4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH Marion County in Kansas must pay more than $3 million to three journalists and a city councilmember after its sheriff’s office raided a small-town newspaper and multiple homes in 2023. Receiving the biggest sum of the payout—$1.5 million—is Eric Meyer, the owner and editor of the Marion County Record, whose home was raided by deputies. In August 2023, deputies stormed the newspaper’s office, seizing reporters’ computers and cell phones, claiming the Record illegally obtained driving records of a restaurant owner. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office released a statement apologizing for the raid: “This likely would not have happened if established law had been reviewed and applied prior to the execution of the warrants.” The raid received widespread condemnation from First Amendment advocates, calling it a chill on free speech that could have widespread implications across the country. “The most important consequence was that, you know, if you act like a bully, you try to weaponize the criminal justice system against the press, there’s going to be a price to pay, and that price is now measured in millions,” Meyer told CNN. Good: The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion outdid itself in 2025—and people took notice. The annual Car Week gathering of vintage race cars earned Motorsport Event of the Year honors at the International Historic Motoring Awards in London on Friday, Nov. 14. Judges selected the Reunion over such prestigious events as the Le Mans Classic in France and England’s Silverstone Festival. “Each year our team invests endless time and energy to make the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion even better than years past,” said WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca President and General Manager Mel Harder. “This year’s event truly set a new bar for excellence.” Car Week was well-represented at the IHMA award ceremony. IROC was a finalist for Race Series of the Year and The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, was a finalist in the Motoring Event of the Year category. GREAT: Carmel High School’s athletic teams put in the work every time they step onto the field and court. They also do the same in the classroom. The Central Coast Section of the California Interscholastic Federation recognized three of Carmel High’s varsity teams for their high collective grade point averages during the fall season. The girls tennis team earned the highest GPA in CCS at 3.945, while the flag football team was the fourth highest at 3.718 and football the fifth at 3.439. “Our student-athletes continue to inspire us with their drive, discipline and teamwork,” Carmel Unified School District Superintendent Sharon Ofek said. “Earning top academic honors while competing at a high level shows the strength of their character and the support they receive from our teachers, coaches and families. Congratulations to these student-athletes and to their coaches and teachers.” GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY That’s how much remains unfunded for safety upgrade projects at the San Antonio and Nacimiento dams in South Monterey County and North San Luis Obispo County, respectively. About $22.2 million in state grant funds have been secured. Source: Monterey County Water Resources Agency $166.8 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Kids nowadays are deep in their llama phase.” -Bookseller Danielle Cumberland, speaking on the Llamanoes game available at Bookworks as holiday shopping season is underway (see story, page 28). million ’25
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