Professional Experience

2021 - present: WINK News morning anchor
2019 - 2021: WINK News weekend anchor/reporter
2018 - 2019: WINK News reporter
Previously worked as a weekend anchor and reporter at KMIZ in Columbia, Missouri.

Awards and Recognition

2019 Suncoast Regional Emmy Award nomination for reporting on a "Bomb Squad Search at a Home in Cape Coral."
Two Heart of America Gold Awards from the Kansas City Press Club for a special report on "Surviving a Mass Shooting" and for several reports on human and sex trafficking in mid-Missouri.

News Philosophy

Be a voice for the voiceless.

Education

Ohio University, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism

Hometown

Canonsburg, PA

Hobbies and Interests & Community Involvement

I love soaking up the sun. You can find me relaxing at the beach or at the pool with a good murder mystery book. I enjoy working out and recently became a certified Les Mills Body Pump instructor. Being just a short flight away from so many beautiful countries and territories in the Caribbean, I love exploring new areas and cultures. Animals are my favorite. I am a volunteer at the Gulf Coast Humane Society and help other rescue organizations with events and fundraisers. I also volunteer with Best Buddies Southwest Florida and the Children's Advocacy Center.

Family and Pets

My husband and I are proud parents to two black cats named Isaac and Cleo.

Likes best about Southwest Florida:

The weather and beaches. We live where people vacation.

 

Food bank says serving SWFL children is serving whole families

Almost a year since the first person in Florida tested positive for the coronavirus, many families are faced with food insecurity. Hundreds of families lined up at Harry Chapin Food Bank’s mobile food pantry event at Fleamasters Flea Market in Fort Myers Monday to receive food boxes, many with school-aged children. According to Harry Chapin […]

Goodwill thrift stores help seniors get pre-registered with state for vaccine

A thrift store is joining in on the battle to help vaccinate seniors. More than two dozen people have been able to sign up for pre-registration at the Goodwill Community Resource Center. “We saw that there’s a great need and we have a lot of elderly that come in here and they don’t know how […]

What’s up with the state’s vaccine registration system?

Florida launched a vaccine registration system late last month, but we don’t know a whole lot about it. WINK News is working to earn your trust by getting you answers to the many questions you sent us. One question we’ve heard repeatedly: how long are people in the queue for? While hundreds of people waited […]

Lee Health pushing to get more vaccines for frontline workers

Is there a COVID-19 vaccine shortage or is something more to blame? Lee Health is pleading with the state for more doses of the vaccine, and the governor’s office told WINK News on Wednesday that they sent enough vaccine to the health system to cover every worker, plus extra doses after asking them how much […]

Sanibel parking

Sanibel prices out some visitors by hiking parking fees

Sanibel is raising parking prices by the hundreds. And, this could be pricing out visitors. Leaders on Sanibel tell WINK News what is behind the increase. The quiet beaches and the seashell selection are what keeps Tracy Fox and her husband coming back to Sanibel. “We love getting out on the beach and walking and […]

Former Island Coast teacher accused of relationship with student loses teaching license

A former Lee County teacher had her state teaching license pulled after allegations she had an inappropriate relationship with a student. Denise Ayers is accused of touching the student and sending him inappropriate messages on social media. Ayers didn’t contest any of the allegations outlined in the administrative complaint filed with the Education Practices Commission. […]

Hospitals no longer able to give first dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Hospitals are no longer able to give the first round of the COVID-19 vaccine – at least for now. It has to do with how the state is changing its vaccine plans, and the decision is worrying for some who are awaiting their second shot. DeSoto Memorial Hospital posted on its Facebook page that “the […]

Fort Myers City Council approves removal of Robert E. Lee pedestal downtown

Fort Myer City Council during their Tuesday night meeting approved the removal of a pedestal where a Robert E. Lee bust used to sit. The Lee bust, which has been controversial for years, was removed last May by the Sons of Confederate Veterans following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers […]

Biden to propose 8-year citizenship path for immigrants

President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil a sweeping immigration bill on Day One of his administration, hoping to provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal status, a massive reversal from the Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies. The legislation puts Biden on track to deliver […]

Family members feel helpless trying to get vaccine appointments for loved ones

It’s become a family effort to help those 65 and older secure a vaccine appointment. Children and grandchildren call and click from afar in hopes of getting answers. People continue to experience long-distance frustrations during the pandemic. Amy Royce has not seen her parents since before the pandemic began. “The last time I saw them […]