Samantha Valentino
Reporter
Samantha Valentino joined the WKYT team in April 2022.
She grew up in Connecticut where she fell in love with journalism at a young age. Samantha moved to Lexington in 2018 to study broadcast journalism and criminology at the University of Kentucky.
While at UK, she helped create the University of Kentucky's podcast "Bowman's Friends," hosted WRFL 88.1 F.M.'s news program "Campus Voices," and worked as an anchor, reporter, and producer for the UK Student News Network.
Samantha came to WKYT part-time just before graduating from UK and switched to full-time the day after crossing the graduation stage.
Is Kentucky sports betting impacting its neighboring states?
An investigation is underway after school officials say they received a report Wednesday morning of a possible student who might have barricaded themself in a room at Frederick Douglass High School.
Court documents show he was arrested for a DUI in his patrol car over the early Saturday morning.
‘Handle with Care’ program helps Ky. schools and law enforcement keep kids safe
The U.S. State Department says it’s unclear how many Americans are stuck in Israel after attacks by the Hamas militant group. Among them is Lexington-born Vincent Sanford.
The White House says women and children who count on WIC could be some of the first to feel the effects of a government shutdown. That includes more than 100-thousand Kentuckians.
Accidental overdose becomes leading cause of death in Kentuckians under 40
More than 300 thousand people in Kentucky have faced cannabis charges in the past two decades
Kentucky is facing a shortage of school counselors. More than 100 schools in the Commonwealth are without even a single counselor.
The federal “Assistance to Firefighters Grant” will expand paramedic training.
Lexington man dresses up as a bush, pranks UK students
People from across the country traveled to Richmond to take a trip back in time this weekend.
Kentuckians are now one step closer to being able to place bets on sporting events in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Board of Education is starting the process to search for a new education commissioner.
6,000 new students are moving into the university’s 19 residence halls this week.
We spoke to one woman in Perry County about that fateful day one year ago.
According to state police, the vast majority of Kentucky’s serious crimes went down last year.
A potential UPS strike could have a significant impact both nationally and in Kentucky.
It has been over one year since a fire ripped through historic downtown Millersburg. Now a nonprofit is working to revitalize the city.
Soon, parents will take their children back to school shopping.
He proposed at a Taylor Swift concern and she ‘just said yes.’
The City of Lexington has hosted the Kentucky River Clean Sweep for more than two decades.
After an investigation by the Justice Department, the Madison County School District will be making changes to stop racial harassment in schools.
Officials in Montgomery County are investigating after people reported finding concerning flyers in their front yards.
Parents of incoming University of Kentucky students say they are having a difficult time securing on-campus housing.
Election day is Tuesday, and the Attorney General’s Office is asking voters to report suspected election fraud.
Kentucky Education Commissioner Dr. Jason Glass appears to be seeking new employment.
A Kentucky elementary school student is accused of using a kitchen knife to hurt a classmate.
The suspect in a deadly shooting in Lexington was in court Monday morning.
For the first time since 2018, drug overdose rates in Kentucky are down from the year before.
In the wake of the mass shooting in Louisville, police at the University of Kentucky want to make sure students and staff know how to keep themselves safe.
Parents planning surprise for their 6-year-old-son with cancer
They’re now calling it the “Do No Harm Act”, but LGBTQ advocates say that’s exactly what it will do.
In 2020 and 2022, bills legalizing medical marijuana passed the House only to die in the Senate. This session, Senate Bill 47 was filed by Senator Stephen West, R-Paris, and would create a medicinal cannabis program.
Flooding continued to cause problems in southeastern Kentucky into Friday morning.
Valentine’s Day, a holiday for celebrating love, is especially significant for one Kentucky couple.
Valentine’s Day is Tuesday and for one Mount Sterling couple, the holiday is especially significant.
Lexington police have confirmed the city's first homicide of 2023.
We are 23 days into 2023, and Lexington has not seen its first homicide. That’s the longest the city has gone into a new year without a homicide in a decade.
After a failed campaign for the US Senate against Senator Rand Paul, former State Representative Charles Booker said that his work isn’t over.
As Omicron subvariant XBB1.5 is making it's way through the county, experts give tips on how to protect yourself.
We’re taking a closer look at several of the issues that will be back on the table when they return in February
Governor Beshear says the National Guard, Kentucky State Police, and local first responders have assisted road crews in trying to clear the interstate and conducting wellness checks on those stuck on I-71.
Court records obtained by WKYT say a man threatened to blow up Eastern Kentucky University after his son was academically suspended.
The fire happened Thursday morning at a house on Antioch Ave. in Burnside.
Due to the passing of house bill 4, On January 1, Kentucky's unemployment benefits will change for the first time in 84 years.
The bus crashed Monday morning on Route 40 east of Salyersville.
The student's charges include alcohol intoxication in a public place, disorderly conduct, fourth degree assault and third degree assault (of a police officer). Her bond was set at $10,000.
