Meredith McCool
Freelance ReporterMeredith McCool was born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley. With degrees in geology, teaching, and curriculum and instruction from William and Mary, Alaska Pacific University, and the University of Virginia, Meredith has worked as an environmental educator, elementary teacher, and college professor. Meredith comes to reporting with a background in qualitative research and oral history.
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On Saturday, Indivisible Charlottesville organized a New Orleans-style funeral march on the downtown mall to mourn what they see as a loss of civil liberties in America – and celebrate hope for the future. WMRA’s Meredith McCool followed the procession. -
On November 1st, federal SNAP food benefits for millions of Americans were paused for the first time since the country's largest anti-hunger program began six decades ago. But one local organization continues to share food and build community. WMRA’s Meredith McCool reports. -
Keisha Nicholson started the Love Forward Foundation in 2015 as a grassroots movement to help the families of the incarcerated heal and grow. Today, the foundation’s "Creative Haven" in downtown Staunton provides a space for creative coping. WMRA’s Meredith McCool paid a visit and filed this report. -
On Monday, Buena Vista held its 54th annual Labor Day Festival. The event featured a parade and political speeches as an official kick-off to the 2025 election season. WMRA’s Meredith McCool reports. -
As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of independence from Great Britain, the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton is considering the unique contributions of the people of Virginia’s Frontier to American independence. WMRA’s Meredith McCool attended an "Evening With Crockett’s Battalion" and filed this report. -
While civilian casualties continue to increase in Israel, Gaza, and Iran, protesters gathered at Court Square in Harrisonburg on Saturday to demand government action toward peaceful resolution of both conflicts. That protest happened just hours before President Trump ordered U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. WMRA’s Meredith McCool reports. -
Consequences of the Trump administration's tariffs and funding cuts are converging at cultural organizations such as the Virginia Quilt Museum as they prepare to celebrate America's 250th birthday. WMRA's Meredith McCool reports. -
In cities and small towns around the country, people gathered for "No Kings" protests over the weekend in opposition to President Trump's policies. WMRA’s Meredith McCool and Calvin Pynn were at two protests in the Shenandoah Valley and filed these reports. -
Following President Trump's proposal to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts, or NEA, hundreds of arts groups across the U.S. received notification of the withdrawal and termination of their grants, as NPR reported. Some of those arts groups facing funding cuts are in Staunton. WMRA’s Meredith McCool reports. -
In the wake of several recent Supreme Court decisions, Indivisible Charlottesville staged a rally in support of the rule of law on Wednesday afternoon. WMRA’s Meredith McCool was there.
