April 2025

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 301 North Main Street, Jenera, has announced Holy Thursday, Good Friday and two Easter day services.

The Holy Thursday service takes place at 7:00 p.m. on April 17. The theme is "Renewed by the Gospel." The Bible readings are Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 10:15-25; Luke 22:7-20, and Psalm 51:10-13. The Chori will sing "Eat this Bread" and the  hymns are: "Renew Me, O Eternal LIght; It was a Dark and Dismal Night; Create in Me a Clean Heart; Lord Jesus Christ, You Have Prepared; The Death of Jesus Christ, Our Lord; and O Lord, We Praise You."

Bluffton experienced the sound of “a thousand freight trains”
8mm film of devastated properties

By Fred Steiner
Published Apr 12, 2015

That sound was the Palm Sunday, April 11, 1965, tornado.

At 9:45 p.m., it ripped across the rural Richland and Orange Township landscape. It was like no other natural disaster experienced prior or since then in this community.

Had the tornado’s path been one mile north it would have struck the Village of Bluffton. Had it been 600 feet farther north it would have hit 32 planes parked at the Bluffton Airport.

By Lindsay Hartman, APRN-CNP 
Certified Nurse Practioner, Primary Care at Wellness Park 

Building a strong relationship with a primary care provider is one of the most important steps individuals can take to safeguard their health. A primary care provider serves as the first point of contact for medical concerns, offering preventive care, chronic disease management, and personalized guidance to maintain overall well-being. Establishing a trusted partnership with a healthcare professional ensures continuity of care and provides a solid foundation for long-term health management.

By Cort Reynolds

BATH – The deep Bluffton High School girls track and field team won the 12-team Bath Ehresman Invitational meet Friday, April 11, in Lima.

The Pirate girls scored 139 points to easily out-distance second place Ottawa-Glandorf (114.5). Bath finished third with 81.5.

The Pirate boys came in a strong second at the invitational. The O-G boys beat out Bluffton for the team crown, 132-117.5. Shawnee came in third with 83.75 points.

Senior speedster Griffin Stackhouse won the 100 and 200-meter dash races to lead the Pirate boys.

By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON __ The visiting Carey baseball team beat Bluffton 7-1 to win their non-league battle Friday evening, April 11.

The Pirates fell to 2-4 with the defeat. The Blue Devils improved to 3-3.

Carey only out-hit the Pirates 6-5, but took advantage of three errors to score three unearned runs.

Nathan Speicher singled and scored the lone Bluffton run on an RBI hit by Luke Jebsen in the third inning. Robby Taylor, Landen Worcester and Jake Weaver added the other Pirate singles.

Provided by the Village of Ada / From www.AdaIcon.com

In observance of Safe Digging Month, Common Ground Alliance (CGA) – the national association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines, people who dig near them, and their communities – recently announced results from a recent national survey which found 27.2 million Americans planning digging projects in the next year will not contact their local 811, putting themselves and their communities at risk of utility service disruptions, costly fines and repairs, and even serious injury or death. 

By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON__ The Bluffton High School girls softball team defeated local rival Allen East 12-6 in the Northwest Conference opener on a chilly Thursday evening, April 10.

The Pirate girls scored seven runs in a big second inning to seize control, and never trailed thereafter.

The Mustangs led 1-0 after scoring in the top of the second. Bluffton tacked on four insurance runs in the home fifth to build a 12-3 cushion. AE pushed across three runs in the top of the seventh to cut the final margin to six.

Register now for the Bluffton Public Library's "Mother's Day Bouquet" Acrylic paint class with Hannah Warwick of Bluffton Art Co. on May 13 at 6:00 p.m.

Participants will create their own choice of flowers for their acrylic painting. 

Cost: $15 fee per person at the door, cash only. Open to: Adults, and teens and children accompanied by
an adult.

Register at the library in advance, as space is limited.

By Cort Reynolds

BLUFFTON__ The Bluffton High School boys tennis team defeated visiting Van Wert 4-1 in their belated home opener Thursday evening, April 10.

The Pirate record improved to 3-1 with the win. The Cougars fell to 0-1 after the loss.

Bluffton senior Branson Hilty won a tough three-set battle at first singles by a 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 count.

Senior Jack Brauen was edged in a three-setter at second singles. Brauen won the first set 7-6 but then fell 6-3, 6-2 in the final two sets.

From 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, Jacomet’s Martial Arts, 121 S Main St, will host a self-defense class for ages 13 to adult. A similar class was held on December 7, 2024.

Owner/instructor Tony Jacomet explains, “This class will teach and practice several simple but highly effective techniques to address a variety of threatening scenarios. Prevention strategies, assertive de-escalation and what to do after a self-defense event will also be discussed.”

Doors will open at 10:15 a.m. All ability levels are welcome. The cost of the class is $5 per person. 

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