Fred Echols
Producer and ReporterFred Echols is a long-time member of the WVTF Music/RADIO IQ news department and produces news content as well as public affairs programs. Fred's career in broadcasting began in North Carolina's Triad before switching from commercial radio, where he'd held numerous positions including program director. He was a long-time host of All Things Considered on WVTF and Radio IQ, and listeners still hear him on Radio IQ news programs, including during Cardinal Conversations features. He's also heard during our on-air fund drives.
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Governor Youngkin says high state income tax rates are driving people out of Virginia but many Democrats disagree. A recent study says there's no definitive answer. -
When you hear the official temperature for your city and feel certain it's hotter than that at your house, you may be right.Temperatures can vary significantly within a single locality depending on how much green space or pavement is nearby.A team of researchers and volunteers recently completed a study of these microclimates in Virginia.Reporter Emma Malinak wrote about it for Cardinal News and she spoke with Fred Echols.
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A disease once considered all but eradicated is becoming more prevalent nationally and in Virginia. Cases of congenital syphilis, in which a child gets the infection from its mother in the womb, were up 66% in the state last year.
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One financial incentive for buying solar energy panels is ending and another could be at risk in Virginia. The budget and tax bill recently passed by Congress eliminates the federal tax credit for residential solar panels, and Virginia regulators are considering a request to lower the billing credit homeowners receive for generating their own power.Matt Busse is covering these stories for Cardinal News, and he spoke with Fred Echols.
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Virginia's first baby box has been installed in a parking garage at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. It will allow parents in crisis to legally surrender a newborn infant in a safe, monitored environment.
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Many small, private colleges are struggling financially across the country, and Virginia is no exception. Cardinal News education reporter Lisa Rowan has written about how a couple of schools in the state are trying to work through their fiscal challenges.She spoke with Fred Echols about Averett University in Danville, where past financial mismanagement has left the school in technical default on $13 million in bond debt.
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Virginia is looking to become a leader in Controlled Environment Agriculture, which uses technology to produce leafy greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries and other crops indoors year-round.
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Next week Virginia will begin recording cases of Alpha-gal syndrome, a disease transmitted by the Lone Star tick. Symptoms can include a severe allergy to red meat and related by-products.
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The Trump Administration has made a change to a federal program that supports internet access expansion and the effect on Virginia will be significant.
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The use of license plate cameras by police is becoming more and more common in Virginia. In many cases the cameras are paid for by money from a program called Helping Eliminate Auto Theft, or HEAT.
