All Bluffton Icon News

School is cancelled for the Bluffton Exempted Village Schools on Thursday, February 6. Roads are icy with Level 1 snow emergencies in Hancock and Hardin Counties.

The Bluffton Icon and Ada Icon are on pause except for breaking news beginning February 6, due to the editor having the flu.

Please continue to send us news at [email protected].

Take care and stay well!

Cases on the rise in hospitals, when and how to seek care

Lima area hospital and health system leaders, as well as public health officials are reporting a significant increase in flu cases across Lima and the surrounding communities. As flu season reaches peak levels, Mercy Health – Lima, Lima Memorial Health System, Allen County Public Health, Auglaize Health and Putnam County Health Departments have come together to urge the community to take preventive measures and seek appropriate care based on symptom severity to ensure the best possible health outcomes for our residents while also preventing overwhelming our health care facilities.

“As we are seeing exceptionally high cases of Influenza A and other respiratory illnesses, it’s crucial for residents to take flu symptoms seriously and seek care at the appropriate level so we are able to continue delivering the right level of care at the right time, without overloading our systems,” said Matt Owens, MD, chief clinical officer, Mercy Health - Lima. “While we are experiencing record numbers of patients across our emergency departments, urgent cares, and primary care offices, we remain committed to providing the absolute best care for our community. We appreciate your patience as you may experience longer than usual wait times during peak season.”

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By Cort Reynolds

The Bluffton High School girls basketball team was seeded fifth in the rugged seven-team Div. V Defiance Northwest 2 sectional/district.

The Pirates (12-8) will play at second seed Delta (17-1) on Thursday, February 13 at 7 p.m. in a sectional final.

The winner plays the Archbold/Paulding survivor Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the district semifinals. The Archers (15-5) are seeded third, and the Panthers (15-4) are fourth.

The Defiance district finals will be played Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Amy Bishop Kline at 11:57 p.m. Monday, January 27, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer. Born February 8, 1971, in Findlay, Ohio, to Sharon and Charles Bishop, Amy lived a life marked by generosity, loyalty, and a passion for travel.

By Liz Gordon-Hancock

The following six land transfers took place in the Bluffton Exempted Village School District for the month of January 2025 as reported on the websites of Allen County Auditor Rachael S. Gilroy and Hancock County Auditor Charity A. Rauschenberg.

Address - Sale Date - Sale Price - Land Use - Owner - From/To

Agricultural

24.12 ACRES on N NAPOLEON RD – 1/17/2025 – $807,000 – Agricultural vacant land From Robert Ernest to BLACK HEART DEVELOPMENT LLC

Residential

207 PARKVIEW DR – 1/6/2025 – $45,000 – Residential vacant land – From THREE S DEVELOPMENT GROUP LLC to Mark Delisle & Jessica Armstrong

358 CHERRY ST – 1/17/2025 – $101,000 – Single family dwelling – From Timothy & Patricia Evans to WIECHART INVESTMENT PROPERTIES LLC

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