A seasoned journalist with more than six years of experience, Ike Fredregill started as the Glenwood Springs Post Independent’s city and business reporter on Monday, Aug. 9.
Fredregill’s reporting will focus on the city of Glenwood Springs and business throughout Garfield County, including tourism, energy and real estate. Before joining the Post Independent, Fredregill wrote for the Altoona Mirror in Altoona, Pennsylvania; Laramie Boomerang in Laramie, Wyoming, and various publications across the nation as a freelance reporter and photographer.
In addition to his news experience, Fredregill served in the U.S. Army as a forward observer and was combat deployed to Iraq in 2007.
When not on the job, he enjoys tabletop board games, skiing and exploring local cuisines with his wife and their dog Odysseus.
Fredregill talked with Editor Peter Baumann during his first week about settling in Glenwood Springs and what he looks forward to at the Post Independent.
How was the journey here? I know the I-70 closure was a bit unexpected.
We spent about a week on the road between Pennsylvania and Glenwood Springs, so we had plenty of time to plan a different route. We didn’t do much sightseeing, but it was a pleasant journey none the less.
You’ve worn many hats outside of journalism in life, including as a soldier, an apprentice pipefitter and a certified welder, just to name a few. How has your range of life experience shaped your approach to journalism?
My pops used to tell me “a jack of all trades is a master of none.” I think what he was trying to say was “stay focused,” but what I heard was “you don’t have to know everything about one thing if you know a little about a lot of things.”
Prior to journalism, my backwards interpretation of an age-old idiom led me down many paths, some more useful than others. News reporting, however, allows me to travel a single path while using my previous life experiences to connect with the “masters,” as Pops called them, and explain the state of things in a way us “jacks” can understand.
What is it about community journalism in Garfield County that you’re most excited about? What’s your assessment of our news environment so far?
People in Garfield County are hungry for quality news reporting in a way I have rarely seen, and I am excited to be part of a team that not only acknowledges that hunger, but seeks new and exciting ways to fulfill the community’s desire to stay connected and informed.
My initial impression of the news environment is it focuses on the here and now as well as the immediate and soon-to-follow impacts. I believe this fast-paced, on-point approach will hone my skills, but I also look forward to throwing out an anchor once in a while and looking back at how the now was influenced by the decisions and actions of the past.
What are you most excited about in the coming year?
Writing outstanding stories about oft overlooked aspects of community life that readers will use as random conversation starters during awkward silences at the dinner table.
What are some ways you enjoy being involved in the community and what are three fun things you’re most likely doing if not working?
As a veteran, much of my community involvement revolves around getting to know the local military service organizations and finding out where I can be of the most help to my fellow veterans.
I’m most likely fly fishing, whittling wooden knick knacks or walking through the wilds with my wife and dog when I’m not at work.
Is there anything else you’d like the community to know? If a reader wants to reach out, what’s the best way to get a hold of you?
I may be the name at the top of the story, but I am just the middleman. I couldn’t provide accurate and poignant coverage without the community’s input.
Call me, write me or email me. Let me know what is most important to you, because every voice matters, and you know where the best stories can be found.
Ike Fredregill can be reached by phone at 970-384-9154, email at ifredregill@postindependent.com or mail at 823 Blake St., Suite No. 101, Glenwood, CO 81601.
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