You are here

People

A banner year for Bluffton Cattle Club 

By Lydia Gratz
Bluffton Cattle Club news reporter

The Bluffton Cattle 4-H Club wrapped up their 2023 season exhibiting a wide-variety of projects at the  Allen County Fair. The club members worked hard throughout the summer and their efforts were recognized as they won many banners and ribbons throughout the week. Congratulations to all of the participants on a job well done.

CONTINUES WITH RESULTS

Section: 

Bluffton freshman rides her way to wins at state and county fairs

By Paula Scott

Bluffton High School freshman Maddie Seeling has had a very successful summer in equestrian competitions. She went to the Ohio State fair with her horse PJ and came home the 13-15 year-old Ohio State Barrel Champion, as well as finishing 3rd in Keyhole, 8th in Stakes and 8th in Ground Roping.

Seeling also competed at the Allen County Fair where she won all six of the divisions that she entered: age 11-14 barrels, poles, stakes, keyhole, kegs and ground roping. She is possibly the only rider to make this sweep. Winning barrels and poles in her age division qualified her to run the Champion of Champions in these events, where she earned two championships and two belt buckles. Again, never done before.

Other prizes won at the fair? She twice won $100 riding the mechanical bull at the festival.

CONTINUES

Section: 

Bluffton Boys & Girls 4-H Club results from Allen County Fair

The Bluffton Boys & Girls 4H Club has announced the following Allen County Fair results:

Miri Spencer, President
● Market Chickens A  & Let's Grill A

Brooklynn Bible, Vice President
● Creative Costumes A 1st Place & State Fair delegate. Art A outstanding, Makeover Space A outstanding

Audra Snyder, Secretary
●  Llama A Champion of Champion winner in Llama showmanship, Champion Llama/Alpaca showmanship, Champion Fiber, 2nd Place Llama Conformation, 3rd Place Costume, 1st Place Obstacle, 1st Place Livestock Judging, 8th Place Showman of Showman intermediate

Section: 

Schnipke retires after 34 years with Board of Developmental Disabilities

After a 34-year career in the field of developmental disabilities, with the past eight as Superintendent, Theresa Schnipke has announced her retirement from the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities. 

Board President Tom Fleming commented, "Superintendent Schnipke has led the County Board through some of the most challenging times in the history of the Board. First, through many changes as a result of federal & state mandates, then the COVID pandemic and followed by a major workforce shortage in the field of DD. Through it all she kept the Allen County Board of DD in a positive position. Superintendent Schnipke has always kept the people that the County Board serves as her number one priority. I thank her for her dedicated service.”

On August 22 the Board will officially begin the director search process with the Ohio Association of County Boards. The board will select a person to work alongside the Superintendent at the beginning of 2024 and take the helm on July 1. This is the same transition process the Board is using to replace the long-term Director of Business, Martha Nance, who is retiring on April 3. The Business Manager successor is in place.

Section: 

District athletic boards award college scholarships

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio High School Athletic Association and its six District Athletic Boards have awarded $169,000 in college scholarships to 169 recent high school graduates following selections made by each of the OHSAA’s six District Athletic Boards. 

Athletes from the Bluffton and Ada Icon readership areas receiving OHSAA scholarships are:

Arda Dastan, Findlay 

Jared Griggs, Arlington 

Jacob Hershberger, Harrod Allen East 

Hailey Hochstettler, Findlay Liberty-Benton 

Samantha Scoles, Bluffton

Gabriella Wetherill, Kenton

Each of the 169 scholarships is a $1,000 award. The OHSAA’s college scholarship program, now in its 29th year, returned in 2022 following a two-year hiatus due to pandemic-related financial constraints. 

Section: 

Beaverdam Bunch 4-H July 2023 update

By Avery Smith

Our Beaverdam Bunch 4-h group has been busy these past couple weeks! Many of our meetings consisted of demonstrations by all members in our group, booth ideas for the up coming fair, and finalizing projects as we all get ready to be judged.

With judging this past week, that concludes our meetings for the year. We have a few members that will be attending the state fair later this week to continue further judging.

A big thank you to all leaders and members who participated this year, and feel free to come visit the Beaverdam Bunch 4-H booth at the Allen county fair this year!

Section: 

Pages