Bluffton and Richland Township residents have registered impressive responsive rates to the 2020 U.S. Census.
As of Sept. 13, according to the U.S. reports, the Village of Bluffton’s response rate is 81.3 percent. That places Bluffton as the 88th highest response of 928 cities and village in Ohio.
The village response is even more impressive when considering that the top village and city rate in Ohio is a response rate of 88.6 percent.
Bluffton University’s undergraduate enrollment numbers are on the rise for the 2020-21 academic year.
A solid incoming class combined with successful retention efforts account for a 21-student increase over 2019-20 enrollment.
Bluffton’s first-year class includes 195 students. Thirty-one percent are considered American minority, a 7 percent increase over last year’s incoming class.
Total full time enrollment of 726, which includes adult and graduate studies, is also up by 25 students.
By Cort Reynolds
ADA - In an exciting rollercoaster ride of a game, Bluffton got the last run in to edge Ada 48-46 in the finale to the Northwest Conference round robin Friday on an unseasonably cool night at War Memorial Stadium.
Bluffton rallied from a 10-point second half deficit with 20 unanswered points. But after an Ada touchdown cut the deficit to two points late, the Pirates had to dodge a last-second drive to hold on for the hard-hitting rivalry win.
By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON - The Bluffton girls soccer team scored in the 69th minute to break a tie and defeat visiting Riverdale 2-1 Saturday night at Steinmetz Field.
Their second straight victory lifted the Lady Pirate record to 3-2-1.
Laykin Garmatter scored the game's first goal in the 17th minute on an assist from Lauren Rhodes to put Bluffton in front, 1-0.
But Riverdale's Lexi Miller tied it up a minute later with a goal.
By Cort Reynolds
SPENCERVILLE - The Bluffton boys cross country team finished an impressive third out of 15 teams at the Spencerville Invitational Saturday.
Shawnee won the boys black division race team title with 66 points, followed by Ottawa-Glandorf (115) and Bluffton (133).
Pirate sophomore Erik Nygaard finished a strong sixth in the 160-runner field with a time of 17:42.2 to lead Bluffton.
Sophomore Sam Derstine came in 15th in 18:21.5. Senior Elijah Conley ended up 25th in 18:55.4, and classmate Brandon Good was 32nd overall in 19:25.4.
Here are the results from last week's Icon poll. Click here to take this week's poll asking Would you have faith in a covid-19 vaccine introduced to the public before Nov. 3?
Why is there a railroad depot on North Main Street, but no railroad tracks?
The answer is because the depot, now home of Board and Brush, was originally constructed as a freight and passenger depot for a now-abandoned railroad.
Organized in 1881, it arrived in Bluffton as the Cleveland, Delphos and St. Louis Railroad. Then, in 1884 it became the Pittsburgh, Akron and Western Railroad. Due to more railroad mergers, in 1895, it became the Northern Ohio Railway. Later the Northern Ohio became the Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad, or the AC&Y.
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FROM ADA ICON - When you first think of a farm, you usually think, grain or livestock.
Just east of Ada – you can see it from State Route 235 – there's a farm that's a different animal, harvesting a different crop.
The Hog Creek wind farm, officially known as the Hog Creek Wind Project, is a farm located within several farms that grow and raise grain and livestock. Hog Creek Wind Project harvests the wind and sells it as energy. Its parent company is EDP Renewables.
