Newspapers

The texts between Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody and a restaurant owner were allegedly deleted amid widespread scrutiny of the chief's August 2023 raids of the Marion County Record newspaper and the homes of the paper's owners.

Staff cuts, the closure of regional printing presses and cuts to printed editions characterize Lee Enterprises as it tries to expand its digital subscriber base while keeping existing print customers and advertisers on board.

Last month, the Kansas Department of Corrections suddenly canceled subscriptions purchased by outside parties for those in state custody. The move confounded newspaper publishers and concerned press freedom advocates.

Kansas has lost about 50 newspapers in the past 20 years. And as the owners of many small, family-owned papers get older, it’s uncertain who will keep the presses running when they retire. Plus: Missouri Republicans shattered norms when they pushed through redistricting and amendment changes in a special session — and it could have long-term consequences.

The past couple of decades have been tough on newspapers. Kansas has lost about 50 publications in the past 20 years. As owners of many small, family-run newspapers are getting older, it’s uncertain who will keep the presses running when they retire.

Families of incarcerated people in Kansas were long able to take out a newspaper subscription in a person’s name and have it delivered to a state facility. The Kansas Department of Corrections changed that policy without notice, claiming safety concerns but causing confusion.

Former Kansas City Star photographer Raymond Corey captured behind-the-scenes images and everyday rural life in the Midwest for decades. A new exhibition of his work highlights 50,000 negatives donated to the State Historical Society of Missouri by his family.

Special prosecutors charged former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody with one count of interference with the judicial process, a low-level felony, for asking a restauranteur to delete text messages after his controversial raid of the Marion County Record.

Former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody is charged with felony obstruction of justice and is accused of persuading a potential witness for a probe into his conduct of withholding information from authorities.

Even though a special prosecutors report released this week clears nearly everyone in the unprecedented Marion County Record raid of criminal wrongdoing, it does nothing to diffuse allegations of police malfeasance — or concerns about a corrupt local government.

The former police chief of Marion, Kansas, will face criminal charges for his role in a raid of the Marion County Record. The raid made national headlines last year and drew attention from state investigators and First Amendment advocates.

A report from special prosecutors cleared Marion County Record reporters of any wrongdoing, and accuses former Marion County Police Chief Gideon Cody of obstructing the judicial process — a low-level felony.