January 2024

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Watch the Saturday afternoon game HERE.

By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON__Playing at home, the Bluffton High School boys basketball team manhandled a young Ada squad 71-35 in a Northwest Conference mismatch Friday night, January 5.

The Pirates dominated the Bulldogs 33-13 over the middle two quarters to take command and roll to victory.

Bluffton outscored Ada by a whopping 51-21 over the final 24 minutes.

The Pirates improved to 7-1 and 2-0 in the NWC after the lopsided win.

The Bulldogs dropped to 2-8 overall and 0-2 in the NWC with the loss.

Bluffton led 20-14 after the first period as junior guard Marek Donaldson scored seven early points.

Ada sophomore Zach Zimmerman splashed three triples in the opening stanza to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance. 

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By Cort Reynolds

ADA__The visiting Bluffton High School girls basketball team methodically wore down rival Ada over the middle quarters to win 49-30 in a Northwest Conference contest Thursday night.

The Pirates won the second and third periods by a combined 32-13 to pull away and win. 

Bluffton held the Bulldogs to just four points in the second period to build an 11-point halftime bulge. The Pirates then started the second half on a 9-1 spurt to seize complete command.

The visitors poured in 21 third-period points to build an insurmountable 45-22 margin heading to the final stanza.

The Pirate girls evened their marks at 5-5 and 1-1 in the NWC after the convincing victory.

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By Paula Pyzik Scott

Bluffton opening day is January 8

Kyle Niese, owner of Ottawa Tire & Service Center, has purchased tire businesses in Bluffton and Ada, which will soon all be rebranded as Niese Tire & Service Centers.

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By Karen L. Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU Healthwise Team 

In 1981, Lindsey Buckingham released his first solo album with the single Trouble. Buckingham was the lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist for Fleetwood Mac. When he joined the group, he convinced them to bring Stevie Nicks into the group to sing vocals. Buckingham was known for his fingerpicking guitar style. Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. 

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The December student of the month at Bluffton High School is Cole Bowers, a senior with a 4.000 GPA. Cole is the son of John and Amanda Bowers of Bluffton.

Cole is very active at school, participating in drama club, choir (symphonic, chamber and show choirs), band (concert, marching and jazz bands), string orchestra, Academic Team, National Honor Society, the Four Guys and a Gal quartet and the BHS Gaming club.

He received multiple awards in Esports for: Smash Bros. MVP 2023, Smash Bros. Playmaker 2022, Valorant Most Improved in 2023 and Smash Bros. Coaches choice in 2022.

Cole is also a member of the Boy Scouts of America Troop #256 where he received an Eagle Scout award. 

He currently takes CCP courses through Rhodes State College for Algebra and Trigonometry and at Findlay University he is in College Writing (via Bluffton High School),  General Psychology, and Healthcare Ethics. 

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The Mennonite Home Communities of Ohio (MHCO) Board of Directors has announced that "after much thoughtful consideration, discussion, and prayer," it plans to close the Hilty Preschool and Child Care Center in Pandora, Ohio at the end of January 2024.

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Peggy Ann Ruggley, 74, passed away December 31, 2023 at the Meadows of Delphos. Peggy was born May 13, 1949 in Bluffton to the late Harold and Mildred (Grismore) Ruggley.  

Peggy was a graduate of Bluffton High School and worked at Marbeck Center in the food service department at Bluffton College for many years. She enjoyed gardening and needlework.

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EasternWoods Outpatient Center, a division of Blanchard Valley Health System, has acquired a new Siemens Sola 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.

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The Ohio State Highway Patrol is reporting six fatal crashes resulting in seven fatalities on Ohio’s roadways during the 2023-2024 New Year’s holiday according to provisional statistics. Of the seven fatalities, five of those killed were not wearing an available safety belt.

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ALLEN COUNTY__ Ohio State University Extension Allen County will host the 4th Annual Allen County Ag Outlook and Agronomy Day on Tuesday, February 6, 2024. The day will include presentations on the latest in Ag economics, agronomy and agriculture technology.

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