Four sportsmen stock 200 trout at Buckeye Lake

Four determined members of the Bluffton Sportsmen's Club wrestled with 200 trout in preparation for the 81st annual Trout Derby at Buckeye Lake on Sunday, May 4. The men tagged each trout with a number associated with a prize. Catch the No. 1 trout on Derby Day to win half the day's jackpot plus $1,000. 

CLICK on gallery to view at your own pace / PHOTOS by Bluffton Icon and Amy Mortimer

By Paula Pyzik Scott

Bluffton EMS Chief Noah Babcock notified council on Monday that the Village Emergency Medical Services will transition to 24/7 in-station staffing on Thursday, May 1.

In November 2024 Bluffton voters approved a municipal income tax for the purpose of funding safety services, including the creation of a full-time EMS staff and full-time EMS chief.

Bluffton Lions Club members count people using every Bluffton pathway and are looking for additional volunteers for the month of May 2025--to help count additional pathway miles. The job has expanded with the new Lions Way sections on County Line Rd. and State Route 103.

Volunteer take 2 hour shifts to provide results for Regional Planning. The counters display signs which say Lions Pathway Count. Hours are 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

To participate, contact Dick McGarrity at 419-905-6876 or [email protected].

New Stories

April 30 media release__On April 24, 2025 the Allen County Sheriff’s Office along with the Violent Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force (a multi-agency task force) performed an operation to target sex and human traffickers.

The Bluffton Area Ministerial Association will hold a Blessing of the Bikes--including motorcycles, trikes, bikes, scooters and more--on Sunday May 4 at 1:00 p.m.

The event will take place at the English Lutheran Church parking lot at 111 Grove St.

April 30 media release__ The Black Swamp Area Council, Scouting America, held its annual Scouters Conference and Adult Recognition Luncheon on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Camp Lakota in Defiance, Ohio.

By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON – The Bluffton High School tennis team nipped visiting WBL rival Ottawa-Glandorf 3-2 on Wednesday, April 30.

The Pirates improved to 10-3 with the victory, while the Titans fell to 8-2 after the loss.

By Samuel Finn, Student Pharmacist and Karen L. Kier, Pharmacist
On behalf of ONU Healthwise Pharmacy 

April 29 media release__The next Women in Business meeting is Thursday, May 15 at 7:00 p.m. on the third floor of Bluffton Town Hall. 

Heather Koontz, owner of Therapy Works of Northwest Ohio, will be talking about how to prevent burn out using self-care.

By Cort Reynolds

MINSTER – The Bluffton girls and boys track and field teams each finished second at a tough quadrangular meet in Minster on Tuesday, April 29.

Historical