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.
Updated: Nov. 11, 2023 at 12:50 PM EST
|By Samantha Valentino
God’s Pantry Food Bank prepares to feed 7,000 families this Thanksgiving
Updated: Sep. 19, 2023 at 3:43 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
More than 300 thousand people in Kentucky have faced cannabis charges in the past two decades
Updated: Jul. 30, 2023 at 3:12 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
Tyler Childers’ new music video has taken the world by storm, garnering more than 2 million views on Youtube in just a few days.
Updated: Jul. 12, 2023 at 4:11 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
Soon, parents will take their children back to school shopping.
Updated: Jul. 9, 2023 at 12:46 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
He proposed at a Taylor Swift concern and she ‘just said yes.’
Updated: Jun. 12, 2023 at 4:47 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
Officials in Montgomery County are investigating after people reported finding concerning flyers in their front yards.
Updated: Jun. 10, 2023 at 12:18 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
Support continues nearly three weeks after Scott County Deputy Caleb Conley was killed in the line of duty.
Updated: May. 8, 2023 at 4:27 PM EDT
|By WKYT News Staff, Samantha Valentino and Andrew McMunn
Officials said the classmate was injured in the shoulder.
Updated: Mar. 31, 2023 at 4:18 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino and Dave Baker
Governor Beshear signed the sports betting bill into law on Friday. It will take effect in June, but it could be longer before sports betting actually begins in the Commonwealth.
Updated: Mar. 18, 2023 at 5:52 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
Parents planning surprise for their 6-year-old-son with cancer
Updated: Feb. 24, 2023 at 3:57 PM EST
|By Samantha Valentino
House Bill 288 would make several changes to the way this misconduct is handled.
Updated: Feb. 13, 2023 at 8:59 PM EST
|By Samantha Valentino and Andrew McMunn
Valentine’s Day, a holiday for celebrating love, is especially significant for one Kentucky couple.
Updated: Jan. 22, 2023 at 2:30 PM EST
|By Samantha Valentino
UK researcher hopes study can help combat food insecurity
Updated: Jan. 13, 2023 at 5:01 PM EST
|By Samantha Valentino
Heart health experts explain what you should do if someone you know suffers a cardiac arrest.
Updated: Dec. 24, 2022 at 1:57 PM EST
|By Samantha Valentino
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.
Updated: Dec. 10, 2022 at 11:28 AM EST
|By WKYT News Staff and Samantha Valentino
Lexington activist Devine Carama officially began a 50-hour walk this morning in hopes of raising $50,000 toward Believing in Forever's annual "A Coat to Keep the Cold Away" youth coat drive.
Updated: Dec. 2, 2022 at 4:40 PM EST
|By Samantha Valentino
Kentucky is a castle doctrine state and, additionally, Kentucky has what’s called a stand-your-ground law.
Updated: Nov. 24, 2022 at 9:11 AM EST
|By WKYT News Staff and Samantha Valentino
The fire happened Thursday morning at a house on Antioch Ave. in Burnside.
Updated: Nov. 14, 2022 at 8:45 AM EST
|By WKYT News Staff and Samantha Valentino
The bus crashed Monday morning on Route 40 east of Salyersville.
Updated: Nov. 7, 2022 at 11:54 AM EST
|By WKYT News Staff and Samantha Valentino
We’re learning new details about the arrest of a University of Kentucky student accused of assaulting another student and calling her racial slurs.
Updated: Nov. 7, 2022 at 8:26 AM EST
|By WKYT News Staff, Samantha Valentino and Gray News staff
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.
Updated: Nov. 6, 2022 at 11:26 AM EST
|By WKYT News Staff and Samantha Valentino
A student at the University of Kentucky has been arrested in connection to a physical and verbal assault against another UK student.
Updated: Oct. 30, 2022 at 6:12 AM EDT
|By WKYT News Staff and Samantha Valentino
As a result of the collision, Officer Medlock suffered life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene by the Laurel County Coroner.
Updated: Oct. 20, 2022 at 5:52 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
The family of a UK student, who passed away last year, are trying to change Kentucky hazing laws.
Updated: Sep. 30, 2022 at 3:50 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
A Mount Sterling, Ky. native is assessing the damage to his Florida home in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
Updated: Sep. 23, 2022 at 6:20 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron wants fentanyl classified as a weapon of mass destruction.
Updated: Sep. 9, 2022 at 11:58 AM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
Vanessa Baker and Nancy Cundiff both lived in the Lost Creek community, which was among the hardest hit places in the area. The two were swept away by floodwaters.
Updated: Aug. 22, 2022 at 10:08 AM EDT
|By WKYT News Staff and Samantha Valentino
A dog is back with its owner after surveillance video showed the animal being tossed over the fence at the Clark County Animal Shelter.
Updated: Aug. 13, 2022 at 7:53 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
Lane Howard is selling lemonade to help a family that lost everything in the floods.
Updated: Aug. 12, 2022 at 6:08 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
Tony Calhoun was from Breathitt County, and a well-known filmmaker in the area.
Updated: Aug. 4, 2022 at 10:29 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino and Jordan Gartner
A woman in Kentucky is sharing her harrowing story of how she escaped rising floodwaters last week with her grandmother.
Updated: Jul. 30, 2022 at 7:16 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
“We lost everything but we’re here to help the community now so that’s all I care about.”
Updated: Jul. 17, 2022 at 4:54 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
A Kentucky county Republican Party deleted its Facebook page after an ‘antisemitic’ post was shared
Updated: Jun. 29, 2022 at 3:45 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
The blaze damaged or destroyed five buildings, including multiple apartments and the city’s post office.
Updated: Jun. 5, 2022 at 4:41 PM EDT
|By Samantha Valentino
Katie Eddington lost her leg after a lawnmower accident when she was six years old