There is good news and bad news as the area continues to deal with the impact of nearly month-long flooding in May.
First, the bad news: the Sertoma Club of Emporia has canceled plans for a grand re-opening celebration for the miniature train at Soden’s Grove. Originally, the celebration was slated for late May, but one round of flooding delayed that to early June. The third and final round of flooding in May damaged the track ballast — in some cases washing it away completely — so the event has now been canceled.
The good news comes from Greenwood County, where the Emergency Management Department says the county landfill is now accessible again. A nearby bridge had washed away due to flooding in late May. That has since been repaired.
All area counties are part of Governor Laura Kelly’s request for a major presidential disaster declaration due to severe weather, including floods and tornadoes, dating back to April 28. Lyon and most surrounding counties have already qualified for reimbursements to offset damage to public infrastructure as part of several related disaster declarations at the state level.
