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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Leaders in the region say outdoor activities and other attractions could bring in even more tourists but there aren't enough hotel rooms to accommodate them. -
New Medicaid rules will take effect in 2027 and Virginia will have to make some changes in order to be ready. Work requirements and twice-yearly eligibility checks will put a heavier load on systems that are decades old and bringing them up to date will be expensive.
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The resignation of Todd Gilbert from his post as U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia has raised questions about how much control the White House exercises over how federal prosecutors hire and fire staff members.Gilbert reportedly quit after he clashed with the Trump administration over a personnel matter.Cardinal News political reporter Elizabeth Beyer has written about this story and she spoke with Fred Echols.
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People in Patrick County are hopeful that they'll soon have a hospital again.Since the county's only hospital closed in 2017 residents have had to drive as much as two hours for emergency room care.Tennessee-based Braden Health, which bought the hospital at auction last year, is the third company to try and re-open the hospital.Cardinal News reporter Emily Schabacker is covering this story and she talked with Fred Echols.
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New projections from UVA's Weldon Cooper Center indicate that many localities in Southwest and Southside Virginia could lose 30% of their populations by the year 2050.
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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.
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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.
