Visit from skunks causes closure of track at Newton High School

NEWTON, Kan. (KWCH) - The track at Newton High School is closed for the time being, all thanks to a visit from some smelly visitors.

When the weather allows for it, the Newton High School track is a popular place for residents to get exercise.

“It’s pretty popular in the evenings. A lot of people will come out and walk with their families or come out here and run. So even though school’s out right now, it’s still a busy place,” said Newton Public Schools Director of Communications Carly Stavola.

Recently, there have been more and more stories of skunks disrupting people’s evenings at the track. One maintenance worker at the high school said there was at least eight hiding away. underneath the high-jump mat

“We had a maintenance man come out and flipped over one of the wood pallets that they had been hiding under,” Stavola said. And they kind of just hung out there. They’re not very scared of people.’

While hiding for the most part, there are reports of the visitors becoming bold.

“Supposedly a skunk kind of charged a man who came to the high school track over the weekend to do some running and jogging,” Stavola said.

Former Newton resident Jessica Bean said she was walking her dogs this weekend when she encountered the visitors. She said her dogs started barking and “going crazy” around the high-jump mats, but she didn’t think much of it.

“And the second time around, we made it again and they did the same thing. And then the third time around, I saw one (skunk) running along the fence line. And so I just turned around because I didn’t want to get sprayed,” Bean said.

The Newton school district said while the story is lighthearted, this is a serious matter it’s working to resolve.

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