HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The flooding is presenting some problems for the Hutchinson Zoo. Water from the pond on the zoo grounds has overflowed into the public area so zoo displays are closed.

Zoo Director Ryan VanZant says they are on top of things and the animals are safe, although the animal displays are closed. “In the public areas, it surrounds one of our little playgrounds, in our service areas it’s made life a bit of a challenge,” VanZant said. Some of the animals were moved to other buildings while some took a little bit of water in stride.

VanZant says similar events in the past helped them prepare for the high water. “The zoo flooded in 2007 so we learned a lot from that flood and we put some of those procedures and policies into action and so far, so good,” VanZant added.

While the displays are closed, the Prairie Thunder Railroad and the gift shop are still open. VanZant did not say how long the display areas will be closed.

NICKERSON, Kan. — The Nickerson USD 309 School Board will make some final decisions on a potential school bond issue during a special retreat June 3.

According to Superintendent Dr. Dawn Johnson, the results of a survey that was presented to the board Monday showed enough favorable information that the district appears ready to put the proposal up for vote.

Johnson says the retreat will let the board decide whether to go ahead with the bond issue. The retreat will allow the board to figure out how much the bond issue should be and how many years the project should be funded. Johnson says most patrons feel they could handle a tax bill between $125 and $185 per year for such improvements.

Johnson also stated that, while the amount of the bond isn’t known, it’s probably going to be in the $25 million to $30 million range. The total amount of the proposal is around $34 million and would make improvements to South Hutchinson Elementary, Reno Valley Middle School and Nickerson High School.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Amtrak has once again suspended the SW Chief between Hutchinson and Kansas City because of flooding. Bus service between Oklahoma City and Newton has also been suspended.

Eastbound passengers in Hutchinson will be bused to Kansas City with stops along the way. Westbound passengers will board in Hutchinson as normal. Those getting on or off at Newton should be advised again that the through service bus to Wichita and on to Oklahoma City will not run.

Passengers could experience long delays because of flooding and are asked to go to amtrak.com or call 1-800-USD-RAIL.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council got the report from GreenPlay regarding the parks and rec study that was performed over the past several months.

GreenPlay presented its findings in a more than hour-long report to the council on Tuesday. The report talked about better utilizing the parks and making programs more available, especially in economically challenged areas.

It also talked about new trends and how such things as various warrior contests and zip lines could be utilized in parks. The study was conducted after Hutch Rec received a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas to pay for the work. The study is part of an overall master plan for Hutch Rec and city facilities.

GreenPlay addressed some issues it feels the city needs to do better, like providing more active transportation where people can walk and bike around the community, and better nutrition programs that will help make food available. GreenPlay also talked about developing an adventure park near Fun Valley, along with general improvements to the city parks and recreation facilities.

One thing that caught the attention of the council was the renewed call to better utilize Memorial Hall. Councils past and present have tried to find ways to make the aged building more usable while keeping the exorbitant costs of renovating the building off the table. GreenPlay stated that the hall could be like an indoor playground if renovated.

The council accepted the study and will see how much of the information it can use.

CHENEY — Lake levels are rising quickly once again at Cheney Reservoir. For the second time in two weeks, the lake is nearing the top of its flood pool with no relief in sight.

As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, the lake was at 1,427.7 feet. The top of the flood pool is 1,429.0. With rivers still running high and more water in Oklahoma, the flood gates remain closed.

A spokesperson for the Army Corps of Engineers said there will be a meeting to assess the flooding before making any decisions on opening the gates.

With the lake at this level, most camping at the park is under water as are several roads around the lake.

HUTCHINSON — The flooding along parts of Cow Creek could reach near-record levels by the end of the week.

The forecast calls for the creek to reach about 12.6 feet, which would be close to a record and about as high as the major flooding in October. It would be the second time this month residents between Hutchinson and Nickerson are dealing with major flooding.

The Arkansas Rivers are also expected to quickly flow out of their banks with more rain in the forecast for the rest of the week. Flooding is expected to continue through the week. Roads in Harvey County that are prone to flooding are under water. Areas around Halstead and Newton are also flooding. In Rice County, many areas along Cow Creek are underwater and numerous roads are closed throughout the area.

In Hutchinson, the usual areas were under water Monday afternoon and even some areas that usually don’t flood. Hutchinson Public Works reported the last event has caused more problems this time around due to saturated ground and a large amount of debris left from the last event, which is choking drains and slowing the flow of water.

For a list of road closings go to hutchpost.com.

HUTCHINSON — The Hutchinson City Council approved funding a grant proposal for the Woody Seat interchange project during Tuesday’s meeting.

The city recently received the results of a study on how to deal with the traffic on the interchange and the two aging bridges over Avenues A and B. The application will be done by WSP USA at a cost of $42,686.

The move comes as Public Works is working on $2.2 million dollars worth of needed maintenance on the bridges over Avenues A and B. If the city were to get the transportation grant, the interchange project would total about $6 million. The city will hold back that $2.2 million until December when it finds out if it will get the funds.

The proposal adds roundabouts at Adams and Avenue A and Woody Seat, eliminating the interchange and the two bridges. The freeway would incline up and over the K and O and Union Pacific Railroad tracks and continue on as normal.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A new Dollar Tree is coming to Hutchinson. According to Dollar Tree spokesperson Kayleigh Painter, the new 10,000 square foot store will be located at 416 E. 30th Avenue in a part of the old Hastings store.

This is the second Dollar Tree to open in Hutchinson. Painter says the store at the mall is staying open. A store of this size typically employs 12 to 20 associates and Painter says interested applicants can apply online at www.DollarTree.com/careers or in person at the store location closer to the opening date.

“Dollar Tree continues to grow and we are proud to be part of the Hutchinson community,” Painter said.

The new store is expected to open in July.