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

Fairfax County turns to texting in effort to protect area seniors from scams

By Scott McCaffrey
Older man texting (photo by Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash)

The Fairfax County government’s efforts protecting seniors from scams is about to enter the texting era.

As part of the Silver Shield anti-fraud effort of the Department of Family Services, a text-message service is being developed to provide timely but not overwhelming amounts of messages for those who sign up. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors was briefed on the program at the June 2 meeting of its Older Adults Committee.

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Countywide

Fairfax Water: Removing ‘forever chemicals’ likely to be lengthy, costly effort

By Scott McCaffrey
Sign for Fairfax Water's headquarters in Merrifield (file photo)

Fairfax Water’s efforts to reduce the amount of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in local drinking water come with “potentially significant costs,” Fairfax County supervisors were told on Tuesday (June 2).

“PFAS, from where I sit, is going to be a generational issue,” said Jamie Bain Hedges, general manager of the water utility, during the 90-minute meeting between the Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax Water Board.

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Countywide

Successful brain health program for seniors set for expansion to Fairfax libraries

By Scott McCaffrey
Older adults learning at computer (via Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash)

A local initiative promoting brain-health exercises for seniors has proven successful enough to expand from Fairfax County’s senior centers into its libraries.

Goodwin Living Foundation’s StrongerMemory initiative provides both in-person and online programming. Thirty minutes of cognitive exercises are offered four to five times per week as part of the 12-week free program.

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Countywide

New drought watch amplifies concerns about long-term future of Potomac River flows

By Scott McCaffrey
A rock in the Potomac River near Riverbend Park in Great Falls (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

With the D.C. metro area now back under a regional drought watch, local officials have raised concerns about the ability of the Potomac River to meet the region’s long-term water needs.

An increasing population, proliferation of data centers, climate change and the possibility of accidents closing access to the river’s water are all threats, according to the general manager of Fairfax Water.

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Countywide

Fairfax Water set to remove last lead pipes from service area

By Scott McCaffrey
Fairfax Water pipe replacement efforts (via Fairfax Water)

Fairfax Water is on track to fully eliminate the last lead pipes from its network in advance of a 2027 federal deadline.

“We’ll have them replaced by the end of the year,” Fairfax Water general manager Jamie Bain Hedges said at a meeting yesterday (Tuesday) between the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and water authority board members.

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News

First responders honored for saving Bren Mar Park Elementary from fire

By Scott McCaffrey
Bren Mar Park Elementary School students thank firefighters and FCPS personnel (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Bren Mar Park Elementary School students, staff and PTA leaders gathered last Friday (May 29) to thank those who saved their school the previous month.

The full school community turned out to welcome Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department personnel and those from Fairfax County Public Schools’ facilities team who responded to the April 19 two-alarm blaze on the roof of a new addition to the school.

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Countywide

Year-over-year apartment costs decline throughout Fairfax County in May

By Scott McCaffrey
Heming apartments in Tysons' Scotts Run neighborhood (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Year-over-year apartment rents were down across Fairfax County in May, mirroring a national trend.

All seven areas of the county analyzed by Apartment List in its monthly report showed declines from May 2025, even as the rental market experienced its typical seasonal growth from winter to spring.

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News

FCDOT opens survey on ways to improve West Falls Church stretch of Route 29

By Scott McCaffrey
Types of improvements possible on one stretch of the Route 29 Active Transportation Study corridor (via FCDOT)

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is expanding outreach efforts as it studies options for improving the stretch of Route 29 from Falls Church west to the Capital Beltway (I-495).

After gathering input at an in-person meeting on May 19, county transportation officials have launched a new online community survey as part of the Route 29 Active Transportation Study that will run through June 30.

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News

Some Oakton residents object to possible cut-through for Route 123, Hunter Mill Road

By Scott McCaffrey
Suli Wang could lose her home if a cut-through between Chain Bridge and Hunter Mill roads is approved (screenshot via Fairfax County)

Residents of an Oakton neighborhood are mobilizing against Fairfax County’s consideration of using one of their community’s streets as a cut-through between two major roadways.

“There are many concerns,” said Suli Wong, a resident of the English Oaks neighborhood, in May 19 remarks to the Board of Supervisors.

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News

Community, sports leaders mourn death of Rob Hahne, N. Va.’s ‘Mr. Baseball’

By Scott McCaffrey
Rob Hahne, Jr. (via American Baseball Coaches Association)

County leaders and Fairfax’s athletics community are mourning the death of Rob Hahne Jr., who played a pivotal role in local youth sports for decades.

The Clifton resident, who died May 14 at age 57, “really was an incredible model” for serving the community, Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said at the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors’ May 19 meeting.

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