All Bluffton Icon News

CROSS COUNTRY: Beaver harriers run at OWU Invite
DELAWARE__On Friday, Sept. 30, the Beavers were up at the line to start their races at Ohio Wesleyan University for the OWU Invitational. The weather conditions were ideal, and the course was ready for some great competition. FULL STORY (men’s team) and FULL STORY (women’s team).

Pirates visit Van Buren on October 10

By Cort Reynolds

The Bluffton High School girls soccer team scored two goals in the final five minutes to tie Columbus Grove 2-2 in a thrilling finish to their Northwest Conference-deciding clash Tuesday night, October 3, at Steinmetz Field.

With the dramatic tie on an unseasonably hot evening, Bluffton repeated as outright league champions and won its third NWC crown in the last four years.

A loss to Grove would have likely meant a shared three-way title with the Bulldogs and Allen East. But the comeback tie means the Pirates finished as the only undefeated team in the league with five wins.

By Cort Reynolds

The Bluffton High School volleyball team defeated visiting Lincolnview 25-20, 25-18, 25-13 in a Northwest Conference match Tuesday evening, October 3.

The Pirates improved to 15-4 overall and 4-2 in the NWC with the win.

Lincolnview dropped to 10-8 overall and 3-3 in the NWC after the defeat.

Tip line newly staffed by trained crisis response professionals

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced several enhancements to the state's free Safer Ohio School Tip Line (1-844-SAFEROH) that will make it easier for Ohioans to report school safety concerns. 

In addition to calling and texting the tip line, Ohioans anywhere in the state can now report school safety information through a new smartphone app and online web form.

"Not everyone wants to make a phone call or send a text--some are more likely to report concerns by sending a message through an app or website," said Governor DeWine. "We're making these upgrades so that it's as simple as possible for all Ohioans to quickly and anonymously report any potential school safety threats in a manner that makes them comfortable."

The new Safer Ohio School Tip Line smartphone app, available both on iOS and Android devices, and the online web form include pre-populated prompts to help users quickly upload information.

On October 2 The Findlay Courier reported that a Bluffton man has been sentenced in Hancock County Common Pleas Court to 16-18 years in prison for rape and sexual assaults of a child.

The man, Jeffery A. Ludwig, 66, of 451 County Road 33, Bluffton, pleaded guilty to the offenses, which occurred between 2010 and 2015, involving a victim less than ten years old.

The offenses occurred between August 2010 and November 2015. Ludwig is now classified as a Tier III sex offender.

Letter from William Kose, MD, JD, Vice President of Special Projects, Blanchard Valley Health System

As the days get shorter and cooler, community members should be aware that multiple infectious diseases will be more prevalent, including COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). If you are someone who always gets vaccinated, here’s a reminder that this is the time of year to do so. And, if you aren’t, now could be a great time to start.

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