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.

 

Pet Pals: Lola

On this week’s Pet Pals segment, WINK News anchor Taylor Petras is introduced to a new adoptable pet, Lola. If you’re looking for a cuddly little pal to add to your home, look no further than adopting Lola at the Gulf Coast Humane Society. This 7-year-old wirehair came from a rough home before she ended […]

Pet Pals: Emeril

On this week’s Pet Pals segment, WINK News anchor Taylor Petras is introduced to an adoptable dog named Emeril. Emeril is a 4-year-old lab/terrier mix who would be the perfect addition to any family. He is a friendly, well-behaved dog who has been at the Gulf Coast Humane Society for around a month. Emeril has […]

Woman remembers friend living on top floor of collapsed Surfside condo

One year after the deadly condominium collapse in Surfside, WINK News returned to the site of Champlain Towers South for the vigil held by the families and friends of the victims. One woman remembered her friend who lived on the top floor of the fallen Surfside condo and had been thinking of moving out. Dawn […]

A man remembers his grandmother, the 12th person to be recovered from the rubble of the Surfside condo collapse.

Man remembers grandmother, 12th victim found after Surfside collapse

One year after the deadly condominium collapse in Surfside, WINK News returned to the site of Champlain Towers South for the vigil held by the families and friends of the victims. One man remembered his grandmother, the 12th victim in Surfside to be recovered from the rubble. Michael Noriega, like most of the victims’ loved […]

Pet Pals: Ranger

On this weekly Pet Pal segment, WINK News anchor Taylor Petras meets another adoptable pet from the Gulf Coast Humane Society: Ranger. Ranger has been patiently waiting at GCHS for around 3 months. Ranger is an athletic 4-year-old who would love a home with active humans, but he is also known to just lounge around. […]

Pet Pals: Bucky

In this weekly Pet Pals segment, WINK News anchor Taylor Petras is introduced to the Gulf Coast Humane Society’s newest adoptable pet, Bucky. Bucky is a handsome brindle terrier looking for his forever home. The 5-year-old dog is described as a “big snuggle-bug” who loves people. Bucky has a lot of love to give to […]

The U.S. Department of Justice has tapped a retired police chief living in Naples to help investigate the law enforcement response during the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in May.

Retired police chief living in Naples helps investigate Uvalde shooting

The U.S. Department of Justice has tapped a retired police chief living in Naples to help investigate the law enforcement response during the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in May. Kristen Ziman got the call from the DOJ just last week. She is one of nine experts enlisted to mount this investigation, and […]

Denny Grimes: Timing in the housing market

Realtor.com released its weekly housing market update, and those numbers could influence our local housing market. Denny Grimes with Denny Grimes and team at Keller Williams Realty joins WINK News anchor Taylor Petras to explain how. Watch the full video above.

Pet Pals: Queen

On this week’s Pet Pals segment, WINK News anchor Taylor Petras is introduced to adoptable dog Queen. Queen, a 2-year-old terrier mix, is a recent grad of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Cell Dog Program, in which she spent weeks getting hundreds of hours of obedience training. All of her fellow grads have already been […]

Late ADHD diagnosis helps Southwest Florida woman find her focus in life

ADHD, a mental health disorder typically diagnosed in children, wasn’t identified for one Southwest Florida woman until she was in her late 20s. Looking back, she says she now knows she struggled with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder all along. Ashleigh DePalma still remembers the notes on her report cards from her teachers. “‘Ashleigh doesn’t stay […]