WHEATON, Minn. — A Wheaton couple who keep bees and also sell them won $370,000 in a libel suit from an unhappy customer who ravaged their reputation online. A Traverse County jury made the award. The couple, Keith and Nancy Budke, had sold 75 hives to Nick Olsen of Maple Lake. When the hives arrived after a 160-mile trip from Wheaton, the bees were dead, Olsen said. The Budkes had sent diseased bees, he claimed. Olsen then went online with personal attacks and warned people not to buy from the Budkes, who, by the way, had been in the bee business 40 years. According to the Budkes, the bees were fine when they left their business. Olsen must have mishandled handled them, they said. They also said they tried to resolve the issue \with Olsen before suing but failed. The libel award:
> $105,000 for business losses caused by libel.
> $240,000 for loss of reputation.
> $25,000 in punitive damages.
Olsen vowed to appeal.