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.
-
Five years after Virginia legalized marijuana for personal use the state will finally have an authorized retail market. The General Assembly will write the rules for how that market will work and stores are expected to be in business before the end of 2026.Dwayne Yancey with Cardinal News spoke with Fred Echols about how that market will work. -
There's a new source of information about prenatal and postpartum care at the Virginia Department of Health website. The maternal health dashboard provides data about issues related to pregnancy and resources for dealing with those issues.
-
A Virginia judge is heading a $30 million fundraising effort to establish a full-service residential recovery center for people dealing with substance abuse in Southside.
-
Virginia's population center, which was near Richmond in 1960, has been moving steadily north ever since. Projections from the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia show that trend continuing, though at a slightly slower pace.Dwayne Yancey with Cardinal News says it's one more element in a continuing trend in the Commonwealth. He talked about it with Fred Echols.
-
Centra Health will end OB/GYN services at its Southside Community Hospital in Farmville in December. With new Medicaid rules expected to reduce insurance reimbursements to rural hospitals many providers are facing difficult decisions about whether they can afford to continue expensive services like OB/GYN.Cardinal News health reporter Emily Schabacker is covering this story and she spoke with Fred Echols.
-
The question of whether a state law would apply to raw milk sales among members of a private association has not been tested in court. A case that might have resolved the issue has been stopped short of a determination.
-
After a period of decline that accelerated during the pandemic, college enrollment numbers are showing some signs of recovery. Many smaller schools were especially hard hit, but at least in Virginia they're now seeing encouraging trends.
-
Forecasters say Virginia is in for difficult economic times over the coming year. Slowing job growth and rising unemployment will present major challenges for the state and the incoming governor.
-
Zoning ordinances have become the latest tool that localities in Virginia are using to discourage or prevent the opening of abortion clinics in their jurisdictions. Bedford County changed its zoning definitions this summer and now Lynchburg is following suit.Cardinal News reporter Emma Malinak is covering this story, and she spoke with Fred Echols.
-
Opportunities for college students to work as interns in Virginia businesses are getting harder to find. In Northern Virginia, for example, they're down 36% in one year. Dwayne Yancey with Cardinal News says the implications for Virginia's economy are not good. He spoke with Fred Echols.
