Patch PM CT brings you the breaking and trending news stories from all across Connecticut each weeknight. Here are those stories:

A university official said their “heart” goes out to the family and that “Maria was well on her way to completing a degree in marketing from our School of Business.”>>>Read More.

The ambitious restaurant has been in the works for several years and the owners shared an encouraging update. “We have met and overcome several setbacks both financial and otherwise on this project and to date we have invested upwards of $1 million.>>>Read More.

Fire officials commended the “courage and brave efforts of the good Samaritans in what likely saved the victim’s life.”>>>Read More.

Police said they are investigating the fatal hit-and-run of the pedestrian.>>>Read More.

The teen says to make a decision will “definitely break [her] heart.”>>>Read More.

Other top stories:

The Patch community platform serves communities all across Connecticut in Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, New London, Hartford, Tolland, and Litchfield counties. Thank you for reading.

A man accused of killing his wife during a domestic dispute Friday was found by police on top of the victim as officers entered the couple’s home and discovered the woman was suffering from a serious wound to her throat, according to the police report.

Ding Sheng Lin, 50, of Simsbury, is charged in the killing of his wife, 49-year-old Qui Rongfang. His 18-year-old son called 911 upon hearing an argument in their Wildwood Road home and what sounded like someone calling for help before he heard “gurgling sounds,” the police report said.

Lin is charged with one count of murder and held in custody pending his arraignment hearing on Monday in Hartford Superior Court.

According to the report, officers were called to the couple’s home at 11:18 a.m. after Lin’s son reported hearing an argument. The first officers on the scene encountered Lin covered in blood and told him to come downstairs.

Police wrote in the report that Lin ignored police and ran into a bedroom and shut the door. Officers kicked the door in and found him on top of a woman who was later identified as Rongfang, the report said. A boxcutter was found nearby on the floor.

The woman was suffering from a serious puncture or slash wound to her throat and was given medical attention at the scene, which included an occlusive dressing and pressure being applied to her wound, the report said.

Rongfang stopped breathing and lost her pulse at one point, so officers began administering chest compressions. She was rushed to Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford where she was pronounced dead at 1:36 p.m.

Lin was taken into custody at the scene. He requested a lawyer and was not interviewed by investigators, the report said.

Police used a Mandarin translator to complete the booking process, as officers noted that Lin only had a basic understanding of English.

According to the report, Lin’s son said he was woken up by an argument between his father and Rongfang. The relationship between the son and Lin’s wife was not made clear in a redacted version of the police report.

During the argument, the son said he sent a text message to his sister letting her know about the dispute, which he said turned into a physical fight, according to the report. The son told police he heard “heavy foot stomping and movement” and someone crying for help. When he called out asking what the couple was doing, he said he got no response and only heard “gurgling sounds,” the report said.

The teen said he was too scared to go check on what was happening.

According to the report, officers noted that some of the blood on Lin appeared to be drying by the time police got into the home. Police said they believe he may have stopped attacking the woman until officers arrived at the home, at which point he allegedly resumed his assault, the report said.

Doctors told police Rongfang likely died from a deep laceration to her throat that caused hemorrhaging, according to the report. One of the wounds was so deep that it reached her spinal cord, police wrote.

An autopsy later showed that Rongfang had a combination of slash and stab wounds to her neck, as well as a laceration on her head behind her ear and what appeared to be defensive wounds to her hands, the report said. The autopsy showed that the wounds were caused by a sharp blade.

The autopsy did not show any signs of strangulation, which led police to believe the sounds the teen heard were likely the victim trying to scream, according to the report.

Police noted in the report that a brief check of the address where the killing occurred showed no prior domestic history between Lin and Rongfang.

Cyclists and pedestrians will have a new route across the Connecticut River starting next month, when the opening of the long-awaited multi-purpose trail along the Putnam Bridge creates a scenic connection between Wethersfield and Glastonbury.

Contractors have completed the roughly 1.4-mile paved trail, and the state transportation department expects to open it in mid-May.

“People are going to enjoy it. There probably won’t be a deluge of people going to either town, but I think it will surprise some people how often it gets used,” said Kevin T. Sullivan, co-founder of Bike Walk Wethersfield, a prominent advocacy group for cyclists and pedestrians.

The project took two years and has spurred planners in both towns to look for ways to link established cycling routes to what is being called the Putnam Bridge Trail.

Walkers and cyclists will be able to go from Great Meadow Road in Wethersfield to Naubuc Avenue in Glastonbury.

The Putnam carries about 55,000 cars and trucks each day, but until now non-motorized traffic had to take an 8-mile trip to the Charter Oak Bridge in Hartford to cross the river. Alternatives to the south required an even greater detour: 26 miles to the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown and back, or else 11 miles to the seasonal Glastonbury-Rocky Hill ferry.

The plan is for trail connections on the east side of the river to reach the Goodwin College trails in East Hartford, while on the west side Wethersfield planners are putting together a temporary route to Main Street in Old Wethersfield.

Eventually the town plans a permanent, dedicated trail for that, and Wethersfield officials are meeting in May to give a public update about progress.

Sullivan said recreational riders can do 10- or 15-mile rides using connector routes from the bridge trail, but said he anticipates that most of the use will be from people traveling locally.

“I’ve heard from quite a few people regionally who are excited about it, but I don’t know if they’re planning to ride it or they’re just happy to have more trail connections,” he said Thursday. “My personal bet is that more people will be using it for everyday transportation.”

Wethersfield resident Joseph Sica, who was out riding near the oil tanks along the river recently, said he’s looking forward to the bridge route opening. But he questioned whether there will be enough routes to connect with after getting to the other side.

“Sometimes I do 10 miles a day. I like going over a bridge, so I’ll definitely go over to the other side. But there really aren’t many places to go over there, so maybe I’ll just turn around and come back,” Sica said.

With the trail work done, the state department of transportation is now turning its attention to a makeover for the bridge itself.

In a presentation earlier this month, DOT planners said they anticipate launching a major rehabilitation project in the spring 2026 that will run through the end of 2027.

The bridge is 64 years old and is suffering corrosion that needs to be addressed, the DOT said. The plan is to replace any deficient structural elements and make repairs to extend its life by 20 to 25 years.

The Putnam isn’t at risk right now, but overall gets just a five rating — “fair” — on a scale of one (imminent failure) to nine (excellent), according to Tracey Brais, a DOT project manager, and Ron Sacchi, project manager for the GM2 consulting firm.

“There appears to be some seepage through the deck that’s starting to produce corrosion,” Sacchi said.

Workers will replace expansion joints, patch the deck, strengthen steel support elements, strip the asphalt off the bridge deck and repave the roadway, the DOT said.

The four-lane bridge will be repaired in stages, with one lane in each direction kept open and most lane closures limited to nights and weekends, the DOT said.

“When we’re doing top of the deck repairs, we’ll probably have to close one lane in each direction,” Sacchi said. “If more lane closures are required it might involve a weekend closure that would involve a detour over the Charter Oak Bridge. At this point, we are not expecting any long-term closures or long-term detours.”

Federal grants will pay 80% of the cost, with Connecticut covering the other 20%. Brais said planners are still evaluating the cost, which could vary from a base of $31.4 million to slightly more than double that if the entire bridge undergoes repainting.

The cost of removing the bridge’s existing lead paint makes up most of the difference, largely because contractors would need to use a containment system to prevent contamination from falling paint chips.