Victor Puente
Morning News Anchor
Lexington, KY
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I was born in Germany to parents serving in the Army.
I grew up in Clay City, Kentucky and developed a love of journalism while writing for my high school newspaper.
After graduating from Eastern Kentucky University I started working as a news videographer at another station in town, before joining WKYT to be a multi-media journalist. I shoot, write, and edit my own stories.
I also anchor our WKYT This Morning show with Kristen Kennedy.
Updated: 23 hours ago
|By Victor Puente
In a town this small, it’s no surprise that it feels like everyone knows someone involved.
Updated: Dec. 1, 2021 at 11:32 AM EST
|By Victor Puente
Tuesday, a federal judge in Kentucky blocked the Biden administration’s mandate that requires government contractors to get the COVID-shot.
Updated: Nov. 24, 2021 at 5:46 PM EST
|By Victor Puente
A new massive park complex is coming to Richmond.
Updated: Nov. 24, 2021 at 4:53 PM EST
|By Victor Puente
Over the last few days, we’ve shown you Sam Dick’s career over the years, the stories he’s told, and the impact he’s made on the anchor desk.
Updated: Nov. 23, 2021 at 11:40 AM EST
|By WKYT News Staff and Victor Puente
A cemetery in Nicholasville is working to clean up tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage.
Updated: Nov. 22, 2021 at 4:55 PM EST
|By Victor Puente
The group was put together by Attorney General Daniel Cameron after the death of Breonna Taylor to review the state’s search warrant policies.
Updated: Nov. 17, 2021 at 5:57 PM EST
|By Victor Puente
Legislators heard from county attorneys who said a decision by the Kentucky Supreme Court earlier this year is having a direct impact on their ability to prosecute some DUI cases.
Updated: Nov. 15, 2021 at 5:34 PM EST
|By Victor Puente
Athletic leaders from three Kentucky universities all gave their input on how it would work on Monday.
Updated: Nov. 12, 2021 at 11:49 AM EST
|By Victor Puente
Saturday marks 20 years since Jessamine County deputies Captain Chuck Morgan and Deputy Billy Walls were shot and killed in the line of duty.
Updated: Nov. 10, 2021 at 5:27 PM EST
|By Victor Puente
Employees said they want to have more say in the vaccination requirement
Updated: Nov. 10, 2021 at 9:58 AM EST
|By Victor Puente
The new management group behind the Kentucky Theatre hopes to reopen the historic venue soon, but they need more money.
Updated: Nov. 8, 2021 at 11:52 AM EST
|By Victor Puente
Police gathered at a scene on West Main Street near Newtown Pike early Friday morning.
Updated: Nov. 5, 2021 at 10:08 AM EDT
|By Victor Puente and WKYT News Staff
The crash happened Friday morning at the intersection of Man O’ War Blvd. and Habersham/Victoria Way.
Updated: Nov. 4, 2021 at 4:21 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
President Joe Biden had previously said workplace COVID requirements would be coming. Thursday, we learned what they are.
Updated: Nov. 3, 2021 at 6:03 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
Officer Daniel Ellis was killed in the line of duty on Nov. 6, 2015. Since then, family and friends have created a memorial 5K run this time each year to keep Ellis’ memory alive and do good in the community.
Updated: Nov. 1, 2021 at 5:57 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
The bourbon industry is celebrating after the European Union’s tax on American whiskey and Kentucky bourbon will end.
Updated: Oct. 28, 2021 at 4:46 PM EDT
|By WKYT News Staff and Victor Puente
Toyota is proposing a major expansion at its Georgetown manufacturing plant.
‘This isn’t acceptable’: Beshear addresses controversy gaining national attention at Ky. high school
Updated: Oct. 28, 2021 at 10:21 AM EDT
|By WKYT News Staff and Victor Puente
Several parents have said they upset about inappropriate actions at an assembly at Hazard High School.
Updated: Oct. 27, 2021 at 6:03 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
Ty Abner had organized some events to raise money for the charities he cared about. And now, his husband and neighbors are making sure those go on.
Updated: Oct. 25, 2021 at 11:53 PM EDT
|By WKYT News Staff and Victor Puente
A man is dead and another man has been arrested after an assault that happened in a parking garage in downtown Lexington.
Updated: Oct. 21, 2021 at 5:44 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
UK Football’s Wan’dale Robinson is pushing for change in our commonwealth. He’s using his story and his foundation, to do it.
Updated: Oct. 20, 2021 at 11:12 AM EDT
|By WKYT News Staff and Victor Puente
There are now two parallel investigations into the death of UK student Lofton Hazelwood.
Updated: Oct. 19, 2021 at 9:13 AM EDT
|By WKYT News Staff and Victor Puente
According to the UK Police Department, officers were called to the Farm House Fraternity around 6:20 p.m. Monday about an unresponsive student.
Updated: Oct. 18, 2021 at 5:41 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
The Kentucky Retail Federation said shopping early should be a priority.
Updated: Oct. 14, 2021 at 11:56 AM EDT
|By Victor Puente
Slow down and move over: that’s the message Lexington Police and travel experts are sharing.
Updated: Oct. 8, 2021 at 4:54 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
The law puts money toward a tax credit to let students move to schools, public or private, outside their district. Lawmakers narrowly passed the bill back in March.
Updated: Oct. 6, 2021 at 6:10 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron wants to defend an abortion law passed in 2018 that was struck down by an appeals court.
Updated: Oct. 5, 2021 at 5:37 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
Many people thought extra unemployment money was keeping people at home, but that funding has stopped and businesses aren’t seeing much of a difference.
Updated: Oct. 4, 2021 at 5:53 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
University of Kentucky Police were in riot gear to keep tabs on the crowd after the Florida win, which is something officers are gearing up for again this weekend.
Updated: Oct. 1, 2021 at 5:55 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
A new report found more than 90,000 people need to go back to work to get Kentucky to pre-pandemic levels.
Updated: Sep. 30, 2021 at 5:38 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
KSP's new crime data paints a picture of addiction in the commonwealth, and just how much of an impact the pandemic made on a crisis gripping our region.
Updated: Sep. 29, 2021 at 6:11 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
Experts say Ford's new massive investment is pushing the commonwealth into the future and bringing high-tech jobs along with it.
Updated: Sep. 28, 2021 at 6:04 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
Central Kentucky Ford dealerships said the newly-announced Ford battery plant is going to be a big boost for them.
Updated: Sep. 27, 2021 at 4:38 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
As the pandemic altered life in 2020, new crime statistics reveal the number of violent crimes committed in Kentucky increased to their highest levels in more than a decade.
Updated: Sep. 24, 2021 at 4:10 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
For Colton Ryan, the Broadway show "Dear Evan Hansen," will always have a special place in his heart.
Updated: Sep. 21, 2021 at 5:54 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
Doctors said efforts to get vaccinated last year led to a mild flu season. But with hospitals already at capacity, a bad flu season could overwhelm hospitals.
Updated: Sep. 14, 2021 at 11:59 AM EDT
|By Victor Puente
The Kentucky National Guard is at Baptist Health Lexington. The hospital is overrun with COVID-19 patients and is also having staffing issues.
Updated: Sep. 10, 2021 at 11:49 AM EDT
|By WKYT News Staff and Victor Puente
As we continue to set records with hospitalizations, one of Lexington largest hospitals will be getting some help from the National Guard.
Updated: Sep. 7, 2021 at 6:02 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
In 2020 Kroger Field limited capacity to 20 percent. So having fans back this past weekend was a big deal, and it also saw some restrictions that not everyone followed.
Updated: Sep. 2, 2021 at 6:00 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
The need for COVID-19 testing has surged, along with cases. But in some areas, those tests have become harder to find.
Updated: Sep. 1, 2021 at 6:08 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
Health experts say you get the best protection from COVID-19 from the vaccine. But some are trying other drugs meant for livestock instead of humans.
Updated: Aug. 31, 2021 at 12:02 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
Overdose deaths in Kentucky rose by almost 50 percent in 2020, killing close to 2,000 Kentuckians.
Updated: Aug. 25, 2021 at 12:05 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
There have now been more cases in Lexington in August than April through July combined and Kentucky’s hospitals are struggling to keep up.
Updated: Aug. 24, 2021 at 11:45 AM EDT
|By Victor Puente
As of Tuesday, almost 1,900 are in the hospital because of the virus.
Updated: Aug. 23, 2021 at 12:03 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
We’re now 17 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and those on the frontlines have worked tirelessly to save lives.
Updated: Aug. 20, 2021 at 11:46 AM EDT
|By Victor Puente
Hundreds of students in Fayette County who won’t be able to return on to school on Monday because they’ve either tested positive for Covid, or are quarantined.
Updated: Aug. 19, 2021 at 11:50 AM EDT
|By Victor Puente
As hospital beds continue to quickly fill, doctors from all three of the city’s came together Thursday to urge people to get the vaccine.
Updated: Aug. 18, 2021 at 6:33 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
As COVID-19 cases surge, many store owners are worried about losing business. We found two stores in Lexington that are thriving, but that doesn’t come without pandemic challenges.
Updated: Aug. 16, 2021 at 5:38 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
At the Kroger Field testing site, some folks are waiting more than an hour for a COVID-19 test.
Updated: Aug. 13, 2021 at 4:09 PM EDT
|By Victor Puente
New data is in from the census bureau, and it shows some changes for Kentucky.