Samantha Larned
ReporterSamantha Larned is a reporter and producer with NPR Lubbock. Originally from Arizona, Samantha began her journalism career at Arizona Public Media in Tucson. She moved to Lubbock and started with KTTZ in 2023 and quickly became intrigued by all the city had to offer. Samantha has a focus on social issues and culture journalism.
You can often find Samantha at her desk at KTTZ, on the road looking for a story, or in the stacks at the public library.
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The Home Utility Management System would allow households to collect and utilize energy and water for themselves, rather than relying on a grid. While federal funding is still up in the air, researchers with the project are seeking new opportunities to implement the system in practice. -
Lubbock City Council has approved the recommended recipients for the Cultural Arts Grant Program. Included in the recommendations was the First Friday Art Trail, one year after a controversial decision from the council that cut funding for that event. However, this year saw a change in the guidelines for the grant, restricting political and “controversial” programming. -
The Mesquite Mile project began in 2020, combining regional plants and human infrastructure to mitigate flooding in the Heart of Lubbock neighborhood. The city has seen streets flood this summer with severe weather and storms across the state. But in May 2025, the Mesquite Mile’s NEA grant was withdrawn. -
Members of Lubbock’s queer community and their allies showed up to the city council chambers for the third June in a row, advocating for the city to recognize Pride Month. Organizers and participants said the council did not acknowledge their campaign or protest. -
South Plains Community Action Association, Inc., or SPCAA, serves approximately 114 counties in Texas, with a focus on assisting in rural communities. It is one of many organizations whose programs are under threat in upcoming federal budget proposals. -
With school almost out for summer, many students — in Plainview, Tahoka, and beyond — step out of the classroom and into the public library. Between summer reading programs and the year-round story times, events, and educational opportunities, public libraries are ever evolving to meet the needs of their communities. -
Amid dangerous weather conditions, 65,000 Xcel Energy customers are without power and several wildfires burn in the Texas Panhandle. While collapsed structures and zero visibility affect drivers and residents across the region. -
Lubbock’s mayor Mark McBrayer held the city’s 43rd State of the City Address on Wednesday, the first during his time as mayor. He described the event as an opportunity to explain how the local government is planning for the future. -
An unvaccinated child has died from measles in West Texas. The death comes after weeks of a growing outbreak that has sickened more than 130 people in Texas and New Mexico, most of them children.
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The first death in relation to the ongoing measles outbreak in West Texas has been confirmed by local and state health officials. The patient was an unvaccinated school-aged child, hospitalized in Lubbock last week.
