January 2023

By Bill Herr

What was the first Bluffton High School Pirate sports team to win a state championship?

The 1981 varsity wrestling team. In wrestling at Bluffton High School, there have been 48 Pirate wrestlers that qualified for the State Championships in the 46 years between 1975 and 2021. 24 of them qualified multiple times and 7 became State Champions. The high caliber of this sport at BHS reached a peak in 1981 when the varsity wrestling team won the State Championship. This is their story.

The Bluffton Public Library has announced, "We’re returning to our regular hours, starting January 2023!" as well as the following events and services. Subscribe to library news HERE.

Library hours are: 

Mondays -Thursdays: 9:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m. 

Fridays: 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 

Saturdays: 9:30 a.m-2:00 p.m. 

EVENTS AND PROGRAMS

From Jan. 1 to Jan. 31, Bluffton Public Library is participating in “All the Feels,” a Winter Reading Challenge sponsored by Beanstack. We challenge our community to read and log at least 7 hours a week during the challenge. Earn fun emoji-themed badges for logging your reading, completing activities, submitting book reviews, and earning bingo.  Paper and digital bingo cards are available!

The Board of Trustees of Bluffton Public Library has announced its meeting schedule for 2023. 

Meetings will be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the library's Board Room at 145 South Main St., Bluffton. No meetings will take place in July or December.

Board meetings are open to the public. Board members are:

Bob Beer, president

Nancy Yeager, vice president

Carrie Phillips, secretary

Amy Lehman Mikesell

Robert Scott

From Ryan DeMarco, CRPC™
Edward Jones Financial Advisor, 111 N. Main St., Bluffton, 567-226-4506

Cybercrime is booming. In 2021, the FBI reported that cybercriminals scammed nearly $7 billion from Americans — a figure slightly higher than the gross domestic product (GDP) of Switzerland for that year, according to research organization World Economics. How can you protect yourself from cyberthieves?

Data by Guy Verhoff, Pandora NWS Weather Observer

How did weather in 2022 stack up against recent years? Guy Verhoff has the data to answer that question.

Would you have guessed that since 2006, the area has experienced a high temperature of 102 degrees F and a low of -19 degrees F ?

VIEW FULL SIZE CHART

Dan Groman has announced that the newly established Bluffton Historical Society will meet at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 on the 3rd floor of the Bluffton Town Hall. 

Anyone interested in being a part of this new organization is encouraged to attend.  This will be an informational and planning meeting for 2023.

The Hancock County Sheriff's Office issued the following statement and photograph regarding their search for a suspect in an Arlington, Ohio robbery:

On Saturday 12-31-2022 at 0952 hrs. the Hancock County Sheriff's Office responded to a robbery at the Premier Bank, 112 E. Liberty Street, Arlington, Ohio.

Through investigation it was determined the suspect brandished a note demanding money to one of the tellers before fleeing the business with an undetermined amount of cash.

By Fred Steiner
www.BlufftonForever.com

It's January 1965. Dick Boehr took this photo of the Stauffer Brother's Pure Oil station at the corner of Main and Elm - directly across from the town hall.

We can't read the gas pumps, except that leaded gas was around 33 cents a gallon.

Today a different building stands there, housing Smith Realty, Padrone's Pizza and Ameriprise.

Here are several observations about this photo and Icon viewers are invited to offer more thoughts.

It appears that a 1955 Oldsmobile, with its hood up, is parked on at the station. The vehicle on the street could be a 1947 or 1948 what? Chevy? Ford? Help us out, Icon viewers.

» CONTINUES »

By Paula Scott
 

What’s big news in Bluffton? Let’s take a look at the stories that attracted the most viewers in 2022. Two tragedies shocked Bluffton, while other stories reflected life and traditions in the village.

Death of Officer Dominic Francis
Bluffton Police Officer Dominic Francis was killed on March 31, 2021 during efforts to stop a high speed chase on I-75. Articles ranged from preliminary reports of the incident to the December approval of a memorial highway designation by the State of Ohio.

Photo-story: Community praises fallen Bluffton police officer Dominic Francis

Join us in thanking ONU Healthwise Pharmacy for being an Ada Icon and Bluffton Icon advertiser. 

Since 2010, the ONU Raabe College of Pharmacy has provided health and wellness resources through ONU HealthWise, a multidisciplinary team of ONU faculty, students, and interdisciplinary health care specialists under the supervision of licensed professionals.

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