Several Bluffton eighth graders participated in the state science fair on May 9 in Columbus. Six Bluffton students advanced to districts and four advanced to the state fair, according to Dave Bracy, science teacher.

Erica Sheehan - Superior
Project Title: What happens when your feet hit the ground?

Nigel Derstine - Excellent
Project Title: Random number generation

OAS AWARD Sponsored Awards - COCACM Computer Science Award For: Outstanding projects demonstrating software applications in computer science excluding games, Grade: 7-12

The Bluffton High School class of 2011 will participate in commencement activities at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 28, in the high school gym.

Class valedictorians are:

Elizabeth Diller
David Hooley
Taylor Humphreys
Emily Krabach
Drew Luginbuhl
Kelly McCarthy
Danielle Rhonemus
Jared Staley
Elvira Tatarkov
David Yoder

Salutatorians are:

Miranda DeLoera
Rebekah Sneary

Graduating seniors are:

Ashton Cluts, senior, is the May student of the month at Bluffton High School. She carries a 3.968 grade point average.

At BHS she is active in Math Club, National Honor Society, Strings Orchestra, Concert Choir and Marching Band, cheerleading and Drama Club.

She is a member of First Mennonite Church youth group and participates in the Ohio's Distinguished Young Women Program.

Ashton plans to attend Baldwin-Wallace College and major in early childhood education. She is the daughter of Kevin and Shelby Cluts, 252 S. Lawn Ave.

Add 1.22 inches to this year's total rainfall. That's the amount Guy Verhoff, Pandora weather observer, recorded from May 17 to 23. The daily summary follows:

Date High Low Prec.

May 17 50 41 0.23
May 18 62 49 0.02
May 19 65 54 0.48
May 20 75 54 0.01
May 21 79 55 trace
May 22 83 62 0.07
May 23 83 61 0.41

Brandon Anspach, a junior from Rawson, was a member of the Ohio Northern University's Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja team that finished fifth overall at the Baja SAE Birmingham competition held April 14-17.

Fifty-eight teams from several countries, including the United States, Canada, South Korea and Mexico, traveled to Birmingham, Ala., for the event.

Weather summary for western Ohio: Rounds of severe storms (60-70 m.p.h. gusts, tornadoes 2 p.m.-11 p.m. today possible)

Severe thunderstorms is possible for western Ohio today (Wednesday, May 25) according to AEP.

Icon viewers may now access the May Bluffton Senior Citizens Newsletter. It is available as a pdf attachment at the bottom of this story.