All Bluffton Icon News

By Claire Witschger, PharmD, RPh
Pharmacy Resident, Blanchard Valley Health System

With the summer months in full swing, school is out and vacations have started to take place. As we enjoy the warmer weather, it is important to remember the importance of sun safety. While the sun and ultraviolet (UV) radiation can be beneficial for vitamin D synthesis and can increase mood, it is also responsible for numerous damaging effects on the human skin. Some of the effects of unprotected sun exposure include sunburn, early skin aging and skin cancer. With these risks, The American Academy of Dermatology recommends sunscreen and sun safety practices to reduce the harmful effects of UV exposure.

Wava M. Kirtland, age 99, of Findlay, passed away at 3:50 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5, 2023 at the Heritage Nursing Home. She was born to the late Dwight and Clarabelle (Harris) Stotts in Bluffton, Ohio on March 27, 1924. She married the love of her life, Norman E. Kirtland on May 28, 1945 and he preceded her in death on April 20, 2000.

Blanchard Valley Health System recently received two honors from the American Heart Association.

BVHS is the recipient of a Get With The Guidelines®-Resuscitation Silver Award (Adult). Separately, the health system earned a Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

COLUMBUS–The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reporting 11 people lost their lives in nine traffic crashes during the July Fourth reporting period, which began Monday, July 3 and ended Monday, July 4. Impairment was determined to be a factor in two of those crashes and a safety belt was not used in three of those crashes. 

Troopers made 133 arrests for impaired driving and 96 for drug-related charges. The Patrol responded to 249 crashes and rendered assistance to 1,067 motorists. In total, troopers made 13,634 contacts with the motoring public.

Ride to Remember organizers have updated routes for 2023. This is the 9th annual Bluffton Lions Club event, which raises funds for the Bluffton Bike and Pedestrian Pathways. On July 15, we'll be sharing local roads with hundreds of riders.

The yard course is more reminiscent of the British Open than Augusta

By Cort Reynolds

ADA–Having been a lifelong athlete and gamesman, I was looking for something constructive and fun to do this summer to help fill some of my sports void.

The regular basketball game at ONU that I organized and played in for years came to a screeching halt during the pandemic and has yet to be resuscitated despite my so-far fruitless efforts to start it back up.

I decided to put an idea that had been gestating for over a year in my head into action and create something the area lacks, something which used to be a fixture in many towns. An activity to add to my backyard basketball hoop and croquet set-up that would sharpen concentration skills.

Armed with a small spade, my imagination and determination to make up something fun and challenging, I created my own backyard miniature golf course this past month. 

I was only going to make 18 holes, but I am up to 22 and counting, although I am starting to run out of good real estate spots despite the fun of creating them. I might get to 27 holes, but not 36.

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