Hutchinson city leaders are outlining the next steps after voters narrowly approved a sales tax increase earlier this month, a measure designed to support key city services and eliminate the stormwater utility fee.

Villegas said the first formal step will come at the Hutchinson City Council meeting on April 7, when staff plans to present a resolution establishing “guardrails” for how the sales tax revenue will be used.

The resolution is intended to ensure the money is spent according to the priorities presented to voters.

“If we were to deviate from how the funds were described — say moving money away from parks — we would have to explain that to the council,” Villegas said. “It’s about putting rules and transparency in place so we can honor what the voters approved.”

The revenue generated by the tax will flow into the city’s general fund, though the budget will designate portions of the money for specific purposes outlined during the campaign.

One of the most frequently asked questions from residents has been when the city’s stormwater utility fee will be removed.

Villegas said residents can expect the fee to disappear in October 2026, when the city begins receiving revenue from the new sales tax.

Cities do not immediately receive local sales tax proceeds from the state, he noted, which is why the change will not occur right away.

“The stormwater utility fee will fall off at the date of first collection of the new sales tax money,” Villegas said. “People often think that as soon as they make a purchase we see the money, but that’s not the case.”

Mayor Meggers said the election saw a higher turnout than many expected for a special election, though participation remained relatively low overall.

“I thought the turnout was a lot better than anticipated,” Meggers said. “But we still want to see more people participate in future elections so the results reflect the consensus of the entire community.”

With the vote settled, city officials are turning their attention to the next fiscal year budget process, which will take several months and include public meetings and workshops.

Villegas said the city plans to maintain a fiscally conservative approach even with the additional sales tax revenue.

“The sales tax passing doesn’t mean we stop being mindful of the budget,” he said. “We still have to be careful with how we spend public dollars.”

Among the city’s priorities moving forward are increasing investment in street maintenance and planning for major infrastructure needs, including improvements to the wastewater treatment facility.

Historically, Villegas said street maintenance has often been underfunded when budget cuts were necessary because it represents one of the largest portions of city spending.

City leaders are also continuing efforts to involve residents in long-term infrastructure planning through advisory groups such as the city’s parks advisory board. Officials are exploring the creation of a similar advisory body for public works projects.

The Hutchinson budget must be finalized later this year, with the deadline depending on whether the city exceeds the state’s revenue-neutral rate.

If the city remains at revenue neutral, the budget deadline is August. If the city exceeds that threshold, the deadline moves to October.

Villegas noted that “revenue neutral” simply means the city is not requesting more property tax revenue than the previous year, though it does not account for inflation or rising costs.

“It doesn’t take into account the cost of materials and equipment going up,” he said, noting that the price of a fire truck increased by about $1 million between 2022 and 2025.

Despite those challenges, Villegas said the city’s financial plan — including the newly approved sales tax — should help maintain Hutchinson’s bond rating, which helps keep borrowing costs lower for large projects.

City officials say they encourage residents to continue attending council meetings and budget workshops as the process moves forward.

Hutchinson leaders outline next steps after sales tax approval

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Fire crews responded to a reported structure fire in the 800 block of East Eighth Avenue on Monday afternoon, where firefighters quickly contained a blaze at the rear of a home.

When crews arrived, they found a small exterior fire on the back of the residence. Firefighters made an aggressive exterior attack and brought the fire under control, preventing it from spreading further into the structure.

The home was occupied at the time of the fire, but the homeowner escaped safely. Reno County EMS evaluated the resident at the scene and later released them.

Fire officials said damage was limited to the exterior and first floor of the residence. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Hutchinson Fire thanked Reno County EMS, Reno County Emergency Communications, the American Red Cross and the Hutchinson Police Department for assisting at the scene.

Hutchinson firefighters contain house fire on East 8th

The Reno Choral Society will present its 85th annual performance of Messiah this weekend, continuing a long-standing musical tradition in the community.

The performance will take place Sunday at 3 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church. Conducting the performance will be Dr. Bradley Vogel, who is in his second year leading the work for the organization.

Vogel brings decades of music education and conducting experience to the role. He taught for 33 years, including nine years in public schools at Inman and Haven High School before spending 22 years at Tabor College, where he conducted annual performances of Messiah. He later spent two years teaching at McPherson College before retiring from full-time teaching.

Today, Vogel works with Educational Travel Adventures, helping schools and organizations across the United States — and occasionally internationally — plan educational travel experiences, often involving choirs, orchestras and bands performing abroad.

Despite stepping away from the classroom, Vogel said conducting remains a meaningful way to stay connected to music and musicians.

“Getting to work with singers and continue exploring great music like Messiah is something I truly enjoy,” Vogel said.

The renowned oratorio, composed by George Frideric Handel in the 18th century, is considered one of the most famous works in the classical repertoire. Unlike an opera, an oratorio features similar musical storytelling but without staging, costumes or acting.

The text for Messiah was compiled by Charles Jennens using passages from the Bible. Rather than telling a strict chronological story, the work reflects on the prophecy, life, death and resurrection of Christ, concluding with themes of redemption and heaven.

Written in the Baroque style, the piece features expressive melodies, intricate choral passages and a combination of soloists and large chorus sections. Vogel said audiences will likely recognize several iconic moments, particularly the famous “Hallelujah” chorus.

“That’s certainly the movement that people recognize most,” Vogel said. “But there are many other choruses people may know as well, like ‘For Unto Us a Child Is Born’ and ‘All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray.’”

The work also carries a fascinating historical note. Handel composed Messiah in just 24 days — an impressive feat considering the work contains more than 50 individual musical movements.

Vogel said repeated performances of the piece over the years continue to reveal new musical connections and insights.

“The more time you spend with it, the more relationships you discover between the different movements,” he said. “Handel created something that flows together in a remarkable way.”

This year’s performance also carries a personal connection for Vogel. The featured tenor soloist is his son, David Vogel, who developed his musical abilities under his father’s mentorship and now performs professionally in a variety of styles.

“It’s hard to describe how special that is,” Vogel said. “We’ve worked together for many years, and it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to perform together again.”

The soprano soloist, Holly Swartzendruber, is also a longtime colleague of Vogel’s from their years teaching together at Tabor College, making the production a reunion of sorts for the musicians involved.

Vogel said audiences attending the performance can deepen their appreciation by paying attention to how Handel’s music reflects the meaning of the biblical texts.

“The music is beautiful, but when you follow the words and hear how Handel expresses those ideas musically, it adds a whole new dimension to the experience,” he said.

Tickets will be available both in advance and at the door for Sunday’s performance. Members of the Reno Choral Society hope the community will come out to support the singers and enjoy one of the most enduring works in the classical music tradition.

Reno Choral Society to present Handel's 'Messiah'

The traffic signal at the intersection of 27th&nbsp;Avenue and Main Street recently sustained wind damage that caused a structural failure to the traffic signal pole on the northeast corner of the intersection.

Due to the damage, the northeast traffic signal pole is currently being removed. While the signal is offline, the intersection will operate as a stop-controlled intersection, with stop signs in place for eastbound and westbound traffic.

Drivers should use caution when approaching the area and expect possible impacts to traffic flow and minor delays during peak travel hours.

27 and Main Street traffic signal offline due to wind damage

Fire damages metal building in Kingman; no injuries reported

KINGMAN — A fire damaged a large metal building Sunday in Kingman, prompting a multi-agency response and mutual aid from neighboring departments.

According to a media release from Kingman Fire Chief Shae Brooks, the Kingman Fire Department was dispatched at 11:44 a.m. March 15 to East D Avenue in Kingman for a report of a building fire.

When firefighters arrived, they found a 100-by-55-foot metal structure with flames visible along the ridge line and smoke coming through the roof. Crews began an aggressive attack on the north side of the building and were able to quickly knock down the visible flames.

However, wind gusts of approximately 55 mph pushed the fire toward the south side of the structure.

During firefighting operations, crews discovered a secondary underlay roof and a mezzanine area that were heavily packed with stored materials. The additional layers and storage allowed the fire to extend further into the building.

Due to the complexity of the incident, the Cheney Fire Department and Cunningham Fire Department were requested for mutual aid.

Once firefighters gained access to the roof trusses, crews were able to bring the fire under control. Mutual aid units were later released, while Kingman firefighters remained on scene to complete overhaul operations.

Because of high winds and structural concerns, Hacker Construction was called to the scene with heavy equipment to help secure the roof structure.

Officials reported no injuries related to the fire.

Fire damages metal building in Kingman

Here’s the latest booking activity from the Reno County Jail. This information is provided by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The Hutch Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. ——————————————

Jeremy	Lee	Roberts		3/15/2026 8:51&nbsp;AM	Poss of marijuana,&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body

Jeremy	Lee	Roberts		3/15/2026 8:51&nbsp;AM	Probation Violation

Joshua	Isaac	Muns		3/15/2026 10:46&nbsp;AM	Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv

Kiel	Lee	Bale		3/15/2026 11:09&nbsp;AM	DUI;4th/10y;comp ev blood/brth .08+; child pres

Demario	Sabastian	Glenn		3/15/2026 9:09&nbsp;AM	Poss of marijuana,&nbsp;Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body,					Criminal Use of Weapons; Unknown Circumstances

Darnel	Sharaun	Brooks		3/15/2026 4:15&nbsp;PM	Theft; Property or Services; Less than $1,500,					Poss of opiate, narcotic, or certain stimulant

					Possession of Paraphernalia with intent to use Anhydrous Ammonia in Unapproved Container

John	Quentin	Smith		3/15/2026 4:36&nbsp;PM	Probation Violation

Anastasia	Renee	Fenton Cooper		3/15/2026 6:19&nbsp;PM	Assault

Daily Bookings

NEWTON, Kan. — A Newton woman died in a house fire late Sunday morning in the 500 block of West Fourth Street, according to authorities.

Newton Fire/EMS crews responded to the scene at approximately 11:30 a.m., where they found the residence engulfed in heavy fire and smoke. Firefighters also encountered an active power line down on the ground as they arrived.

Despite the hazardous conditions, crews entered the structure and located the body of a woman inside the home. She was later identified as Susan Taylor, 74.

Two dogs inside the residence also died in the fire.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, but the home sustained heavy damage.

Woman dies in Newton house fire

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Three-day Outlook

LOREN MILLER and RAFAEL GARCIA Kansas State University News and Communications

The next&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansashistory.gov/kansapedia/charlie-parker/12163">Charlie Parker</a>&nbsp;could be in Scott City, Kansas, and we might never know it, if that child's saxophone fails them and makes them think they're not a great musician.

An aspiring&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/2026/02/governor-kelly-celebrates-joe-walsh-other-kansas-artists-at-governors-arts-awards/">Joe Walsh</a>&nbsp;could be shredding guitar over in Cimarron, but no one will hear that music student if their bridge needs an adjustment but they instead put down the guitar for good. We might never have another "Dust in the Wind" if tomorrow’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/kansas-robby-steinhardt-remembered">Robby Steinhardt</a>&nbsp;doesn’t have a good violin to pick up.

There's no shortage of great musicians who have come from Kansas schools, said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/mtd/about/faculty-staff/cook/">Joshua Cook</a>, instructor of instrument repair at Kansas State University.

But like many other community challenges, rural Kansas schools often lack access to convenient, affordable repair options when musical instruments break, leading to student frustration and potential abandonment of music altogether.

"If you hand a fifth grader a trombone and the slide doesn’t move well, it’s going to feel like more work and more effort," Cook said. "They’ll think they’re the problem when really it’s the instrument. And when kids get frustrated, they’re more likely to quit or do something else.

"If we can make sure their instruments are functioning properly, we can help retain more students in band programs and help create the next generation of great Kansas musicians."

A new program and certificate at K-State is putting working, well-maintained instruments right into rural Kansas students' hands — all while also equipping K-State's future music teachers to handle most basic repairs themselves when they begin teaching in Kansas schools.

Instrument repair becomes an Applied Learning Experience for K-State students

What began as a small independent study has quickly grown into a thriving program that blends applied learning with meaningful community service.

For years, Cook had worked with music programs and bands — including the university's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/band/ensembles/marchingband/">Pride of K-State Wildcat Land Marching Band</a>&nbsp;— across eastern Kansas to repair and maintain instruments. Eventually,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/band/">K-State Bands</a>&nbsp;director Frank Tracz figured they were working with Cook so often that they may as well hire him full-time.

Around that same time, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/band/about/facilities/">Tracz Family Band Hall</a>&nbsp;was finishing construction, and since the beginning of planning for the hall, Tracz had insisted on creating a space for a cutting-edge, fully-outfitted repair room.

Thanks to the generosity of Gib and Brenda Compton, Tracz’ vision was realized through the Compton Repair Room — a repair facility for the K-State Bands program that is outfitted with the newest, highest-quality tooling and equipment in the industry.

Cook — who joined K-State's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/mtd/">School of Music, Theater, and Dance</a>&nbsp;full-time in August 2023 — initially used the space to teach instrument repair to a handful of students while managing repairs for the university’s band program.

As interest surged and resources remained limited, Cook partnered with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/mtd/about/faculty-staff/worcester/">Ben Worcester</a>, academic advisor in the&nbsp;<a href="https://artsci.k-state.edu/">College of Arts and Sciences</a>, to explore ways to support more students.

The two explored funding through the inaugural round of grants from K-State's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/leadership/applied-learning/">Applied Learning Experiences program</a>, which funded faculty and staff to develop initiatives that support, expand, deepen and scale authentic experiential learning opportunities across the institution.

“Ben found the opportunity, and we started brainstorming how to build a program that truly worked,” Cook said. “We combined our experience, wrote the curriculum, and figured out what it would take to launch it.”

Throughout summer 2025, Cook and Worcester developed a curriculum for a certificate program. They outlined how grant funding could be used to expand equipment and instructional capacity.

By the end of the summer, their proposal won approval, and the 12-credit hour&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/mtd/academics/minors/bandinstrumentrepair.html">instrument repair certificate</a>&nbsp;was officially launched, alongside a 15-credit minor option for music educators.

With new tools and a structured curriculum in place for the fall semester, enrollment quickly exceeded expectations, and the workshop classes have had to put students on waitlists.

“The grant transformed this from a one-person shop into a learning space for students,” Cook said. “I had what I needed to do the job, but now we have what we need to teach.”

Bringing musical instrument repair to Kansas communities

The program’s impact extends well beyond campus.

Through the School of Music, Theater, and Dance's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.k-state.edu/mtd/about/sawin-arts-extension/">Sawin Arts Extension outreach program</a>, Cook has been able to take students to communities the state like Hays and Scott City to apply their learned instrument repair skills where they can most make a difference.

"Through that support from some very generous donors, I can travel to rural schools, fix what I can and bring my students along," Cook said. "Not every band room will have all these tools and equipment, so this gives students a chance to learn what they can do with just a toolbox and a backpack."

At Bandtober, a marching band festival at Riley County High School, Cook’s students provided free horn repairs for schools unable to afford them. In 2024, one student repaired three instruments. With support from K-State's Applied Learning Experiences program, four students repaired 10 instruments in 2025.

Students also partnered with the Manhattan Optimist Club to repair 12 donated instruments for local youth and worked alongside Band of Angels, a charity that provides instruments to Kansas students.

Over the past two years, K-State students have collaborated with the organization to repair more than 30 instruments.

“We are using what we learn to serve the community, and that is something I am passionate about. We want to use our skills to do good,” Cook said.

One of the students contributing to that impact is junior Chase Wassom, a music performance major who joined the repair program in early 2023.

“We get to give back to the community and help lay a foundation that will benefit music education for years,” Wassom said.

For Wassom, the program has been transformative both academically and personally.

“I get to do something that truly interests me, with great tools and an instructor who shows me the right way to do things,” he said. “This program has made a huge difference for me. I am not sure I would still be a student without it.”

Wassom plans to pursue a career in instrument repair after graduation while continuing to perform. He has already attracted interest from companies impressed by the skills he has developed through the program.

Although not all students in the class plan to teach music, many of them do, and the workshop equips them with the skills necessary to make most basic instrument repairs and maintenance.

"Repair costs have skyrocketed since I started," Cook said. "Back in the day, a trumpet cleaning might have been $65. Now some shops charge $100. Schools that are barely making ends meet can’t always afford that."

If these future educators know how to handle basic maintenance, they can care for their students and community better, Cook said.

"There are instruments sitting in closets all over rural Kansas — kids who tried band and quit," Cook said. "If those instruments can be donated, fixed up and put in the hands of younger musicians, that’s a real difference we can make for our state.”

The sound of rural school music

For years, it advanced slowly, almost unnoticed. It wasn’t advertised at freshman orientations or highlighted in admission brochures. Yet it’s everywhere, in classrooms, resident halls, even in the quad where students gather.

Over the past five decades, men have steadily disappeared from college campuses nationwide, including here in Kansas.

At all state universities, males represent a minority of undergraduate students.

K-State and Pitt State are closest to parity, while male enrollment at Wichita State, Emporia, and Fort Hays is particularly low; Emporia the most uneven at just 36% male.

Washburn University is even more lopsided at 35%. The pattern extends beyond universities. At 14 of the 19 state community colleges, men comprise less than 45%. At six of them, male representation falls below 35%. Only at Coffeyville and Independence do men reach a majority.

Men are also less likely to complete schooling once enrolled. The six-year college completion rate for women is nearly 10 points higher than for men.

The phenomenon has impacted post-graduate education.

Statewide, men account for less than 40% of graduate students, 45% of medical students, and typically less than half of incoming law classes. Nationally, 47% of 25–34-year-old women have a bachelor’s degree, compared with 37% of men – the gap larger among lower income males. Women now earn 45% more doctoral degrees overall, and nearly twice the number of master’s degrees. To be clear, women are not pushing men out of college. Rather, men are choosing not to go.

The disparities are in part shaped by factors in place well before college. But as women’s history demonstrates, underrepresentation in higher education carries costs, to those directly affected and society as a whole.

The immediate impact is felt in the classroom. Skewed gender representation, favoring men or women, can subtly change the culture of learning and participation norms. This in turn can influence teaching strategies.

Friendship networks and partnership patterns are also impacted. College connects individuals through various functions, social clubs, recreational activities, and academic units. The shared experiences are a catalyst for deeper relationships. About a fifth of meet their partners in college, and 81% of the college educated are married to or partnered with another college graduate.

The labor market is implicated as well. Early career sorting by education draws men and women into increasingly separate professions. Downstream, this impacts marriage timing and family formation.

Finally, education influences politics. Those with college degrees participate, and they vote Democrat. Those without degrees participate less and they vote Republican.

These divisions will undoubtedly grow if gender imbalances in higher education persist, creating even sharper distinctions between men and women and within the male electorate. In 2024, for example, Harris edged out Trump among college educated men by 4 points, but was soundly defeated among non-college men by a whopping 25 points.

Fifty years ago, men dominated college campuses and possessed a substantial educational advantage. Today, that imbalance is gone, only to be replaced by a new one.

A focus on men does not diminish the challenges women still encounter. Instead, it highlights a broad reordering within the nation’s educational pipeline. It’s about work, social mobility, and political power, just as it was fifty years ago.

Joslyn is a professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Policical Science at the University of Kansas

Insight Kansas: Women out-degree men and why that matters

Hutch Rec is inviting residents from several Hutchinson neighborhoods to learn more about a new effort aimed at strengthening community connections and neighborhood engagement.

Through its Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, Hutch Rec is launching a Neighborhood Ambassador Program and will host two free informational sessions this spring for residents interested in becoming involved. 

The sessions are scheduled for Thursday, April 9, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 11, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Hutch Rec Downtown, 17 E. 1st Avenue. 

Residents living in the Founders, SW Bricktown, Grace Arbor, Creekside, MidTown, College Grove and Farmington Park neighborhoods are specifically invited to attend the sessions. 

The program is designed to help neighbors connect, build trust within their communities and encourage residents to play a role in strengthening their neighborhoods.

During the informational meetings, participants will be able to meet members of the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative team, learn more about the ambassador program, and find out how they can get involved when the program officially launches in summer 2026. 

The sessions will also provide an opportunity for residents to ask questions and connect with others interested in improving their communities.

Admission to the informational meetings is free, but advanced registration is required. Hutch Rec officials note that childcare, snacks and activities will be available for those attending. 

The Neighborhood Ambassador Program is part of Hutch Rec’s broader Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, which focuses on empowering residents to build stronger, more vibrant neighborhoods through local leadership and collaboration.

Residents interested in learning more can contact Community Initiatives Director Denice Gilliland at <a href="mailto:dgilliland@hutchrec.com">dgilliland@hutchrec.com</a> or 620-663-6179.

Hutch Rec launching Neighborhood Ambassador program

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — A Utah woman who wrote a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-kouri-richins-husbands-death-hearing-83201ae3753e1fd53457b9215c13b231">children’s book about coping with grief</a>&nbsp;after her husband’s death was convicted of aggravated murder in his death by poisoning him with fentanyl.

Jurors on Monday also found Kouri Richins guilty of fraudulently claiming insurance benefits after the death of Eric Richins in March 2022 at their home outside the ski town of Park City.

Prosecutors say Kouri Richins slipped five times the lethal dose of the synthetic opioid into a cocktail that he drank. They say Richins was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kouri-richins-murder-trial-opening-statements-55949a453ff23ac67f776058c0718fcd">$4.5 million in debt</a>&nbsp;and falsely believed that when her husband died, she would inherit his estate worth more than $4 million. They also say she was planning a future with another man she was seeing on the side.

After her husband’s death, Richins self-published a children’s book about grief to help her sons and other kids cope with the loss of a parent.

She was also convicted of other felony charges, including an attempted murder charge in what authorities alleged was another effort to poison her husband weeks earlier on Valentine’s Day with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kouri-richins-murder-husband-utah-author-74ab4248df5085d041e9c2001e147a6b">fentanyl-laced sandwich</a>&nbsp;that made him break out in hives and black out.

Richins’ defense attorney said Eric Richins was addicted to painkillers and had asked his wife to procure opioids for him. Kouri Richins, however, told police earlier in a video that her husband had no history of illicit drug use.

“She wanted to leave Eric Richins but did not want to leave his money,” said Summit County prosecutor Brad Bloodworth.

Richins had pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The most serious charge — aggravated murder — carries a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

What was scheduled to be a five-week trial was cut short last week when Richins waived her right to testify, and her legal team abruptly rested its case without calling any witnesses. Richins’ attorneys said they were confident that prosecutors did not produce enough evidence over the past three weeks to convict her of murder.

“They haven't done their job, and now they want you to make inferences based on paper-thin evidence. They want you to do their job for them. Tell them, ‘No,’” defense attorney Wendy Lewis urged the jury on Monday.

Prosecutors said Richins, a real estate agent focused on flipping houses, was deep in debt and planning a future with another man she was seeing on the side. She had opened numerous life insurance policies on her husband without his knowledge, with benefits totaling about $2 million, prosecutors alleged.

They showed the jury text messages between Richins and Robert Josh Grossman, the man with whom she was allegedly having an affair, in which she fantasized about leaving her husband, gaining millions in a divorce and marrying Grossman.

The internet search history from Richins’ phone included “what is a lethal.dose.of.fetanayl (sic),” “luxury prisons for the rich America” and “if someone is poisned (sic) what does it go down on the death certificate as,” a digital forensic analyst testified.

Bloodworth replayed for the jury a clip of Richins’ 911 call from the night of her husband’s death. That’s “not ‘the sound of a wife becoming a widow,’” he said, quoting the defense’s opening statement. “It’s the sound of a wife becoming a black widow.”

Lewis responded that the prosecution “looks at facts one way and sees a witch, but if you look at those facts another way, you see a widow.”

Richins listened to the prosecution’s presentation with a furrowed brow and whispered with her attorneys.

Give us the details that will ensure Kouri gets convicted'

The defense focused on trying to discredit the prosecution's star witness, Carmen Lauber, a housekeeper for the family who claimed to have sold Richins fentanyl on multiple occasions.

Lewis argued Lauber did not deal fentanyl and was motivated to lie for legal protection. Lauber said in early interviews that she never dealt the synthetic opioid, but later said she did after investigators informed her that Eric Richins died of a fentanyl overdose, the defense noted.

Richins had asked Lauber for “the Michael Jackson stuff," which Bloodworth said likely refers to the drug combination that killed the singer.

“She knows she wants it because it is lethal,” he argued.

The housekeeper was already in a drug court program as an alternative to incarceration on other charges when authorities arrested her in connection with the Richins case, investigators said. She had also violated some conditions of drug court.

The defense showed a video of law enforcement warning Lauber that they could pull her drug court deal and that she could face a lengthy prison sentence.

“Give us the details that will ensure Kouri gets convicted of murder,” a man in the video said.

Lauber was granted immunity for her cooperation in the case. She testified that she felt a need to “step up and take accountability of my part in this.”

Children’s book becomes a tool for prosecutors

Shortly before her arrest in May 2023, Richins self-published the book “Are You with Me?” The promoted it on local TV and radio stations, which prosecutors have pointed to in arguing that Richins planned the killing and tried to cover it up.

Summit County Sheriff’s detective Jeff O’Driscoll, the lead investigator on the case, testified that Richins paid a ghostwriting company to write the book for her.

O’Driscoll said the sheriff’s office received an anonymous package shortly after Richins’ arrest that contained the book and a note: “There are two sides to every story. This is a true Kouri, a devoted wife and adoring mother. Thought you should know.”

Investigators later learned from Amazon that Richins’ mother sent the package.

Prosecutors showed the jury excerpts of a letter found in Richins’ jail cell that they said appears to outline testimony for her mother and brother. In the six-page letter, Richins instructs her brother to tell her former attorney that Eric Richins confided in him about getting fentanyl from Mexico and “gets high every night."

Defense attorneys have said the letter contains a fictional story Richins had been working on. They have argued that Eric Richins was addicted to painkillers and asked his wife to procure opioids for him.

However, Richins told police on the night of her husband's death that he had no history of illicit drug use, according to body camera footage shown in court.

Author of book on grief found guilty of murder of her husband

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A Kansas driver involved in a fatal pedestrian accident was moved from the hospital to a jail on Sunday.

On March 11,&nbsp; Tyrone Carter, 55, of Newton, was killed and a 21-year-old driver was critically injured after a vehicle-pedestrian crash in south Wichita, according to a media release from police.

Just before 10p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to the 1200 block of South Topeka for a report of a vehicle crash and a man lying in the street. When they arrived, officers found a white Ford Focus that had collided with a parked vehicle. The 21-year-old driver, later identified in county booking records as&nbsp;Martin Tovar-Tavares, was located inside the car and was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

Carter was found lying in the roadway and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Wichita Police Department’s Critical Accident Team responded and is leading the investigation. Preliminary information indicates&nbsp;Martin Tovar-Tavares was traveling south in the car on Topeka when he struck Carter who was walking in the roadway, before crashing into a parked vehicle.

Tovar-Tavares&nbsp;was admitted to the hospital under police watch and custody. On Sunday, he was booked&nbsp; into the Sedgwick County Jail. Alcohol and speed are believed to be contributing factors in the crash.&nbsp; On Monday, he was charged with second-degree murder and remains jailed on a $500,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

Kan. driver in fatal pedestrian crash moved from hospital to jail

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — About 3,800 workers at one of the nation's largest meatpacking plants went on strike Monday in Colorado in what union representatives said was the first walkout at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse in four decades.

Hundreds of strikers picketed in front of the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, owned by JBS USA, as the sun rose Monday. They walked back in forth in the morning cold, bundled in blankets as some yelled “huelga!” — Spanish for “strike.” Others carried signs saying “please don't patronize JBS,” written in both English and Spanish.

The strike follows accusations from union officials that the company retaliated against workers and committed other unfair labor practices amid contract negotiations. A previous contract expired Sunday night.

“They don’t really value their workers and we’re the ones that help them get all their profit,” said Leticia Avalos, a 34-year-old union steward and Greeley native who has been working at the plant since 2020.

Avalos said she depends on the job to support her family including a 6-month-old baby, but she's willing to make sacrifices to get the company to listen.

“It’s the number one place where all of Greeley works,” she said. “It’s a huge impact in the community for us to be striking. I know a lot of us are worried, and hope that nothing goes even more south.”

Smoke was rising from parts of the plant but it was unclear if it was still operating.

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