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First Marion City Council Meeting Since Newspaper Raid, No Comment to be Made About Raid

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By Lucky Kidd

 

MARION, Kan. The Marion City Council is meeting Monday afternoon, their first meeting since the Marion Police Department led a raid of the Marion County Record August 11th that had been condemned by media outlets and organizations nationally and internationally. Their meeting begins at 4:30 in the lower level of the Community Center at 203 North 3rd in Marion. That raid will not be discussed during this meeting.

The published agenda for the meeting had this statement in red letters, “COUNCIL WILL NOT COMMENT ON THE ONGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AT THIS MEETING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Police had obtained search warrants for and seized computers, cell phones and other items from the Record office and the home of publisher Eric Meyer and his mother, who died the day after the raid, and from the home of Council member Ruth Herbel.

At the August 7th Marion City Council meeting, Herbel was the only Council member to vote against supporting a liquor license application from Marion restaurant owner Kari Newell, who was listed as the victim of identity theft in a search warrant signed by Marion County Magistrate Judge Laura Vian. Earlier in the month Newell kicked Record reporters out of a town hall meeting held at her restaurant by Congressman Jake LaTurner.