Coffee shop talk

Fredericksburg Free Press
  • 5.0 (2)
  • NEWS COMMENTARY

Two people, one Fredericksburg-area coffee shop. A Fredericksburg Free Press podcast.

Episodes

  1. 5D AGO

    Joy Crump at Anita's Cafe (Flat white, a chef's journey and pivot to public service)

    Joy and Joey discuss the former's decision to run for City Council in Ward 2, and her experience in office for the past two-plus months. Also, food things.

    38 min

  2. 12/10/2025

    Eto Otitigbe (Dirty Chai and the art of taking things apart at Agora Downtown Coffee Shop)

    This month, host Joey LoMonaco sits down with Eto Otitigbe, an MIT-educated engineer-turned-artist who has spent the past year designing an installation where a slave auction block once stood in downtown Fredericksburg.

    26 min

  3. 10/30/2025

    Dr. Anand Rao (AI and Cafe au Lait at Eileen's Bakery)

    This month, Joey talks with Dr. Anand Rao, the director of UMW's Center for AI and the Liberal Arts. The two discuss the robotic technology's ability to disrupt and what it means for us humans. In a meta-ironic twist, the audio file got so scuffed that it required AI mastering to salvage.

    43 min
  4. Micah Ministries' Meghann Cotter (Pumpkin frozen dirty chai at Hyperion Espresso)

    09/29/2025

    Micah Ministries' Meghann Cotter (Pumpkin frozen dirty chai at Hyperion Espresso)

    For this month's episode, host Joey LoMonaco sits down with Meghann Cotter, the longtime Executive Director of Micah Ecumenical Ministries, to deconstruct narratives about homelessness.

    31 min

  5. 08/22/2025

    Deuntay Diggs (black coffee at Anita's Cafe)

    Diggs, the current chair of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors also known as "the dancing deputy", opens up about his childhood traumas and how he emerged on the other side as an individual who doesn't fit preconceived molds. His memoir, "Beneath the Scar," is available on Amazon.

    49 min
  6. Dr. Gaila Sims (Iced Lavender Latte at Agora Downtown Coffee Shop)

    06/16/2025

    Dr. Gaila Sims (Iced Lavender Latte at Agora Downtown Coffee Shop)

    Gaila looks back on the job of a lifetime and looks ahead to her new book about race, museums and the many ways in which the latter can help interpret the former.

    32 min

  7. 04/21/2025

    Cindy Hadge — (iced mocha latte from Hyperion) [at Old Mill Park])

    Cindy Hadge, the Director of Collaborative Projects for the Wildflower Alliance, shares her life story and experiences with mental health issues, especially the role of peer support in helping her to help others who hear voices.

    30 min

  8. 03/16/2025

    FCPS School Board Chair Matt Rowe (Cappuccino/Cortado at 25 30 Espresso)

    Joey sits down with Matt Rowe to discuss the challenges facing city schools, his city council run and the dude who played Cooter on "The Dukes of Hazzard."

    36 min

  9. 02/10/2025

    Curry Roberts (More data centers and 25 30 Espresso to go)

    Host Joey LoMonaco sits down with Fredericksburg Regional Alliance President Curry Roberts to discuss data centers from an economic development standpoint. Our chosen coffee shop (25 30 Espresso) was at capacity, so we ordered drinks and walked across the street to the newsroom.

    42 min

  10. 01/13/2025

    Eric Bonds (Data Centers and Caramel latte [hot) at Eileen's Bakery & Cafe

    Host Joey LoMonaco sits down with Dr. Eric Bonds, who teaches environmental sociology at the University of Mary Washington. Naturally, he has a few thoughts on data centers and the recent JLARC report that explores their impacts in the Commonwealth.

    31 min

  11. 11/24/2024

    Mayor Kerry Devine (Café Au Lait at Agora Downtown Coffee Shop)

    Free Press managing editor Joey LoMonaco sits down with Fredericksburg Mayor Kerry Devine to discuss her two decades in city government, as well as data centers, homelessness and affordable housing.

    35 min

  12. 11/01/2024

    UMW's Stephen Farnsworth (Americano) at Agora Downtown Coffee Shop

    Free Press managing editor Joey LoMonaco sits down with Stephen Farnsworth, the Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington for a wide-ranging conversation that touches on his pivot from journalist to political scientist, the laughing matter of politics and, of course, the upcoming presidential election.

    53 min
  • 12 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Two people, one Fredericksburg-area coffee shop. A Fredericksburg Free Press podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Fredericksburg Free Press
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Fredericksburg Free Press
  • Show Website
    Coffee shop talk