Title: Reporter / Report for America Corps Member
Contact: 605-531-7382 / molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org
Languages spoken: English, some Spanish
Topic expertise: Indigenous people, rural communities, business, education
Biography: Molly Wetsch was born and raised in South Dakota. Wetsch previously served as an editorial intern for Forbes in New York City, working on the contributor network and specializing in consumer technology. At Forbes, she also wrote breaking news and contributed to the Forbes "50 Over 50 list." Wetsch began her career in journalism at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, where she wrote a monthly column and covered local business news as an intern and contributing writer for SiouxFalls.Business. She is a graduate of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where she received a degree in global business. There, she served as deputy editor of the University Times, the university’s newspaper, and deputy editor of the Trinity Business Review. Report for America is a national service program that responds to challenges faced by local news by placing journalists in newsrooms across the country. As a Report for America corps member, Wetsch travels the state covering rural and indigenous communities. Her family comes from rural South Dakota and the Cheyenne River Reservation, so she understands the issues that are unique to both communities.
Archive of work: South Dakota News Watch; Muck Rack; SiouxFalls.Business; Forbes
Molly Wetsch
Total 83 Posts
More SD students and athletes coming from neighboring states
How a 20-year-old precedent has shaped the way rural schools keep up with declining enrollment rates. About 60 students from Minnesota now attend school in the Milbank School District – nearly 6% of the student body.
Smithfield: The full story, from announcement to court ruling
Read News Watch's coverage of Sioux Falls' massive new pork processing facility, from beginning to where it is now.
Heard in South Dakota / ZIP 577: People and issues from the west
The second installment of our Heard in South Dakota series brought us to the west and southwest region of the state.
Judge sends Smithfield conditional use permit back to city
Circuit Judge Ann Hoffman sides with nearby homeowners, cites "irregular authority" in Sioux Falls City Council's approval despite not complying with ordinances and strategic plan.
Drought and tourists reshape Custer area landscape
Why the state park is auctioning off more bison than usual following the annual roundup, and how tourists have helped shape the event.
In photos: 2026 Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup
Scenes from the 61st annual roundup attended by more than 20,000 tourists. "People that I talked to along the way were just super stoked."
USPS audit confirms longstanding mail issues in SD
Mail sent between South Dakota addresses often shipped out-of-state, contributing to long delivery times "below nationwide averages."
