Professional Experience

July 2018 to present: Reporter, WINK News. Previously worked as a resident reporter at WVVA in Bluefield, W.Va.; at ABC 7 Chicago as a news planning intern; at Dateline NBC as a story development intern; and at the Northwestern University's Medill Justice Project as a multimedia investigative reporter.

Awards & Recognition

Hearst Foundation Journalism Award for Enterprise Reporting.

Assistant produced 2-hour, Dateline episode hosted by Keith Morrison, “At the Bottom of the Pool,” aired Oct. 13, 2017.

Kappa Tau Alpha National Honor Society - lifelong membership exclusively for students in top 10 percent of their graduating class in journalism programs across the country.

National QuestBridge Scholar - awarded to the country's most talented, determined, and self-motivated students from low-income populations who demonstrate outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges.

News Philosophy

We consume news when we are gripped by the emotions making us all human — these are the stories that knock us off our feet. Tell the stories not easily seen that must be experienced through the emotions we all feel.

Hobbies, Interests & Community Involvement

Running and cycling! I love all of the fitness-inspired events South West Florida holds to benefit others.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, Magna Cum Laude.

Likes best about Southwest Florida

I am so grateful for the hundreds of days you can spend outdoors with friends and family.

Hometown 

Keystone Heights, Florida.

vaccine lines

Tracking COVID-19 vaccination disparities by race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status

On Sunday, 60 minutes focused on what it called the disparities in Florida’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution. They highlighted disparities between wealthy communities and those with limited access to shots. WINK News wants to hear from those in minority communities who believe they don’t have access to vaccines. For underserved neighborhoods and farmworkers, there were weeks […]

Investigators lean toward brush fire being accident caused by homeless cooking in woods

Investigators continued to work Thursday to determine the cause of a brush fire that burned eleven acres in North Fort Myers the day before. A fire was brought under control near the intersection with US-41 and Business 41. North Fort Myers Fire Control and Rescue Service District is leaning toward the fire being an accident […]

Lofton’s Island is bare and ready for development

The trees are gone and the land is vacant. Now everyone wants to know what is happening on Lofton’s Island. The island, between the Caloosahatchee and Edison bridges, was sold in 2020 for roughly $1.6 million. The island is now bare. “They always have their mystique,” said Lamar Fisher, president and CEO of the Fisher […]

Casey Crowther: Target Roofing will stay in business

Customers of a Southwest Florida business whose owner faces prison time have been left wondering what his conviction means for paid projects and warranties. Casey Crowther, the owner of Target Roofing and Sheet Metal, misused COVID-19 relief money and will be sentenced in three months. He could be sentenced to anywhere from 30 years to […]

Jury finds Target Roofing owner Casey Crowther guilty of fraud with COVID relief funds

A jury found Casey Crowther guilty on all counts of misusing COVID relief funds in federal court on Friday. The jury deliberated for about one hour before finding the Target Roofing company owner guilty of four counts of misusing Payment Protection Program money meant to pay employees. Instead, Crowther used the money for lavish personal […]

Day 3 of trial: Bank employee, HR Director testify on Casey Crowther’s PPP loans

A Sanibel Captiva Community Bank employee testified on day three of Casey Crowther’s federal trial that the Target Roofing owner misrepresented his information on a loan application at the bank. Jurors also heard from the director of Human Resources at Target Roofing. A big question during the trial is whether Crowther, 35, misused COVID relief […]

Prosecutors: Casey Crowther, Target Roofing owner, falsified employees to qualify for PPP loan for a boat

The trial against Casey Crowther began its second day on Tuesday with opening statements. By lunchtime, at least three witnesses had testified and the last count, illegal monetary transaction, was dismissed. Crowther is accused of COVID relief fraud after authorities said he used the payment protection program to buy a 40-foot catamaran. Crowther’s attorneys said […]