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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Following the Dec. 1 memorandum from Texas Tech University System Chancellor Brandon Creighton, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent letters to each of the five presidents within the Tech system, calling upon them not to restrict academic freedom or classroom instruction based on viewpoint. -
Newly-dubbed Pickering Park in downtown Lubbock is intended to create a more walkable community and help drive new development in downtown. The project broke ground yesterday and construction is expected to be complete in nine to ten months. -
Lubbock City Council has passed two amendments to city policy regarding pet ownership. The first changes the procedure for declaring and keeping a dangerous dog, including raising liability insurance to $1 million. Lubbock Animal Services hopes the second amendment will help prevent unwanted litters. -
Effective immediately, Texas Tech University faculty are prohibited from ‘advocacy or promotion’ of certain topics related to sex and race in their professional capacity. A memorandum from system chancellor Brandon Creighton outlines materials which will be required to go through a review process overseen by the board of regents. -
After seven years, the Lubbock County Expo Center is expected to present a plan to its oversight board Thursday in hopes of being approved by commissioners later this month. The proposal keeps the project in North Lubbock, but includes a voter-approved bond to meet necessary funding. -
After a crackdown on non-standard roadway markings at the federal and state level, the City of Lubbock will be removing public art from several crosswalks, including those paying tribute to Buddy Holly. City officials see the impact in Lubbock as a side-effect of lawmakers’ attempts to target “political messaging” in major cities. -
Sarah Curtis’ new biographical memoir ‘Daughter of a Song’ details the life and career of her father Sonny Curtis, as well as her relationship with him. From Meadow, Texas to Los Angeles to Nashville, Sarah Curtis explores her father’s world and the impact that had on her family. KTTZ sat down with Curtis ahead of her return to Lubbock to promote the book’s release. -
With a team of six, the City of Lubbock Cemetery maintains approximately 65,000 graves and is digging new ones every week. Arranging burials, finding plots, and dealing with the unexpected, the cemetery staff are caring for the families and the places they lay their loved ones to rest. -
Sonny Curtis, former member of The Crickets and writer of hits like “I Fought the Law” and “Love Is All Around," died on Sept. 19. Born in Meadow, Texas and cutting his teeth playing stages around Lubbock before making it big, Sonny Curtis is remembered as a mentor, role model, and friend by many in the community. -
Lubbock Lake Landmark is a snapshot of the land before settlement, preserving archeological evidence of early-human life and the natural history of the region’s plants and animals. Through its discoveries, education, and conservation, staff with the Landmark have reintroduced native wildlife driven out of the area, and continue to explore possibilities for the land and for those who love it.
