JULY 7 MEDIA RELEASE__The regularly scheduled meeting of the Bluffton Ohio Historical Society will be Wednesday, July 9 at The Depot at Buckeye Park at 7:00 p.m.
Bluffton History Day is Saturday, August 9 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Buckeye Park. This event will have something for everyone and is only a month away! Come hear about the activities and see how you can participate in celebrating Bluffton's train history.
Principal's retire-rehire approved by narrow margin
By Betsi Werling
The Bluffton Board of Education held its monthly meeting at 5:00 p.m. on June 30. The meeting agenda is HERE.
During the visitors portion of the meeting, Jessica Hermiller, Director of Bluffton Public Library, shared her disappointment with the loss of the Middle School Library. This summer, the space is being repurposed as a technology center. Ms. Hermiller shared that the Bluffton Public Library has historically supplemented the Middle School Library and now without a library in the Middle School, it may shift student needs to the Bluffton Public Library.
The Bluffton Senior Center is coordinating RTA bus trips designed to help people get familiar with riding the RTA bus that now comes to Bluffton. It is also a nice little trip out of town for those with cabin fever. We ride the regular bus route so please note that the bus does not wait on anyone. Everyone needs to be at the stop before the bus arrives. The RTA bus does not give change so bring $1 bills to pay for your fare. Sign-up sheets are in the trip book.
In case you missed it: Welcome to Issue 3 of Bluffton Icon Highlights, June 2025.
Chances are you are reading this online. That’s where the Icon has been since 2009.
These Highlights are also being printed to provide in-house copies for Bluffton Public Library, Musselman Library at Bluffton University and the Bluffton Senior Center. We’ll be exploring wider distribution, so please let us know if you are interested in this opportunity.
June 2025 flew by as summer days often do. See below for an index of the stories included in this issue.
ABOVE) Super Cute Dresses is located in the former Riley Creek Mercantile building
By Liz Gordon-Hancock
www.SuperCuteDresses.com/ is an online shop owned by Luke and Kariann Ringger of rural Bluffton. The business sells nursing dresses to mothers and dresses to women of all shapes and sizes. The business started back in July 2022 from their home.
The following 11 land transfers took place in the Bluffton Exempted Village School District in June 2025 as reported on the websites of Allen County Auditor Rachael S. Gilroy Hancock County Auditor Charity A. Rauschenberg.
Address - Sale Date - Sale Price - Land Use
AGRICULTURAL
0 County Rd 15 - 6/2/2025 - $350,000 - Agricultural Vacant Land - Shaw Sharon D Jeffrey J Jerry R & Lewis Susan D to Spallinger Andrew & Emily
MEDIA RELEASE__On Saturday, July 12, the Bluffton-Pandora Swiss Community Historical Society will host the second of this summer’s Second Saturday events. Visitors are invited from 1-4:00 p.m. at the Schumacher Homestead, 8350 Bixel Road, Bluffton.
There will be several displays related to hunting and trapping in this area during the second half of the 19th century. At that time these activities were basic survival skills, as settlers depended in part on wild animals for food and clothing.
LIMA__On July 2, Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Reed dismissed felony charges against Ronald Powell of Findlay, who was alleged to have discharged a firearm while being pursued by Bluffton Police officers in December 2021.
The Lima News has reported that Reed found the state in error when it provided Powell with the wrong address for the Common Pleas Court, which delayed his request to proceed to trial within 180 days.
