Brickbat: Small Town, Big Screwup

Marion County, Kansas, officials have agreed to pay about $3 million and issue a formal apology after law enforcement officers raided the Marion County Record newspaper, the publisher's home, and a city council member's house in August 2023. The raids stemmed from a dispute involving a local restaurant owner, whose driving record the newspaper had obtained while reporting on her liquor license application. A local prosecutor later said there was insufficient evidence to justify the raids. The settlement resolves five federal lawsuits and divides the payout among the publisher, former staff, and the council member.