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.

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City Council is next stop for transit boosters with regional ‘DMVMoves’ initiative

By Scott McCaffrey
Metrobus in Old Town Alexandria near King Street metro (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria will be the next stop for leaders of the “DMVMoves” initiative as they work to gain unanimous support for more regional transit funding.

Proponents of DMVMoves are scheduled to make a presentation to City Council members next Wednesday during a legislative meeting. They intend to detail the proposal in hopes of winning support from city leaders.

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Alexandria’s unemployed total grows nearly 50% year-over-year in new jobs report

By Scott McCaffrey
The Alexandria skyline (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The ranks of the unemployed in the city grew more than 46% year-over-year in new state jobs figures.

A total of 3,723 Alexandria residents were recorded as unemployed in November according to figures reported yesterday (Wednesday) by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.

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Alexandria home sales and average property prices increased last year

By Scott McCaffrey
Homes (photo by Daria Nepriakhina/Unsplash)

Home sales in the city of Alexandria grew 2.2% year-over-year, while average sales prices also rose.

A total of 1,987 properties changed hands across the city in 2025, up from 1,945 in 2024, according to figures reported Jan. 12 by MarketStats by ShowingTime.

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Alexandria challenger to Rep. Beyer works for visibility in other parts of 8th District

By Scott McCaffrey
Former City Council Member Mo Seifeldein, who is running for Virginia's 8th Congressional District, at the Alexandria Democratic Committee's Labor Day Picnic at The Garden Alexandria, 5380 Eisenhower Avenue, Sept. 1, 2025 (staff photo by James Cullum)

A former Alexandria elected official is making campaign stops outside the city in his attempt to unseat Rep. Don Beyer (D-8).

Mohamed “Mo” Seifeldein made his case last Wednesday to the Arlington County Democratic Committee. If elected, Seifeldein said his agenda would be to address the cost of living, implement a universal Medicare-for-all initiative and lower housing prices.

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Former Alexandria councilman celebrated after 20 years serving N. Va. Transportation Commission

By Scott McCaffrey
Paul Smedberg at Jan. 8, 2026, NVTC meeting (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

A longtime leader in regional transportation and former City Council member was honored by the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission last night (Thursday) as he prepares to depart the organization.

This month, Paul Smedberg departs both the commission and the board of directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Before serving as the governor’s representative on NVTC, Smedberg had represented Alexandria, which has two seats on the 21-member body.

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N. Va. Transportation Commission elects Bagley to lead as region seeks state funding approval

By Scott McCaffrey
Sarah Bagley, second from left, and other members of the NVTC 2026 leadership (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)

Alexandria Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley assumed the top leadership spot of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) for 2026 last night (Thursday).

Bagley was unanimously elected chair of the regional body and will lead it during what is likely to be a pivotal year for transit funding across the area.

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Major Democratic players rush to back Del. Bennett-Parker for Ebbin’s Senate seat

By Scott McCaffrey
(Left to right) Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5th) speaks in support of Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) alongside Virginia House of Delegates Majority Leader Charniele Herring (D-4th) and State Senate Majority Leader Sen. Scott Surovell (D-34th), April 5, 2024 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Much of the state’s Democratic political leadership is lining up behind Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker’s quest to succeed Adam Ebbin in the Virginia Senate.

Both Ebbin (D-39) and incoming Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced their endorsements for Bennett-Parker’s bid today (Thursday), joining a host of other supportive state leaders.

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Median apartment rents in Alexandria post first year-over-year drop since 2020

By Scott McCaffrey
The Blake apartments (via The Blake/Facebook)

Alexandria closed out 2025 with median apartment rental rates down 2.5% from the start of the year — the first annual decline in five years.

The 2.5% dip is more than twice the rate of decline across the metro area, with Alexandria pushed down in part by a 1.1% drop in median rents from November to December.

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Realtors predict Alexandria will lead N. Va. in home value growth in 2026

By Scott McCaffrey
Real estate home interior (via Kenny Eliason/Unsplash)

Alexandria is expected to lead other Northern Virginia localities in home-value appreciation in the coming year, with strongest growth coming in the single-family sector.

The 2026 Regional Housing Market Forecast, released yesterday (Monday), predicts “moderate” home price increases and elevated inventory throughout Northern Virginia. The report was created by the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University in partnership with the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR).

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Alexandria helped lower impaired driving deaths in the region, new data shows

By Scott McCaffrey
Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Carlos Heraud helps launch the 2025 St. Patrick's Day SoberRide effort (via Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments)

Alexandria recorded no traffic fatalities related to impaired driving in 2024 for the second year in a row, according to new data.

Regional deaths connected to impaired driving were down 26% from 2023 to 2024, according to a report by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The report recorded 74 fatalities connected to alcohol- and/or drug-related crashes last year — down from 100 recorded in 2023 and below the five-year average of 90.

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Former mayor getting settled into new leadership role with regional parks

By Scott McCaffrey
Former Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson (via Fairfax City)

Former Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson is settling into his new role as executive director of NOVA Parks and says he has inherited an organization in good shape.

A “very diverse set of revenue” — with operations ranging from golf courses to waterparks — allows the regional body to “weather various storms,” said Wilson during a presentation to the Fairfax City Council earlier this month. He was named the organization’s next executive director in August and began serving in October.

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