<i>Ed. Note: We have corrected this article. The original article had an incorrect address for the fire.&nbsp;</i>

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Fire crews responded to a reported structure fire in the 800 block of East Avenue B 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

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — StartUp Hutch's March Entrepreneurship Connections, to feature speaker Shane Iwashige, an entrepreneur, business owner and community leader.

Iwashige will share insights from his journey in business. He began his entrepreneurial path as a teenager selling firewood and has since launched five businesses in the real estate and home services sectors.

Entrepreneurship Connections is a free networking event aimed at fostering discussion and building relationships among local entrepreneurs. It is held monthly on the last Tuesday of each month, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Sandhills Brewing, 111 W. Second Ave.

The event brings together aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs from across Reno County for an evening focused on conversation, peer learning and connection.

StartUp Hutch says that Iwashige's experience as a startup entrepreneur led him to recognize the value of coaching and practical leadership, which he now uses to help entrepreneurs and organizations gain clarity, make progress, and grow with purpose.

Iwashige said he is driven by a desire to build strong organizations with engaged teams working to improve their communities, and he embraces challenges that require curiosity, creativity and experimentation.

During the event, he will discuss lessons learned from building businesses and navigating uncertainty.

“Entrepreneurship Connections is about bringing people together to learn from those who have firsthand experience building businesses and navigating uncertainty,” said Graham Klemme, executive director of StartUp Hutch. “Shane brings an authentic entrepreneurial perspective and a deep commitment to Hutchinson that will resonate with both emerging and established business owners.”

The event is free and open to the public. Attendees who register in advance will receive a complimentary drink ticket.

Organizers said the event is designed for individuals at all stages of business development, from those exploring new ventures to established business owners looking to expand their network.

March 'Entrepreneurship Connection' to feature Iwashige

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. ——————————————

Ca'Darius	Trayvon	Sapp		3/16/2026 11:16&nbsp;AM	Probation Violation

Buddy	Joe	Smith		3/16/2026 12:33&nbsp;PM	Violation of Offender Registration Act; 1st Conv; Person, In Transit From-To Other Agency

Jeremiah	Tanner	Davis		3/16/2026 1:28&nbsp;PM	Distribute marijuana w/in 1000' sch; &lt;25 gm,					Drugs; Paraphernalia; Sell/Distribute/Possess for illegal use,					Drugs; Arrange sale/purchase of controlled substance using a communication facility

Richard	Andrew	Petty		3/16/2026 3:23&nbsp;PM	Direct Contempt

Christopher	Martin	Snell		3/16/2026 7:43&nbsp;PM	Domestic Battery; Knowing or Reckless Bodily Harm (1st conviction),					Criminal Threat; with Intent to Terrorize or cause Evacuation

Alec	Joseph	Shanelec		3/16/2026 8:10&nbsp;PM	Criminal Deprivation of Property; Other than Motor Vehicle or Firearm,					Disorderly Conduct; Fighting words or noisy conduct

Delicia	Marie	Raner Meyer		3/16/2026 9:35&nbsp;PM	Failure to Appear

Honain	Steven	Culy		3/16/2026 11:00&nbsp;PM	Failure to Appear

Daily Bookings

LYONS, Kan. — The Lyons City Council voted Monday to remove Police Chief Justin Holiday "for cause" following a weeks-long suspension and administrative review.

Following an executive session, the city council approved the decision in a 5–2 vote. Holiday had been placed on suspension on Feb. 17, with city officials stating at the time that the action was “based on the needs of the department and the community.”

City officials extended the suspension by an additional two weeks on March 2 to allow for further administrative review. No specific details regarding the reason for the suspension or removal have been released, with the city continuing to describe the situation as a “personnel matter.”

In the interim, Sgt. Cory Ryan has been appointed acting police chief. The city has also entered into an agreement with the Rice County Sheriff’s Office to assist with law enforcement coverage as needed.

Lyons city council removes police chief

Three-day Outlook

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

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

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

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

WICHITA, Kan. - Police arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with the Sunday night homicide of a 16-year-old Wichita boy.

Just after 9p.m. police responded to the 1100 block of S. Webb Road in Wichita after reports of a shooting, according to a media release.

When officers arrived, they found the teen in a vehicle with a gunshot wound to his upper body. EMS took him to a hospital, where he later died.

The preliminary investigation indicates there was a disturbance between the 16-year-old suspect and the victim, during which a shot was fired. The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived.

Officers secured the scene while homicide investigators, K-9 officers and additional personnel processed evidence and followed leads. Through those efforts, investigators identified and arrested the boy.

The boy was booked into the Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center on a requested charge of second-degree murder.

Police will present the case to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office.

 16-year-old Kansas boy accused of killing another teen

WASHINGTON (AP) —About 200 U.S. troups have been wounded since the start of the Iran war though more than 180 service members have returned to duty, Capt. Tim Hawkins, the spokesman for U.S. Central Command, told The Associated Press.

Hawkins said 10 service members are considered seriously wounded.

The previous update released last week by the Pentagon put the number of wounded personnel at around 140 and eight as “severely injured.”

CENTCOM has not said when or where those troops were wounded, or given details on the type of injuries.

Since the war in Iran began, 13 U.S. service members have been killed.

Number of U.S. troops wounded in Iran war continues to climb

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a fatal hit-and-run identified the victim as 67-year-old&nbsp;Tommy English of Topeka. 

Just after 10p.m. March 9, police responded to a report of an injury accident at the intersection of SW 6th Street and SW Horne Street in Topeka, according to a media release.

Officers learned that a pedestrian, later identified as Tommy English had been struck by a vehicle. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.&nbsp;

As a result of the investigation, it was determined that the incident involved a hit-and-run crash. The vehicle driver, Elizabeth A. Neal, 38, of Topeka, was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections and remains jailed on requested charges of Driving While License Suspended, Failure to Stop at an Accident Resulting in Death, Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer; Conceal/Alter/Destroy Evidence, Vehicular Homicide

Police ID victim in fatal Kansas hit-and-run

A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked federal health officials from cutting the number of vaccines recommended for every child, and said U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likely violated federal procedures in revamping a key vaccine advisory committee.

The decision halted an order by Kennedy —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/childhood-vaccine-schedule-trump-rfk-hhs-9b8df9e2767c1261aaac4e2331e77fa3">announced</a>&nbsp;in January — to end broad recommendations for all children to be vaccinated against&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-flu-cases-cdc-subclade-k-29cc5a68eb100585c8e0dbd2ec47b3eb">flu</a>, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV.

It also stopped a meeting of a Kennedy-appointed vaccine advisory committee, which was set to convene this week in Atlanta.

The judge's order, however, is not the final word. The blocks are temporary, pending either a trial or a decision for summary judgment.

Federal health officials indicated they planned to appeal.

“HHS looks forward to this judge’s decision being overturned just like his other attempts to keep the Trump administration from governing,” said Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon.

The order issued Monday is the latest development in a lawsuit filed last July by the American Academy of Pediatrics and some other medical groups. The lawsuit in federal court in Boston originally focused on Kennedy’s decision to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccinations for most children and pregnant women.

The lawsuit was updated as Kennedy took more steps that alarmed medical societies, causing the plaintiffs to ask Judge Brian E. Murphy to take steps to address those policy changes too.

For example, the plaintiffs&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawsuit-vaccines-kennedy-95a1aa23c3f015f7a35a570f5ef8da36">amended the lawsuit</a>&nbsp;to stop the scaling back of the nation’s childhood vaccination schedule. They also asked the court to look at Kennedy’s actions concerning the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises public health officials on what vaccines to recommend to doctors and patients.

Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official, fired the entire 17-member panel last year and replaced it with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices.

Murphy, who was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden, said Kennedy’s reconstitution of ACIP likely violated federal law. He ordered the appointments — and all decisions made by the reformed committee — put on hold.

The ACIP was scheduled to meet this week to discuss COVID-19 vaccine safety, among other issues, but that gathering was postponed, officials said.

“ACIP as currently constituted cannot meet,” said Richard Hughes IV, an attorney representing the AAP. “How can a committee meet without nearly the entirety of its membership?”

Jason Schwartz, a Yale University vaccine policy expert who has studied the committee, called the halting of an ACIP meeting for legal reasons “unprecedented” in its 62-year existence.

Hughes called the judge's order “a momentous step toward restoring science-based vaccine policy,” and he was echoed by leaders of several doctors' groups and public health organizations.

When Trump administration officials overhauled the childhood vaccine schedule, they said it wouldn't result in families losing access to them or cause insurers to stop covering them. But it left many Americans confused, as doctors' groups, public health organizations and many states continued to recommend licensed vaccines, said Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Several doctors’ groups said the changes were not based on good evidence, and advised doctors and patients to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid19-vaccines-aap-cdc-33896013e1d7b3ad06dbd0d99d300bff">follow guidance</a>&nbsp;that was previously in place. Health officials in 30 states have rejected at least some of the new recommendations.

The judge's order should bring clarity, Racine said.

“If anyone has any questions about what’s the appropriate vaccine schedule for their children, the best thing to do is to talk to their pediatricians,” he said.

Schwartz said he expected federal health officials to keep expressing “their deep skepticism regarding the importance of vaccination” and to keep embracing "unsupported vaccine safety allegations.”

After the ruling, one of Kennedy's appointees to the committee, Dr. Robert Malone, urged the Trump administration to keep pursuing Kennedy's vaccine policy changes.

“A district court order is a delay, not a defeat,” he wrote Monday on Substack.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Federal judge blocks RFK Jr.'s changes to childhood vaccine schedule

KANSAS CITY—A firefighter was injured while fighting a fire Monday evening in Kansas City.

Just after 5p.m. Monday, crews&nbsp;responded to a reported fire in a multi-family townhome at 10928 E McKinley in Kansas City, Missouri, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

 On arrival crews reported heavy smoke and fire from a two-story&nbsp; townhome. Interior operations were initiated using multiple handlines. Interior searches of the structure were conducted and came back all clear.&nbsp;

 City Planning and Dangerous Buildings were requested to the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD. On firefighter was transported to a local hospital for a minor injury, according to Hopkins.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Firefighter injured battling townhome fire in Kansas City

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.

Local

Region

Sports