Samantha Kummerer
Originally from Chicago, her love for telling stories led her to pursue a Bachelor's and Master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.
Prior to moving to North Carolina, Samantha worked as an investigative reporter in Myrtle Beach. During her time at the beach, she covered Hurricane Florence and Dorian and won awards for her investigation into the rape kit backlog in South Carolina.
She's worked with the investigative teams at CNBC in New York City and NBC 5 Chicago.
Samantha worked abroad in Brussels, Belgium with Reuters covering European politics and helped fact check news in the United States during her time with PolitiFact.
When she's not in the newsroom, Samantha is always looking for the next adventure. You'll likely find her exploring local hiking paths, trying a new restaurant or planning her next travel expedition.
She's a big math nerd and is thrilled to be able to combine her love for data and passion for people to shed light on key issues and tell stories that make change in North Carolina.
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Samantha's Stories
Scooter crashes increase in North Carolina and many go unreported
Experts said data doesn't reveal the full extent of injuries because many accidents go unreported to police.
NC law that punishes drug dealers not widely used despite increase in overdose deaths
"They called us and said it was a death by distribution and I had to go look it up."
Parents, activists split on how to best spend funds aimed at improving school safety
Millions of dollars have been funneled to schools across the state to improve school safety, but nobody is quite sure the best way to spend the money.
Not all North Carolina schools have submitted required safety plans
With more weapons being found on schools campuses and shootings taking place in classrooms across the nation, it's more important than ever for school officials to plan for the worst.
Federal inmates pulled from Virginia jail where 2 inmates recently escaped: ABC11 I-Team
Federal inmates will no longer be housed in the Virginia jail that saw two inmates escape in April
Jail employees speak out to ABC11 I-Team following inmate escape
At times, as few as six officers would be on a shift responsible for keeping track of around 700 inmates, jail employees tell ABC11.
COVID-19 downgraded despite continued impact
Despite the downgrade, health officials said this still doesn't mean the pandemic is over.
'It's discouraging': Thousands waiting years for public housing assistance in North Carolina
Another issue is even when residents finally get a voucher, many struggle to find landlords who will accept them.
'How did this happen?' Man charged in Deputy Ned Byrd murder case escapes from jail in Virginia
One of the men arrested in connection to the murder of Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd has escaped jail and remains on the loose.
Violent crime declines across Durham except in these hotspots
The latest Durham Police Department crime data shows a 9% decrease in violent crime in 2023, but that trend isn't the case in every part of the city.