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 students sweep statewide aviation art competition

By Scott McCaffrey
Herndon student Ivan Li's first-place-winning work for the 2025 Virginia Aviation Art Contest (courtesy Virginia Department of Aviation)

Fairfax County students again dominated the 2025 Virginia Aviation Art Contest.

Youth from McLean, Herndon and Chantilly swept first-place honors in all three age categories, the Virginia Department of Aviation announced on Feb. 19. A total of eight students from the local area will move on to national competition, with an opportunity to potentially compete internationally.

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News

Fairfax mulls providing free Metrobus rides to more high school students

By Scott McCaffrey
A Metrobus at the Tysons Metro station (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County transportation planners are considering enabling more secondary schools to participate in a program giving students free Metrobus rides in Northern Virginia.

Five schools have been identified as potential expansion sites to the program, which already is in place at Justice, Annandale, Falls Church and George C. Marshall high schools and the Davis Center.

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Countywide

Bill to monitor vehicle exhaust noise resurrected on General Assembly’s last day

By Scott McCaffrey
Del. Rip Sullivan speaks at the Fairfax County General Assembly delegation's pre-session public hearing on Jan. 4, 2025 (via Channel 16 screenshot)

A last-minute compromise in Richmond has kept alive one of the Fairfax County government’s key transportation initiatives of 2025.

Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly approved language on Saturday (Feb. 22) allowing Fairfax and other Northern Virginia localities to host a pilot program focused on reducing vehicle-exhaust noise.

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Countywide

Fairfax leaders asked to allow pets in more subsidized apartment units

By Scott McCaffrey
Children and pets (photo by Sabina Fratila/Unsplash)

Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors reacted favorably Tuesday (Feb. 18) to a request that pets be allowed in more Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority apartment properties.

“That review is underway,” Board Chair Jeff McKay said in response to comments by Gina Marie Lynch, the Mount Vernon representative to the Animal Services Advisory Commission.

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Countywide

Fairfax’s Tenant-Landlord Commission might be abolished by county board

By Scott McCaffrey
Lafayette Apartments residents in 2023 protested rent increase and living conditions described as "unsafe" (courtesy TWU)

Earlier this week, Fairfax County supervisors set a public hearing for next month to determine the fate of the county’s Tenant-Landlord Commission.

The advisory body, established in 1971, is slated for elimination, in part because it has become increasingly difficult to find people willing to serve on it. A public hearing and, likely, a vote on the body’s fate has been set for Tuesday, March 18.

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News

Proposed redevelopments on Jermantown Road in Oakton receive final approval

By Scott McCaffrey
A&A Flint Hill development proposal (via Fairfax County)

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved two redevelopment proposals on Tuesday (Feb. 18) that will turn areas in and around the Flint Hill Office Park near Jermantown Road in Oakton into residential communities.

The proposals to redevelop Redwood Plaza (10600 Arrowhead Drive) and a portion of the Flint Hill Office Park (10530 Rosehaven Street) were both approved unanimously.

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Countywide

Leader of local Senior Olympics aims for record participation in 2025

By Scott McCaffrey
Rob Hupp (third from right) in disc-golf competition (courtesy N.Va. Senior Olympics)

The new chair of the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics anticipates an expansive, inclusive, record-setting 2025 for the organization.

“We certainly have the opportunity to expose more local seniors to the challenges and pleasures of competing in the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics program,” Rod Hupp told FFXnow.

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News

County board allows residents to be exempt from cut-through traffic restrictions

By Scott McCaffrey
Carolyn Road in Lake Barcroft has a restriction on cut-through traffic during the morning rush-hour (via Google Maps)

Fairfax County residents who live on streets that limit cut-through traffic can now get exempted from those restrictions.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday (Feb. 18) to begin accepting petitions in July from neighborhoods that want to provide the carve-out for residents while retaining restrictions on other drivers.

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Countywide

‘Community safety officers’ may help fill gaps in Fairfax County’s police staffing

By Scott McCaffrey
A Fairfax County police officer at the Mosaic District in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Fairfax County will look at creating a corps of “community safety officers,” who would have fewer powers than sworn law-enforcement personnel but could support the police department’s mission in an era of recruiting challenges.

“Based on experiences in other jurisdictions around the country and in our region, it could have some merit,” Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw said when proposing on Tuesday (Feb. 18) that staff study the issue.

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Countywide

Proposed Fairfax County budget mixes higher taxes, largest program cuts since 2010

By Scott McCaffrey
Fairfax County Government Center (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Additional taxes, including the possibility of a meals tax, program and staff cuts and less-than-requested funding for the school system are all incorporated in the Fairfax County government’s draft $5.7 billion fiscal year 2026 budget proposed by County Executive Bryan Hill.

“I don’t think anybody is happy with this budget, but this is where we are,” Hill said when delivering his proposal to the Board of Supervisors this morning (Tuesday). “We have been working diligently to figure out how to make this mildly palatable, to find the right balance.”

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