October 2023

  • /

Scenes from the Sullivans, October 8 – November 4, 2023 
ArtSpace/Lima, 65 Town Square, Lima

ArtSpace/Lima is exhibiting the varied works from the estate of William and Mary Ann Sullivan. ‘Scenes from the Sullivans’ will be on display at ArtSpace through November 4, 2023.  William (Bill) and Mary Ann Sullivan were pillars in Lima’s art community for decades. 

  • /

By Cort Reynolds

The Bluffton High School boys soccer team lost to visiting power Shawnee 3-0 Saturday night, October 7, at Steinmetz Field in a non-league match.

Bluffton dropped to 5-9-2 overall after the loss,  

  • /

By Fred Steiner
www.BlufftonForever.com

Imagine teaching school with a classroom with five sets of twins.

Beyond all the other issues of teaching, 110 school years ago, that was the situation at the Hilty country school west of Bluffton on Columbus Grove Road. Ed Hilty was the teacher of the 10 children plus the remaining students covering grades 1 to 8.

Like all one-room schools in the Bluffton Swiss Settlement, this school had three names.

First is had a township identification, in this case, District No. 3.

Second it had a tree name, in this case, Silver Maple school.

Third, it had a Swiss surname, based on several factors including the original Swiss land owner, in this case, a Hilty family.

For the rest of this story, names of the twins and more photos from the Hilty school click HERE.

  • /

Bluffton University will celebrate Homecoming and Alumni Weekend 2023 from Friday, Oct. 20 - Sunday, Oct. 22. Events will be open to all alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents and friends of the university. Along with cheering on the football, volleyball and swim teams, the Beavers will host alumni gatherings, an open house, food trucks, Beaver Tail-Gating and more.

Tickets for adults are $25 and tickets for children ages 5-17 are $15. Students and faculty/staff with current Bluffton ID will have access to Saturday’s activities for free.  

  • /

By Cort Reynolds

The Bluffton High School football team blanked speedy Leipsic 34-0 (SCOREBOARD) in a surprisingly lopsided Northwest Conference showdown Friday night, October 6, at Harmon Field. The Pirates remain undefeated and atop the league.

The Pirate defense has now recorded six consecutive shutouts. The potent Vikings came into the fray averaging 30 points a game, but were unable to puncture the Pirate defense.

  • /

CORRECTION: Here's the correct game from Friday, October 6.

By Matt M. Stutz

It was a battle for the top of the Blanchard Valley Conference football standings as the Pandora-Gilboa Rockets (4-0 BVC) hosted the Liberty-Benton Eagles (4-0 BVC) Friday night, October 6. In a thrilling back-and-forth game that that lived up to the billing, a late P-G turnover in Eagle territory halted the rally, as the Rockets lost 33-28.

  • /

The Ada Icon and Bluffton Icon will take a holiday break on Monday, October 1, Indigenous People's Day/Columbus Day.

Icon content will be on pause except for breaking news including sports and obituaries.

  • /

Students who participated in spring 2023 short-term cross-cultural experiences spoke during Bluffton University’s Oct. 3 Forum in Yoder Recital Hall.

Experiences included a Civil Rights tour of key southern sites; a tour of Holocaust sites in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic; a medical service experience in Ecuador and a service experience in Kentucky/Appalachia with Mennonite Central Committee’s SWAP (Sharing with Appalachian People) program.

  • /

The Village of Beaverdam Planning Commission will hold an Public Hearing Meeting on Thursday, October 19 at 6:00 p.m. in the Village Hall Council Room,

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss a proposed amendment to the Village of Beaverdam’s Zoning Ordinance. 

  • /

New distracted driving law became enforceable on Oct. 5 

FINDLAY__Troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Findlay District will focus efforts on curbing distracted driving this weekend, as Ohio’s new distracted driving law became  enforceable on October 5. The northwest Ohio initiative started at 12 a.m. on October 6, and will  end at 11:59 p.m. on October 8. 

On April 4, Ohio’s distracted driving law became stricter and is now a primary offense. The new  law gave law enforcement officers probable cause to pull over motorists if they witness them  illegally using a cell phone or other electronic device. Since then, there have been 446 distracted  driving-related crashes in the Findlay District, a 10 percent decrease over the same time frame in  2022. While these numbers are encouraging, distracted driving still occurs on a daily basis on  our roadways. In an effort to reduce the number of distracted driving-related crashes, northwest  Ohio troopers will be out this weekend looking for drivers violating the new law. 

Pages