Professional Experience

2019 to present: Taylor is our Collier County reporter. She previously worked at WTVA in Tupelo, Mississippi as a reporter and weekend evening anchor.

While in school she interned at NBC 6 in Miami and CBS12 in West Palm Beach.

News Philosophy

To be a light in the darkness in the communities of SWFL. To give everyone a chance to tell their side of the story and be understanding of whatever they are going through.

Hobbies, Interests, & Involvement

You can find her in the sunshine, working out, tanning, traveling, or exploring in her free time!

Education

Bachelor in Journalism and minors in Communication and Film from Florida Atlantic University!

Likes best about Southwest Florida

The sunshine ☀️

Hometown
Hello, Aloha, Annyeonghaseyo, Hey Ya’ll, those are just a few of the ways Taylor has been saying hello in the different states and country’s she has lived in. Being a self-proclaimed military brat most of her life she has never had a home base!

Coast Guard searches for two missing Naples boaters near Biscayne Bay

A Collier County man and woman are missing off Florida’s east coast. Investigators said a storm hit and flipped over their boat. Tonight, one of their friends, also from Southwest Florida, is recovering in Miami after a daring rescue. The US Coast Guard and FWC continue to search for boaters that were reported missing Sunday. […]

Hotels expect busy season in Southwest Florida

One of the main reasons people are coming to Southwest Florida — the beaches. And some hotels are saying they are already having their busiest season yet, and they have the cold weather up north to thank or it. “This will be on the books the busiest November we are going to have,” said Gary […]

Border protection officer arrested after road rage incident in Golden Gate Estates

Investigators in Collier County are looking into a road rage incident, and the suspect they arrested is a law enforcement officer. Wednesday, Collier County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a road rage incident at a 7-Eleven with a Mobil gas station in Golden Gate Estates. The suspect had already fled the scene when […]

Seal of Gulf Coast High School in Collier County. (Credit: WINK News)

School district says pro-life club authorized at Collier County high school

A student at a high school in Collier County claims Collier County Public School and an assistant principal blocked a pro-life club from forming on the high school’s campus. And a letter from the student’s legal counsel claims the assistant principal intimidated the club’s advisers from maintaining leadership roles. Through all the controversy, Collier County […]

Presents around a Christmas tree. (Credit: CBS News)

Is it too early to get into the holiday spirit? SWFL stores don’t think so

Is it too early to think about Christmas? Some of you think, “What about Thanksgiving,” while others say the earlier decorations go up, the merrier. But this is the season where brick and mortar stores shine. Some people said they are skipping another one of their favorite holidays. “It seems like Halloween and Christmas are […]

Tragic yet incredible video shows bears trying to help injured cub

Disturbing video shows a family of bears in Immokalee trying to help one of their own. Drivers could not believe what they saw. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said a car hit a cub and it later died. Lisha DeShay was freaking out when she took the video. “It was heartbreaking to see […]

Nearby North Naples homeowners want roadway’s speed limit increased

There is a push in North Naples to get the speed limit increased along a busy roadway. Nearby homeowners said, because the speed limit was reduced, more people are crossing the double yellow line to get around. Nearby homeowners say the speed limit along a stretch of Imperial Golf Course Boulevard in North Naples doesn’t […]

Fishermen hook large shark near Marco Island

Video shared with us shows the moments when a group of fishermen caught a large shark in the Gulf near Marco Island. The four fishermen who snagged the big fish told us they go every Friday. This time, they were on the hunt for one specific type of shark: the Great white shark. “Catching the […]

Thousands show up to North Naples neighborhood on Halloween

Organizers say thousands showed up for one of the largest trick-or-treats in the area. We looked into how deputies keep everyone safe on Halloween for an event this large. Watch the video above for the full story by WINK News Reporter Taylor Smith, who went to a packed Victoria Park neighborhood in North Naples on […]

FILE - In this July 25, 2014 file photo, a black bear in captivity waits for visitors to throw food into his pen at the the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, Maine. Money is pouring into Maine to support - and oppose - a referendum to ban three methods of bear hunting. Both sides have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in an attempt to win the November ballot question. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

FWC seeks feedback on its update to the FL Black Bear Management Plan

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission made an update to the Florida Black Bear Management Plan. Now, it wants your input to guide bear management for the next 10 years. In areas of Southwest Florida, like Golden Gate, bears rummaging through trash cans, looking for the bare necessities is becoming the norm. The FWC […]