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

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

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

Residents across central, south central and southeast Kansas are being urged to prepare for potentially damaging winds on Sunday as a High Wind Warning takes effect.

According to the National Weather Service, the warning will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Forecasters say northwest winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour are expected, with gusts reaching up to 60 miles per hour at times. The strong winds could lead to significant impacts across the region.

Officials warn that the powerful gusts may blow down trees and power lines, which could lead to widespread power outages. Travel may also become hazardous, particularly for high-profile vehicles such as semis, buses and campers.

Residents are encouraged to take precautions ahead of the storm. Safety officials recommend staying in the lower levels of your home and away from windows during the strongest winds. People should also watch for falling debris and tree limbs.

Drivers who must be on the road Sunday are advised to use caution, especially in open areas where wind gusts may be strongest.

High Wind Warning issued

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. ——————————————

Erin	Eden	Stowell		3/14/2026 2:44&nbsp;PM	Failure to Appear

Desirea	Nicole	Larralde		3/14/2026 3:01&nbsp;PM	Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv, Insurance; Fail to maintain liability insurance

Jimmy	Ray	Miller		3/14/2026 6:13&nbsp;PM	Stalking; Conduct after receiving notice of protection order causing fear; 2nd conviction, Burglary; Dwelling for felony, theft, dv, sex, Viol protection order; Abuse order

Jason	Dean	Lankford		3/14/2026 6:59&nbsp;PM	DUI; 2nd conv; blood or breath .08 or higher

Everette	Wilbert	Hardy		3/14/2026 11:50&nbsp;PM	Criminal Trespass; Defiance of Order

Andrew	Charles	Pauly		3/15/2026 1:01&nbsp;AM	DUI; 1st conv; blood or breath .08 or higher

Daily Bookings

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mark-scolforo">MARK SCOLFORO</a>

A woman raising two children was among the six U.S. service members killed last week when a refueling plane involved in the war with Iran&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-iran-tanker-aircraft-crash-iraq-kc135-c337359a58be6280dc96fdbf1cb48a5b">crashed</a>&nbsp;in western Iraq.

Tech Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, hailed from a large family in Bardstown, Kentucky, and was “very, very” proud of her military career, her husband Gregory Pruitt said Sunday.

“I’ll give you something brief -– in a word, radiant,” he said on a phone interview, trying to hold back tears. “If there was a light in the room, she was it.”

Survivors include the couple’s 3-year-old daughter and Sgt. Pruitt’s stepson.

Most recently, she had served with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron from Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base in Birmingham, Alabama. She was an assistant flight chief of operations and was an instructor in operating the boom of a KC-135.

Pruitt joined the military nine years ago and had previously deployed overseas three times. She had nearly 900 combat flight hours and two associate degrees from the Community College of the Air Force.

The U.S. military late Saturday identified Pruitt and the other five crash victims, three connected to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and Sumpter Smith; the other three were out of an Ohio Air National Guard base in Columbus.

“To lose a member of the Air Force family is excruciatingly painful, especially to those who know them as son, daughter, brother, sister, spouse, mom, or dad,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Ed Szczepanik, commander of the 6th Air Refueling Wing, in a news release. “To lose them at the same time is unimaginable.”

Maj. Gen. Matthew S. Woodruff, the Ohio adjutant general, called the three from Columbus “remarkable Airmen whose service and commitment embodied the very best of our Ohio National Guard. Their impact on their teammates and our mission will not be forgotten.”

The aircraft was in “friendly” airspace, supporting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-iran-tanker-aircraft-crash-iraq-kc135-c337359a58be6280dc96fdbf1cb48a5b">operations</a>&nbsp;against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">Iran</a>, when an unspecified incident involving another aircraft occurred on Thursday, according to U.S. Central Command. The other plane landed safety, U.S. military officials said. The crash is being investigated.

The KC-135 aircraft refuels other planes in midair, allowing them to fly longer distances and sustain operations without landing. The plane also can be used to transport wounded personnel and conduct surveillance missions, according to military experts.

The Congressional Research Service says the Air Force last year had 376 KC-135s, including 151 on active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard and 62 in the Air Force Reserve. It has been in service for more than 60 years.

Maj. John A. “Alex” Klinner, 33, had just been promoted to major in January and had been deployed less than a week when the crash occurred, his brother-in-law said.

The pilot left behind three small children: 7-month-old twins and a 2-year-old son, according to his brother-in-law, James Harrill.

Klinner was a graduate of Auburn University and an eight-year U.S. Air Force veteran from Birmingham, Alabama. He had just moved with his family into a new home, his wife Libby Klinner said in an Instagram post mourning his death.

He was the chief of squadron standards and evaluations at the Birmingham air base.

An outdoorsman who enjoyed hiking, Klinner was also ready to help others. When Harrill last saw him in January, Klinner had shoveled Harrill’s vehicle out of the snow during a family wedding.

“Alex was one of those guys that had this steady command about him,” said Harrill, of Atlanta, who helped set up a GoFundMe site for Klinner’s family. “He was literally one of the most kindest, giving people.”

Libby Klinner said in a post that her heart is broken for their children, who will grow up not knowing their father.

“They won’t get to see firsthand the way he would jump up to help in any way he could,” she wrote. “They won’t see how goofy and funny he was. They won’t witness his selflessness, the way he thought about everyone else before himself. They won’t get to feel the deep love he had for them.”

He deployed four times since 2019 and had put in 362 combat hours and 181 combat support hours.

Tech Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, served with the Ohio Air National Guard’s 166th Air Refueling Squadron as a boom operator responsible for transferring fuel from the tanker to the receiving aircraft, according to his Air Force biography.

His mother, Cheryl Simmons, said Saturday that she was making funeral plans for her son, who lived in Columbus.

In a statement obtained by WCMH-TV in Columbus, Tyler Simmons’ family said it was saddened beyond measure to hear of the fatal crash.

“Tyler’s smile could light up any room, his strong presence would fill it. His parents, grandparents, family and friends are grief stricken for the loss of life,” they said.

Simmons joined the Air Force in 2017 and earned an associate degree from the Community College of the Air Force. He became a refueling specialist in 2022 and was made a technical sergeant in 2023. He deployed three times in the past decade and had 230 combat hours.

Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, was a pilot with the 99th Air Refueling Squadron, serving as its chief of current operations. She was responsible for the flying hour program and managing daily flight scheduling, among other duties.

Savino, from Covington, Washington, was a product of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Central Washington University, earning an active duty commission in 2017.

She served at bases in Georgia and Mississippi and had more than 300 combat hours. She was made captain in 2021.

A captain with more than 2,000 flight hours

Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, was an instructor pilot for the KC135R Stratotanker with 19 years of service, according to the Ohio National Guard.

A resident of Stoutsville, Ohio, Koval was an aircraft commander with the 121st Air Refueling Wing out of Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus. The military said he had trained pilots in air refueling, aeromedical, cargo and passenger operations.

A statement from the U.S. government said Koval was from Mooresville, Indiana.

Koval had a bachelor’s degree in aviation operations from Purdue University and deployed five times in the past 12 years. His assignments included stops in Indiana, Ohio, Alabama, Texas an Oklahoma.

Koval had more than 2,000 flight hours, including 443 in combat, the Ohio Guard said. He was promoted to captain in 2022.

Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, was in the military for a decade after getting a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He enlisted in the Ohio Air National Guard in 2015, with deployments in 2015 and this year.

Angst was a KC-135R pilot with the 166th Air Refueling Squadron and lived in Columbus. A statement about his death from the federal government indicated he was from Wilmington, Ohio.

He had 880 flight hours, including 67 combat hours. Angst was promoted to captain in November.

'Radiant' mother among US service members who died in air crash in Iraq

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Wichita.

On Sunday night, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1100 Block of South Webb Road in Wichita, according to an online statement from Officer Kris Gupilan.

At the scene, first responders found a man inside a car who had been shot. EMS transported the man to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Preliminary investigation indicates a disturbance occurred between an unknown suspect and the vicim in the parking lot of a nearby park. After the shooting, one of the suspects was observed running from the vehicle, southeast through the park.&nbsp;

Police are working to determine just what happened and are asking anyone who lives near the park who may have seen anything to contact investigators.

Homicide: Man shot in Kansas park parking lot

President Trump announced on Monday that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.&nbsp;

Wiles, is 68, and rose from Trump's campaign co-chair to his closest adviser and counsel. She is the first woman to become&nbsp;White House chief of staff.

President Trump's White House Chief of Staff diagnosed with cancer

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement have released the name of the pedestrian who died in a hit-and-run crash early Sunday morning near the Sedgwick County Zoo.

Adam Wayne Condit, 29, of Wichita, died after he was struck by a pickup truck shortly after midnight March 15 in the 5800 block of West Windmill Road, according to Sheriff's Department spokesman Branden Stitt.

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