Deron Molen lives to tell stories. He's been doing it in central Illinois since 2017. For him, this place is truly home.

Deron's path to WAND started with some terrible high school newscasts and equally embarrassing music video projects at the Oakridge School down in Arlington, Texas. Despite the quality (or lack thereof), he fell in love with telling stories and creating something to share with the world. He then took that passion to Franklin College in Indiana — covering the innerworkings of the state capitol each year with the school's statehouse news bureau until graduation in 2016. After a brief stint as a morning anchor in Wichita Falls, Texas at KFDX, Deron found his home at WAND — first as a 4 p.m. anchor and reporter — and now as one of the friendly faces of WAND Wakeup.

Storytelling isn't just Deron's job — it's his passion. He's surveyed widespread damage after destructive tornadoes. He's exposed pervasive sexual assault and abuse in Illinois prisons. He's covered presidents and governors and just about every other elected official known to man.

But his favorite stories are the ones that leave you feeling inspired. He loves telling people about Amber Hooker's miraculous recovery — or the time a backyard hockey rink gave kids purpose during a cold winter — or when a local caretaker decided to give a Springfield woman one last incredible Halloween experience. Those are the stories that bring a smile to his face. He hopes they bring a smile to yours as well.

His work has been honored at the state, regional and national level. He won a National Edward R. Murrow Award for "Excellence in Writing" in 2024. That came on the heels of two Regional Murrow Awards that same year. He's also a regional Emmy winner — taking home that prize for his work in Human Interest Reporting in 2024. He's earned a Peter Lisagor Award from the Chicago Headline Club, multiple Crystal Mics and AP Awards from the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and three additional nominations for regional Emmys. As a former college cross country runner, he'll tell you he's competitive and wants to win — but those closest to him know he wants his stories to matter and impact his community more than he wants any plaque or trophy.

When he's not on the job you can catch him at home with his wife, Adrianna, and their two dogs, Boomer and Reggie. They love hiking and exploring around central Illinois and occasionally travelling to do various activities that are all conspiring to leave him in the hospital: skiing, rock climbing, mountaineering, etc. He and his wife have summitted 10 of Colorado's 14,000-foot summits, along with the highest point in the Lower 48, Mt. Whitney in California. Just don't ask them how much they love backpacking in alpine thunderstorms!

If you see Deron out and about, don't hesitate to say hello! He loves meeting new people and learning the stories they live to tell as well.

Connect with Deron on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DeronMolenNews) or shoot him an email (deron.molen@wandtv.com).