When the True Dakotan rolled off the press on December 30, 1975, it marked the final edition of that year, and a moment in time now 50 years past. The headlines, photos, and advertisements captured in that front page reflected a community grounded in agriculture, family, faith, school events, and civic life. It was local news in its purest form: familiar names, shared concerns, and stories that mattered most to the people who lived them.
That commitment has endured for half a century.
For its first 40 years, the True Dakotan was published by the Wenzel family, whose stewardship established the paper as a trusted voice for Wessington Springs and the surrounding area. Week after week, the paper chronicled milestones and heartbreaks alike, school concerts and championships, city council debates, business openings, obituaries, anniversaries, and the quiet details that rarely make it beyond a town’s borders but define it nonetheless. Through changing times, the Wenzels built a foundation rooted in accuracy, accountability, and deep community connection.
In 2015, the paper entered a new chapter under Kristi Publishing, owned by editor and publisher Kristi Hine. The transition brought both responsibility and opportunity: the responsibility to honor the legacy built over decades, and the opportunity to ensure the True Dakotan would not only survive, but grow, in an era when local newspapers across the country were disappearing.
Over the past decade, the True Dakotan has embraced the realities of modern journalism while staying true to its roots. The paper expanded into the digital space with an e-edition, an updated website, e-newsletter and active social media channels. All of these newer tools allow readers to stay connected, whether they are down the street or across the country. Breaking news can be shared quickly, photo galleries can be expanded beyond the limits of print, and community stories can reach new audiences without losing their local voice.
Earlier this year, True Dakotan coverage has expanded to include Wolsey, Wessington, and the Wolsey-Wessington School District, ensuring continued local reporting in communities that might otherwise go without a dedicated hometown news source.
While the last decade has brought many changes, the heart of the paper remains unchanged. Reporting is still done face to face, in meeting rooms, gymnasiums, churches and kitchens. Stories are handled with care because the people in them are known.
As the True Dakotan reflects on the front page of the final edition of 1975 within the pages of the last edition of 2025, it also looks ahead. Fifty years later, the mission remains the same: to provide trusted, local news that informs, connects, and preserves the story of our communities. Formats may evolve, deadlines may look different, and technology may change, but the need for accurate, compassionate, community-based journalism endures.
From the Wenzel family’s early years to a decade under Kristi Publishing, the True Dakotan continues to do what it has always done best: tell the hyperlocal story truthfully, thoughtfully and with the people of our communities at its center.