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.

 

Dr. Smith: Undetected breast cancer on the rise

During the pandemic, many people stopped getting regular check-ups from their doctors. Dr. Krystal Smith explains how has the COVID-19 pandemic has affected women getting mammograms, what the current screening guidelines are and how the Breast Center of Naples is making it easy and safe for women to get their annual screening mammograms. Watch full […]

Gabby Petito disappearance: Moab police report details altercation between van life couple

Traveling together in a cramped van for four to five months created an emotional strain for Gabby Petito and her boyfriend Brian Laundrie. That is what Brian Laundrie told a police officer with the Moab Police Department in Utah almost two weeks before Petito’s family stopped hearing from the  22-year-old. An incident report shows Petito […]

Fiancé now person of interest in disappearance of North Port woman

North Port Police Department is considering fiancé Brian Laundrie a person of interest Tuesday in the recent disappearance of 22-year-old Gabby Petito. Petito has not been seen in weeks, and she was most recently traveling cross country with Laundrie, who returned from the trip without her. Police have a lot of questions for Laundrie, but […]

Campo Felice sold, Fort Myers community will no longer be 55-plus

A $55 million sale of a building in downtown Fort Myers is putting hundreds of seniors out of needed services. Emergency equipment inside of each room of Campo Felice is no longer functioning and restaurants inside of the building are closed. Westside Capital Group, a Miami real estate company, bought the building Tuesday for $55 […]

On cam: FMPD officer slams woman to the ground; some say it’s justified

Fort Myers police recently broke up a fight by body-slamming a woman to the ground. The use of force was caught on camera by a witness. That recording is circulating online and shows the chaotic scene outside of a bar. Fort Myers Police Department responded to the video circulating on social media Tuesday, saying safety […]

Demand skyrockets for ivermectin in Florida; poison control spikes

Demand is skyrocketing for a livestock drug. More people are buying Ivermectin from feed stores to treat COVID-19. Florida Poison Control Centers is treating a spike in cases related to the drug after people experienced dangerous side effects. The drug is made as a deworming medicine for livestock, not for human use. Ivermectin, a drug […]

2 young kids die in crash; woman arrested for letting teen daughter drive

A second child has died after a crash that saw their unlicensed older sibling behind the wheel. WINK News first told you about this crash on Saturday night. Now, the mother of those children could face charges since she made her 14-year-old unlicensed daughter drive her van. The woman who was arrested was intoxicated when […]

Fort Myers community activist remembered for giving people a voice

Southwest Florida is mourning the loss of a community activist. Monday, Anthony Thomas Jr. died of cancer in the hospital. He had been receiving treatment there for the past few months and even worked in his hospital bed until his death. Thomas was someone who didn’t need a council seat to make his voice heard […]

Bonita Springs monoclonal antibody treatment site busy, appointments going fast

A new way to treat the coronavirus surge and take a load off our packed hospitals is in motion. Dozens of sick people showed up to get the monoclonal antibody treatment Monday at the Old Bonita Springs Library site. The site was busy, and appointments are all booked up through Wednesday morning. It’s a shot […]