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Your April 17 morning surprise

Posted by Fred Steiner on April 17, 2020 - 10:03am

Who would believe it.

• On April 15, taxes usually due are postponed until July 15.
• On April 16, the lawn was mowed.
• On April 17, snow fell.

Under normal circumstances the snow might have caused a two-hour school delay or even worse. Could this be the new normal?

Here are some views of that Friday morning surprise in Bluffton.

 

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Bluffton EMS calls dropped since COVID-19 outbreak

Jan Basinger: "We send only two EMTs in the squad and follow it with the old police cruiser with one or two additional people as available, to assist the squad if needed"
Posted by Fred Steiner on April 16, 2020 - 3:00pm

Bluffton EMS calls have dropped since the COVID-19 outbreak, according to Jan Basinger, EMS chief. He reported this information to Bluffton council on April 13.

Basinger said that the EMS staff now wears masks and gloves on every call received. This is the minimum protective clothing worn.

“We send only two EMTs in the squad and follow it with the old police cruiser with one or two additional people as available, to assist the squad if needed,” he said. “This hopefully reduces our staff to the potential exposure to the virus. It also preserves the staffs PPE.”

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GROB's group effort creates medical testing booths

11 donated to Bluffton, Findlay and Lima hospitals; used to test for COVID-19 virus
Posted by Fred Steiner on April 15, 2020 - 5:01pm

Some health professionals call it the Superman booth.

Whatever you call it, a Bluffton-made product has immediate use for health care professionals testing persons who may have the COVID-19 virus.

A three-and-one-half week crash-course group effort by associates at GROB Systems resulted in creation of 11 testing booths that GROB is donating to area hospitals. The booths are being delivered this week.

The booths were created in GROB’s fabrication department, according to Emily Brock, GROB’s marketing coordinator. 

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Regional news
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Pool opening decision not yet made

But, council sets pay scale and rates as the season gets closer
Posted by Fred Steiner on April 15, 2020 - 1:01pm

With summer on the horizon, one question yet unanswered is: “Will the Bluffton Community Swimming Pool open?” Or, “When might it open, if not in late May?”

Jesse Blackburn, village administrator, told the Icon that no decision about the pool has been made by the village at this time.  

“We will prepare for opening, but realize the final decision might not be ours to make,” he added.

No matter if, or when the Bluffton pool opens this summer, Bluffton council passed legislation on Monday setting positions and wages for the pool staff and rates for the 2020 season. 

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Regional news
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Q: Is Bluffton council legally permitted to meet via Zoom?

A: Yes; Ohio House Bill 197 permits governmental bodies access to Zoom
Posted by Fred Steiner on April 15, 2020 - 9:25am

Monday evening's Bluffton council meeting via Zoom, with no members sitting together in the same room, poses the question, "Is this a legal, open meeting?"

The answer is "Yes." The answer comes from the the Ohio attorney general's office, which has issued guidance regarding this issue.

Elliott T. Werth, Bluffton solicitor, shared the following information to the Icon:

On March 13, 2020, Attorney General Dave Yost issued a letter of guidance in regards to the issue.

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Regional news
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K-9 Kato on sick leave

Bluffton's police dog suffering from a collapsed lung
Posted by Fred Steiner on April 14, 2020 - 1:52pm

Bluffton police department’s K-9 Kato is on sick leave, according to Sergeant Tyler Hochstetler, his handler.

In a letter to Bluffton council, Hochstetler explains that on March 27 Kato showed signs of an illness.

“I took him to the vet because of his lethargic state,” wrote Hochstetler. The physician's exam, blood work and X-ray concluded that Kato is suffering from a pneumothorax (collapsed lung).

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