Professional Experience

May 2023 - present: Sports Reporter at WINK News

September 2020 – May 2023: Reporter at WINK News
Previously worked as a Sports and News Anchor/Reporter at WUFT News in Gainesville, FL; Sports Coordinator at ESPN Gainesville WRUF; interned at WSVN and 790 The Ticket in Miami, FL

Awards & Recognition

2020 Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists Award in Education Reporting
2020 Broadcast Education Association Award of Excellence (TV Sports Talent, TV Sports News Program, and TV Sports Story/Feature Short)
University of Florida Red Barber Award

News Philosophy

Every story must be told with honesty and integrity. It’s a journalist’s responsibility and privilege to share people’s stories.

Hobbies, interests and community involvement

Spending time with friends and family; and cheering on the Florida Gators, Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins and New York Yankees.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication-News, University of Florida summa cum laude

Likes best about SWFL

Being a native Floridian, it’s great to be within driving distance to friends and family as well as everything the state has to offer. The people here truly make SWFL feel like home. You also can’t beat Florida in the winter!

Hometown

Fort Lauderdale, FL

New Cape Coral city hall permitting counter hours

Before Hurricane Ian, the permitting counter at city hall was closed on Fridays to make progress on the backlog since the office had been open six days a week for emergency permits. People come to city hall every day for many different reasons, lately, a lot of them come to file permits to start the […]

Cape Coral woman needs help removing a tiki hut from her property

High winds from Ian pushed all sorts of things where they weren’t supposed to be, and Jolene Chesley wants a tiki hut off her property that Ian left there. Chesley told WINK News that job number one is finding someone to get it off her property. “It’s depressing,” Chesley said. “Because my whole house is […]

Homes in Cape Coral lose roof tarps in Nicole’s winds

People in Cape Coral held their breath as the impacts of Nicole approached, with many worried that the tarps protecting their roofs would blow away. For some, That concern became a reality. Tarps were left flapping in the wind with sandbags trying to keep them down to protect Linda Houck’s roof, which has already seen […]

Sons mourn father killed as he crossed the street in Cape Coral

The Cape Coral Police Department is cracking down on safety after a father was killed crossing the street in south Cape Coral. It happened near Back Streets, a bar in the area. George Sipos’ sons say drivers should be more careful. Sipos was always the life of the party. What brought him the most joy […]

Cape Coral draining problems ahead of Nicole

Tropical Storm Nicole will not be as intense as Ian, but the damage Ian did could make the effects of Nicole worse. Just like in Cape Coral, storm drains are filled up with debris, and ever since Ian, whenever it rains, the roads and streets of Cape Coral flood, making it a pain to get […]

Removal of shrimp boats begins near Fort Myers Beach waters

Shrimp boats that were damaged during Hurricane Ian were removed from San Carlos Island on Friday. It was a bittersweet moment for shrimpers who could finally see just how badly they were damaged. The first boat, the Double E, was finally lifted after being thrown onto its side during Hurricane Ian. Wayne Romano has worked […]

A look at the damage suffered by CenturyLink’s infrastructure

Extensive damage to CenturyLink’s remote terminals is leaving customers offline for weeks after Hurricane Ian. The destruction makes it challenging to get back online. There is rust and corrosion, as well as dried mud on wires. So much is damaged that the internet provider is bringing in 17,000 miles of cable. People have reached out […]

Miceli's Restaurant

Miceli’s Restaurant on Matlacha reopens just five weeks after Hurricane Ian

A popular restaurant in Matlacha has rebuilt from scratch just five weeks after Hurricane Ian brought in 40 inches of flood water. Miceli’s was a staple in the community, and on Tuesday, the restaurant reopened. The owners say they were motivated to help the community feel a sense of normalcy. The staff at Miceli’s Restaurant […]

Cape Coral man accused of manslaughter after unintentional shooting in car

A Cape Coral man was arrested Sunday morning after police say he shot a man with a handgun he didn’t realize was loaded. According to the Cape Coral Police Department, Giordanni Vidal Castro, 18, was arrested after police responded to a call from Cape Coral Hospital at around 12:15 a.m. The call said a man, […]

Generator causes house fire in Cape Coral

Five people are without a home after a generator short-circuited and caused a fire in Cape Coral. Firefighters were called to the home in the 1700 block of SW Pine Island Road at around 9:45 p.m. on Friday. The house was fully engulfed and surrounded by woods. There were no fire hydrants nearby, Cape Coral […]