Professional Experience

2019 to present: Reporter, WINK News
2015 to 2019: Reporter, Producer, and fill-in Anchor, WWSB in Sarasota
2014: Intern, The Today Show and NBC Nightly News in Miami

Awards & Recognition

Finalist in Feature Television Reporting for the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence awards, and Robert Corley Groves Award for Outstanding Achievement in TV Producing.

News Philosophy

Every person has a story. Be honest and transparent while sharing it with the world.

Hobbies, Interests & Community Involvement

Cheering on the Miami Hurricanes, experimenting with vegetarian recipes, spending too much money at Target and taking long naps.

Education

Bachelor of Science from the University of Miami, majoring in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in LGBTQ Studies.

Likes best about Southwest Florida

The WINK Weather Authority will never predict snow for SWFL. Every day feels like summer. It's either hot, hotter, or hottest.

Hometown

Mullica Hill, NJ.

Tampa Bay Rays investing more than $2M into Charlotte Sports Park

Get ready. Changes are coming to the Charlotte Sports Park. The Tampa Bay Rays are investing more than $2 million into their spring training home park. The upgrades will include renovations to create an indoor training space; construction of a new building for player development; and enclosing the batting cages. Some fans say improving the […]

Punta Gorda Airport will host veteran honor flights for first time ever

Local American heroes in Charlotte County have been honored, taking part in Southwest Florida honor flights in the past. Now, these veterans will have the honor and opportunity to take to the sky closer to home. For the first time ever, honor flights will leave out of Punta Gorda Airport. Veteran Jeffrey Repka said his […]

‘We made it:’ Local Vietnam veteran shares his POW story

1,882 days; five and a half years. That’s how long Vietnam veteran Wayne Smith was a prisoner of war. “We were in pretty bad shape, we certainly were,” said Smith. He shared his story with us and dozens of people at Punta Gorda’s Military Heritage Museum. The Air Force captain’s aircraft got shot down in […]

Family fulfill’s man’s dying wish to move carousel to Port Charlotte

A Port Charlotte man wanted his carousel moved from America’s oldest city to Southwest Florida, and his family made it happen. A St. Augustine merry-go-round was Jim Soules pride and joy. He inherited it from his late brother, Gerry, in 1992. And that’s where the giant toy machine has been for more than 25 years […]

Closed for business: North Port police ‘drug house’ sign causes controversy

A sign is causing controversy in North Port after police placed it on a front lawn after a drug bust. The sign reads, “This drug house closed for business, courtesy of the North Port Police Department.” It’s said to have been placed to warn other customers or dealers, but does something like this work? “Just […]

Charlotte County’s long standing 1% sales tax in voters’ hands

An added 1% sales tax in Charlotte County is up for renewal soon. If you don’t vote to extend the referendum, it will expire next year. Would you like to see a parking garage at the Charlotte Harbor Event Center? Or maybe a new rec center and pool at Port Charlotte Beach Park? We could […]

Cat in a cage from the Bahamas, soon to be adopted in Southwest Florida. (Credit: WINK News)

Lost animals by Hurricane Dorian fly to Southwest Florida for adoption

Hurricane Dorian did not only change the lives of the people living in the Bahamas. It also left pets stranded without a family. Now, you can help them. It is a doggone good day for dozens of animals impacted by Dorian. A plane full of dogs and cats flew from Nassau Bahamas to Fort Lauderdale […]

Punta Gorda Police implement new Skim Reaper device to keep you safe

A new device being used to protect your money will be placed at gas stations across Punta Gorda, and that’s not the only place. Police also plan to use the new technology called “Skim Reaper.” It’s meant to help detect skimmers before someone steals your information. Punta Gorda resident Tom Hudson calls himself lucky, “I’ve never […]

Trap door discovered at Charlotte County home in narcotics bust

On Wednesday, Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested five suspects in a narcotics bust that followed a lengthy investigation. Detectives arrested the suspects at a home along the 15000 block of Lime Drive south of Punta Gorda, where CCSO used a search warrant at the home and found narcotics, drug paraphernalia and weapons. Detectives also discovered […]

Punta Gorda honors the fallen of 9/11 at the Military Heritage Museum

Victims from the Sept. 11 plane crashes were all honored on Wednesday in Punta Gorda at the Military Heritage Museum. There are thousands of stories that are difficult to tell, but necessary to remember and share. At Punta Gorda’s Military Heritage Museum, a Sept. 11 survivor, Michael Fineo, shared his encounter when he felt his […]