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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While many areas in Virginia are losing population through out-migration, Danville is among those seeing more people move in than move out, about 800 more over the past three years. And it's gaining more new residents than some much larger cities.Fred Echols spoke with Dwayne Yancey of Cardinal News about the latest data. -
Seventy years ago Jackie Robinson was the most famous athlete in America. Even people who didn't follow baseball knew the name of the first Black man to play in the major leagues.When Robinson's Brooklyn Dodgers played a 1952 exhibition game in Lynchburg 5,000 people turned out to watch.Now, an unexpected discovery has made that game a topic of conversation again. Fred Echols spoke with Mark Robertson who wrote about the find for Cardinal News.
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A Danville company called Circ began as a startup 13 years ago and now has become an international player in the new world of fabrics and fashion. Fred Echols spoke with Grace Mamon, who wrote about the company for Cardinal News.
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A bill passed by the General Assembly this year would provide money to public schools in Roanoke and Petersburg for a pilot program designed to steer middle school students away from violence and guns. Delegate Sam Rasoul, who introduced the Community Builders bill, says he expects the governor to sign it even though he hasn't yet done so.Lisa Rowan reported on Community Builders for Cardinal News and spoke about it with Fred Echols.
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A first-of-its-kind solar power project at a Virginia community college is designed to both save money for the school and create a new learning opportunity for students. Fred Echols talked with Matt Busse who reported the story for Cardinal News.
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Virginia law requires schools to make menstrual products available to students free of charge. But the state provides no dedicated funding to help schools pay for them.Lisa Rowan has written about the issue for Cardinal News and spoke with Fred Echols.
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In 2015, Virginia became the only state to have a dedicated Animal Law Unit in its Attorney General's Office – and it remains so today. Mark D. Robertson wrote about the ALU for Cardinal News and spoke with Radio IQ's Fred Echols.
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The Smart Road, run by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute in Blacksburg, has been a national center for traffic safety research for two decades.Now it's generating data that will be used to perfect autonomous driving technology.Tad Dickens of Cardinal News visited the Smart Road recently and talked about it with Fred Echols.
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Census figures show just over 18% of Virginia workers do their jobs remotely, a trend that many rural counties with lower costs of living hope to use to their advantage. Dwayne Yancey with Cardinal News has studied the data and talked about it with Fred Echols.
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Some of the lesser-known stories of the American Revolution involve the thousands of enslaved people who fought on both sides. One of them was Cesar Tarrant who served in the Virginia Navy.Fred Echols spoke with Randy Walker who wrote about Tarrant for a Cardinal News series marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
