Midwest
Kansas raid tied to 98-year-old's death in First Amendment showdown to result in criminal charges
The former Kansas police chief who led raids on a Marion County newspaper, journalists and its 98-year-old co-owner will face criminal charges after an independent investigation found evidence he interfered with the legal process.
Joan Meyer, the 98-year-old co-owner of the Marion County Record, died the day after police knocked on her door with an improperly obtained search warrant. She had appeared on home security video demanding officers “get out.” Prosecutors later withdrew the warrants, stating then-Police Chief Gideon Cody had not provided sufficient evidence to obtain them properly.
“It’s not surprising that fair-minded law enforcement officials would conclude that journalism is not a crime, but destroying evidence is,” Bernie Rhodes, an attorney for the newspaper, told Fox News Digital Monday. “So I’m pleased that the special prosecutors realized that Gideon Cody is not a fair-minded law enforcement officer, and that he should suffer the consequences for his decisions.”
After an independent investigation, special prosecutors revealed Monday plans to charge Cody, who resigned last year, with interfering in the judicial process, the Kansas City Star reported earlier.
KANSAS PROSECUTOR WITHDRAWS SEARCH WARRANTS USED IN CONTROVERSIAL NEWSPAPER RAID AFTER OWNER’S DEATH
A tribute to the late Marion County Record co-owner Joan Meyer sits outside the newspaper’s office, Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, in Marion, Kan. Meyer died Saturday, Aug. 12, a day after local police raided the home she shares with her son Eric Meyer, editor and publisher of the newspaper, and the company’s offices. Eric Meyer blames his mother’s death on the stress caused by the raids. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
The special prosecutors, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett and Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson, also found that neither the newspaper nor its journalists had committed any crimes before they were raided.
“We believed that the special prosecutors who are independent, not from Marion, would conduct exactly what they’ve done, an independent review,” Rhodes said.
According to their 124-page report, obtained by the Star, the raid likely played a role in Meyer’s death, but the officers who conducted it were not criminally responsible.
Separately, the Record is suing the city and other officials, including Cody, the mayor and the county sheriff, in connection with the alleged First Amendment violation.
WATCH: Video shows Kansas 98-year-old scold officers raiding her home before warrants were withdrawn
Sunday marks one year since the raids on Meyer’s home and the Record’s newsroom.
LAST WORDS FROM MATRIARCH OF SMALL TOWN PAPER WHO DIED AFTER DUBIOUS POLICE RAID: ‘HITLER TACTICS’
Prior to the incident, journalists at the paper looked into allegations that a candy shop owner named Kari Newell allegedly drove a car while her license was suspended for a prior DUI. The paper was subsequently accused of identity theft and unlawfully accessing a computer, leading to the confiscation of computers, smartphones and other equipment.
Marion County Record Publisher Eric Meyer speaks with reporters about the aftermath of a police raid on his newspaper’s office and his home, Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, in Marion County, Kan. Meyer has fielded offers of help from around the U.S., and the Society of Professional Journalists has pledged $20,000 to the paper’s legal defense. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Reporters had looked into Newell’s DUI but had not published a story, with editors finding a potential conflict of interest in the source who initially reached out with the information. However, after the raids, the paper revealed that its tipster also alleged that police knew about Newell’s suspended license and let her slide when caught driving anyway.
Newell at the time told Fox News Digital she would not be commenting on the matter.
Before she died, according to Rhodes, Joan Meyer described the police department’s behavior as “Hitler tactics.”
The offices of the Marion County Record weekly newspaper are seen in Marion, Kan., on Aug. 21, 2023. (,AP)
The Marion County Record was founded in 1874 by E.W. Hoch, whose family owned the newspaper for more than a century before Meyer and her husband bought it in 1998 to save it from takeover by a corporate chain, according to the Reflector. Bill Meyer, who died in 2006, had worked with the paper since 1948.
Separately, a state panel has cleared the magistrate judge who first signed the warrants.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read the full article from Here
Oklahoma didn’t suffer any strong wind damage this week, but wind farms in South Dakota certainly did.
Several wind turbines were toppled by the 130 MPH winds that hit the central part of the state Monday morning. They were described as straight line winds and not tornadoes. But the winds compared to those recorded in some tornadoes.
The 131-mph wind was recorded at Holabird in Hyde County at 6:15 a.m. local time.
A picture of the extensive damage showed at least 7 of the wind towers were bent over by the powerful Mother Nature.
According to a report by Energy News Beat, storm chaser Jakob McMillin documented the scene in a widely shared post on X (formerly Twitter), showing multiple wind turbine towers collapsed or heavily damaged, with blades and structural debris scattered across the prairie. In replies to his post, McMillin stated he observed “over 20” turbines destroyed or critically damaged.
The Affected Wind Farm
The damaged facility is the South Dakota Wind Energy Center (also known as the Highmore Wind Energy Project or Highmore Wind Farm), located approximately 10 miles south of Highmore.
- Number of turbines: 27
- Turbine model: GE Vernova 1.5s (1.5 MW each)
- Total nameplate capacity: 40.5 MW
- Commissioning year: 2003 (South Dakota’s first major wind farm)
- Owner/Operator: NextEra Energy Resources (formerly FPL Energy)
- Power purchaser: Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Wisconsin’s sports teams will have a fitting jersey patch on their uniforms this year.
The Badgers unveiled a Culver’s uniform patch in a new video on Tuesday.
The fast food restaurant, known for its ButterBurgers and Frozen Custard, was founded in Wisconsin and is beloved by those in the state. Now, Culver’s has partnered up with the state’s flagship university.
Detroit, MI
5 realistic cornerback trade targets for the Detroit Lions after Terrion Arnold’s release
Detroit Lions may not need to overpay to replace Terrion Arnold. One former first-round pick, a familiar face, a young ascending starter, and two experienced veterans could all make sense as trade targets.
Mike Hughes
Hughes might be a name Lions fans remember. He spent time with Detroit in 2022 and had a pretty decent season before the Atlanta Falcons signed him. He started for Atlanta across three seasons. Hughes isn’t flashy, but he’s reliable. He averages about two penalties a year, which is a welcome change given what Arnold was doing in that department. Last season, he allowed a reception percentage of just 56.1 and posted a passer rating against of 84.5, the best of his career.
He’s going to turn 30 by the end of the season, so the price tag shouldn’t be steep. The Lions could probably call Atlanta, offer a sixth-round pick, and get him. Hughes could come in and compete with Rock Ya-Sin for the starting job, or he might just take it outright. He’s someone who has been in the Lions’ system before and knows what Detroit expects. That matters.
Renardo Green
Green is a younger option who plays for the San Francisco 49ers. They took him in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the same class as Arnold. The problem for Green is that San Francisco’s cornerback room is stacked right now with Jack Jones, Deommodore Lenoir, their rookie Ephesians Prysock, Jakob Robinson, and veteran Eli Apple. Green was the starter all of last season, but there’s a growing thought that with so many options, the 49ers might consider moving him before the season starts. Plus, San Francisco is eventually going to have to pay him, and trading him now frees up future flexibility.
This one would probably cost a fourth- or fifth-round pick, and it might be the most unrealistic of the bunch. But the talent is real, and it’s worth monitoring.
Deonte Banks
Banks was the 25th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and it hasn’t worked out with the New York Giants. He’s been a starter, but the results haven’t matched the draft capital. Now he has to compete with Greg Newsome, Colton Hood, and Paulson Adebo for playing time, and there’s a real chance he gets beat out. The Giants might feel comfortable going with someone like Kori Black or Rico Payton and flipping Banks for whatever they can get.
Because he hasn’t lived up to his draft slot, the Lions wouldn’t have to pay a first-round price. A fifth- or sixth-round pick could get it done. This is a riskier play because the production hasn’t been there consistently, but Banks has been a starter for multiple years and has shown flashes. You’re betting on potential, which is exactly why you’re not giving up much to acquire him.
Paulson Adebo
Adebo signed with the Giants as a free agent last year, and it seemed like the Lions would be in on him at the time. He played under Dennis Allen in New Orleans, and Allen, Aaron Glenn, and Kelvin Sheppard all run a similar defensive scheme to what Detroit operates. It just made sense. The Lions ultimately went after D.J. Reed instead, which was the better move. But after a rough first year in New York, the Giants may feel Adebo isn’t what they paid for. If they decide to give Banks a longer look under Jon Harbaugh, Adebo could become available. The Lions would be smart to get on top of that because Adebo fits Detroit’s defense better than whatever New York has been running through its recent coaching changes.
Kristian Fulton
Fulton spent most of his career with the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers before moving to Kansas City in 2025, where injuries derailed his season. He’s still just 27 years old. In 2024, his last full season, he allowed a 65.2 reception percentage. In the few games he played last year, he posted a 50% reception percentage and had four pass breakups before the injury shut him down. In the two games he started for the Chiefs down the stretch, he played pretty well, but Kansas City had already moved on from him as a long-term starter.
The Lions could probably get Fulton for a sixth-round pick. He could come in, compete for the starting job, and likely win it. At 27, he has multiple years of productive football ahead of him. That’s the kind of low-cost, high-floor move Detroit should be making right now.
Those are five names worth watching as the Lions look to fill the hole Arnold left behind. None of them will shake up the league, but the Lions don’t need that. They need someone who can step in, compete, and play solid football. Any of these guys could do that.
Detroit Lions News
-
Oregon2 minutes agoOregon leaders celebrate, slam Supreme Court ruling on trans athletes
-
Pennsylvania9 minutes agoWhat to know as Pennsylvania’s state budget deadline arrives
-
Rhode Island12 minutes agoFoulkes still holds 20-point lead over McKee, but gap is narrowing
-
South-Carolina17 minutes agoLive nightly lottery drawings hit ABC15 as SC Education Lottery partner
-
South Dakota24 minutes ago130 mph straight line winds devastate South Dakota wind farm – Oklahoma Energy Today
-
Tennessee27 minutes agoFormer Tennessee baseball pitcher Garrett Stallings called up by Milwaukee Brewers
-
Texas32 minutes agoTexas man admits embezzling $3.2 million to pay student loans, fuel online gambling, prosecutors say
-
Utah39 minutes ago‘I was duped’: Utah senator apologizes for sharing Kevin O’Leary’s ‘Chinese Communists’ claim
