Lee Chapel Road after multiple fatal crashes (via Pat Herrity/Twitter)

The public has a few more weeks to weigh on on two construction scenarios as Fairfax County officials work to improve safety on a deadly stretch of Lee Chapel Road.

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation proposed two options at a virtual community meeting on Dec. 10 for approaching a project that will level the narrow, two-lane roadway between Ox Road (Route 123) and the Fairfax County Parkway:

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Countywide

School board approves policy to standardize grading across FCPS

By Scott McCaffrey
Fairfax County Public Schools (file photo)

At its final meeting of 2024, the Fairfax County School Board unanimously approved a policy revision that it hopes will lead to more consistent grading policies countywide.

The measure represents “a huge improvement from what was there before,” according to Mason District School Board Representative Ricardy Anderson.

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News

Apartments with daycare under construction near Fairfax County Government Center

By Scott McCaffrey
Residences at Government Center II groundbreaking (via Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority)

Fairfax County leaders gathered earlier this month to break ground on a new apartment complex that will provide nearly 300 units of affordable housing right next to the Fairfax County Government Center.

The 279-unit Residences at Government Center II will occupy land that previously had been a little-used, 340-space surface parking lot on 4.5 acres between Post Forest Drive and the county government’s headquarters.

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Countywide

Superintendent lays out timeline for revising FCPS athletic policies

By Scott McCaffrey
Superintendent Michelle Reid (staff file photo by James Jarvis)

Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid outlined a timeline on Thursday (Dec. 19) for revising policies related to student athletics following a controversy over alleged football-recruiting irregularities at Hayfield Secondary School.

Engaged in ongoing damage control, the superintendent told the Fairfax County School Board at its last meeting of the year that “clear, bright-line rules and regulations” will be rolled out in coming months.

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News

New GMU grads urged to take chances at winter commencement ceremony

By Scott McCaffrey
George Mason University winter 2024 commencement student speaker Caroline Oduro (via George Mason University screenshot)

George Mason University has ushered a new class of graduates out into a world that they were told yesterday (Thursday) is filled with both opportunities and challenges.

“Believe it or not, your learning journey is just beginning,” George Schindler, former president and CEO of the technology firm CGI, said during winter commencement ceremonies held at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax.

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