Kelli Saam,

Kelli Saam is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has reported on major news events across the country. Kelli grew up in the Chicago suburbs and graduated from Michigan State University. She has worked at television stations in Lansing, Nashville, Santa Maria, Lexington, Redding and Chico. Some of the significant stories Kelli has covered during her career include Presidential Debates, the Kentucky Derby, and the move of the Houston Oilers (Tennessee Titans) to Nashville. During her years working in Northern California, she reported and anchored coverage of the Carr Fire near Redding and the Camp Fire in Butte County. While working in Chico, her reporting on the dangers at Lookout Point led to safety improvements to prevent vehicles from going off the cliff into Butte Creek Canyon. After the death of 9-year-old Tommy Botell at Lassen Volcanic National Park, Kelli investigated safety concerns on the Lassen Peak Trail. Her reporting was followed by safety upgrades at the park and earned her an award nomination from the Associated Press. Kelli’s investigation into the LaPorte Fire in Bangor in 2017 earned her an Emmy nomination and an Associated Press Award for Best Enterprise Reporting. Her series of in-depth stories documented the delayed response to the LaPorte Fire which burned down much of this small Butte County community. The reports culminated with changes in CAL FIRE staffing and training. When she’s not reporting and anchoring the morning news, Kelli loves watching and participating in sports. She is a big fan of the Chicago Cubs & Bears, Michigan State Spartans and USC Trojans. Kelli and her husband enjoy spending time with their two sons and teaching them to appreciate musical greats like the Beatles. You might see Kelli out walking the family dog and exploring local trails. If you have a story idea, you can contact Kelli at ksaam@actionnewsnow.com. You can also contact her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.