All Bluffton Icon News

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Andreas Baumgartner, associate professor of art at Bluffton University, will present the Colloquium, “From the Studio to Santiago: Finding Creative Renewal Through AI Imaging, RC Modeling and the Footpath of the Camino,” at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 17 in Centennial Hall’s Stutzman Lecture Hall. 

Baumgartner’s Colloquium presentation is based on interdisciplinary studies and experiences from his spring 2022 sabbatical. During his time on sabbatical, Baumgartner explored various means of computer-driven image making, implementing mixed media practices involving AI-based datasets, scripting languages and traditional paper marbling. Baumgartner will use artwork, photographs and drone footage to display his inspirational travels of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and along the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain. Involvement in radio-controlled modeling and competitive racing fuel Baumgartner’s passion to unite art, design and technology. 

This event is free and open to the public.

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Peter David Amstutz, 59, of Goshen died Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at his home.

He was born October 4, 1963 in Bluffton, Ohio to Frederick and Mary (Schmidt) Amstutz. On August 6, 1988, he married Portia Miller at Oak Grove Mennonite Church in Smithville, Ohio.

Along with his mother and wife he is survived by a daughter, Christine (Shaun) Amstutz Moore of South Bend; two sons, Jeremy (Amber) Amstutz of Columbus Grove, Ohio and Ezra Amstutz of Bluffton, Ohio; two grandchildren, Ryan and Layne Amstutz and two brothers, James (Lorraine) Amstutz of Ephrata, Pennsylvania and Steven (Jana) Amstutz of Pandora, Ohio.

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Bluffton Boy Scout Troop #256 will be out Saturday morning, March 4 placing food collection tags on all the doors in Bluffton. 

They will be back out on Saturday morning, March 11 to pick up donations and take them to the Bluffton Food Pantry. Scouts will then help sort all the donations by type and date.   

Please have all donations placed outside by 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 11. 

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By Cort Reynolds

LIMA–The Bluffton High School boys basketball team had its season ended by top seed Ottawa-Glandorf 63-42 in the Div. III district semifinals at Lima Senior Wednesday evening, March 1.

Bluffton ended its solid season 16-9 after the defeat. Top seed O-G improved to 21-3 with the win, and advances to the district finals vs. Spencerville (21-2).

The second-seeded Bearcats defeated three seed Liberty-Benton 44-39 in the second district semifinal Wednesday night at Lima Senior.

O-G shot extremely well overall from the field and from beyond the arc with 10 three-pointers to eliminate Bluffton.

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From our Ada counterpart, www.AdaIcon.com.

Dr. David Strittmatter, ONU Assistant Professor of History will present The Ray Brown Project at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 5 in the Allen County Museum’s Folsom Auditorium. 

Ray Brown (1908-65) was born in Alger in Hardin County. He pitched for the legendary Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues and was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 2006.  He died in the 1960s and is buried in Dayton, Ohio.

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Governor DeWine announced on March 1 that he has spoken with the CEOs of both Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads about the need for increased train derailment response training for first responders. 

Because most rail miles in Ohio are in rural areas, volunteer firefighters are most likely to be the first on scene to a train derailment. However, there is currently very little training for volunteers on responding to trail derailments.

Governor DeWine reported that the CEOs of both railroads were in favor of working with the State of Ohio to increase railroad-specific training for Ohio's first responders.

Governor DeWine also announced that the Ohio Public Utilities Commission currently has up to $800,000 in grant funding available to help Ohio's smaller fire departments pay for critically important training.

Through May 31, PUCO will be taking applications for their annual hazardous materials training grant program. Among the opportunities funded through this program are “rail hazardous materials response training” and hazardous material incident response.

Funding for these grants is from fines paid by hazardous material carriers and shippers. More information is available at www.puco.ohio.gov.

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