Professional Experience

2016 to present: Investigative reporter, WINK News. Previously worked as a producer at KPRC-TV in Houston, WKMG-TV in Orlando and WINK News.

Awards & Recognition

  • Florida Associated Press Finalist for Investigative Reporting, 2018
  • Suncoast Regional Emmy Nominee for Crime News, 2017
  • Lonestar Emmy Awards, winner for Best Investigative Story, nominee for Best Business/Consumer Story, 2016.
  • Houston Press Club, first place for TV Consumer News, 2016.
  • Texas Associated Press Broadcasters, second place for news series, 2016.
  • National Press Club Award, third place for investigative reporting, 2012.
  • IRE/NICAR, Holly Wisenhunt Stephen Fellowship recipient, 2011.
  • Suncoast Emmy Awards, winner for Crime Story, 2008. Five-time nominee, 2010 - 2014.
  • Edward R Murrow Awards, 2008 and 2009 regional winner for Investigative Reporting.

Hobbies, Interests & Community Service

Cooking, fitness, running, yoga, scrapbooking,  reading the New York Times' travel section, dreaming about places to travel and sometimes going there, watching my husband golf, taking the dog to the beach, rooting for the Steelers and Nittany Lions, and spoiling my nieces and little ‘sister’. I'm also a Big Brothers & Big Sister mentor, volunteer at PACE school for girls and WGCU's radio reading for blind and visually impaired.

Education

Penn State University

Likes best about Southwest Florida

"The people."

Birthplace

Western Pennsylvania.

93-year-old recovers from COVID-19, released from NCH North Naples

Tom Tegen served our nation honorably during World War II. He’s 93 years old and is now a survivor of the coronavirus. He was released from NCH North Naples Sunday afternoon with the “Rocky” theme playing, as he exited the hospital in victory. That’s also when Tom hugged on of his three children for the […]

Cost of Care: COVID-19 bills for uninsured patients could be catastrophic

Doctors in an Orlando area hospital saved Kevin Rathel’s life in April. After three weeks in the hospital and some time on the ventilator, he was released. But months later, the Rathels still don’t know how much of his hospitalization and care they will have to pay for. “You’ve gone through this big ordeal, and […]

Containing COVID-19: Lessons on living with the virus from inside a SWFL hospital

NCH Healthcare System boasts a nearly perfect track record when it comes to containing the spread of COVID-19 within its walls. The hospital system claims that it’s had no patient-to-patient transmission, and only one employee has contracted the virus while at work. “That means we can live with COVID, and by the way news flash, […]

Sheriff’s office requests new case review on 2016 Stand Your Ground shooting decision

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office asked the State Attorney’s Office to review new information obtained concerning the death of Ryan Modell. Modell was killed by James “Steve” Taylor outside a south Fort Myers townhome in a stand your ground shooting. Modell tried to enter Taylor’s home in March 2016. Taylor then shot and killed him […]

Gilead’s $2,340 price for coronavirus drug draws criticism

The maker of a drug shown to shorten recovery time for severely ill COVID-19 patients says it will charge $2,340 for a typical treatment course for people covered by government health programs in the United States and other developed countries. Gilead Sciences announced the price Monday for remdesivir, and said the price would be $3,120 […]

COVID-19 spikes at nursing home where workers complained about safety concerns

A nursing home where workers complained of a lack of PPE and information about coronavirus currently has more COVID-19 positive residents than any other facility in Southwest Florida. According to Florida Department of Health data released Thursday, there are 34 COVID-19 positive residents at Heritage Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Fort Myers. It’s not known […]

Florida law protects identity of a killer in Stand Your Ground shooting

On March 1, 2019, David Norgard texted his mother, Sylvia, that he’d be home shortly after 9 p.m. Seven minutes later, a 911 call came into the Collier County Sheriff’s office. After an argument with another driver near the intersection of 23rd Street Southwest and 16th Street Southwest in eastern Collier County, Norgard, 24, was […]

Father of suspended police officer wants son’s reputation restored

Henry Jackson said his son Jason wanted to be a police officer since he was a little boy. In 2007, Jason Jackson became a fully certified officer with the Fort Myers Police department and excelled. He passed the detective’s exam and got promoted to a newly formed gang unit in 2016. A few months later, […]

Suspect in drug informant’s murder will not face death penalty

A man accused of running a drug ring from Panama City to Fort Myers and ordering the murder of a Fort Myers police drug informant will not face the death penalty. At a remote hearing Thursday, Judge Virginia Covington said the Department of Justice decided not to pursue the death penalty against Robert Ward. Ward […]