BLUFFTON__The Bluffton High School girls basketball team succumbed to a second-half charge by visiting Western Buckeye League power Bath and lost 44-33 on Tuesday night, December 30.
The Pirate girls trailed 11-6 after the first quarter, but rallied to lead 21-20 at intermission. Bluffton out-pointed the Wildcats 15-9 in the second stanza as six Pirates scored.
But Bath turned the tables behind a 14-6 third quarter to seize a 34-27 lead. The visitors added a 10-6 fourth period by hitting six of 10 foul shots to win by 11.
DEFIANCE__The Bluffton High School wrestling team competed well in the rugged 49-team Tri-State Border Wars tournament at Defiance December 29-30.
The Pirate grapplers finished in 25th place at the 10th edition of the massive two-day tournament which featured schools from Ohio, Indiana and Michigan.
Archbold won the team championship over second-place Yale (Mich.), with Eastside (Ind.) third and tournament host Defiance fourth.
PHOTOS Bluffton Icon / CLICK to enlarge and view at your own pace
By Paula Pyzik Scott
High winds peeled off some large roof panels on the Ream McElroy VFW Post #3981 on Monday, December 29. Weather forecasts for the area included gusts of up to 45 miles per hour.
A crew was constructing a temporary cover at midday on Tuesday, December 30. The weather continued to be bitter cold and windy with some snow flurries.
The VFW post is located north of the Village of Ada on State Route 235.
Early on Sunday morning, December 28, a high-speed chase ended in Bluffton with the arrest of Joshua Wesley Rainer of Fairborn, according to the Findlay Courier.
The pursuit began in Fostoria after a vehicle failed to pull over for law enforcement. The chase ended on foot in a field near Bluffton. A passenger was released.
Fostoria Police, Findlay Police and the Ohio State Highway Patrol were part of the law enforcement response.
Calvin Willow named MVP; Wayne Trace defeats Emmanuel Christian
By Cort Reynolds
BLUFFTON__The Bluffton High School boys basketball team lost 44-31 to Arlington in the championship contest of the annual Pirate McDonald’s Holiday Classic tournament at Bluffton University on Monday, December 29.
The Pirates trailed 14-5 after the first quarter, but stayed within striking distance, down only 18-12 after a defensive first half. Bluffton won a low-scoring second stanza 7-4 as Brayden McClure nailed a trey and Kain Wright hit two baskets.
By Karen Kier, Pharmacist
On behalf of the ONU HealthWise team
In July of 1988, Rod Stewart released his U.S. hit called Forever Young. The song was about missing his children growing up while he was on tour. The song was similar to Bob Dylan’s song by the same name. Stewart released his version, sharing the royalties with Dylan. The song fared well in the United States and has become an anthem of sorts.
Tom E. Latham, 91, of Rawson, passed away on December 27, 2025, at Mennonite Memorial Home. He was born on October 17, 1934, to Paul Scott Latham and Blanche Gertrude Smith Latham.
Tom described himself as a lifelong Rawson man. He was born at home on Rawson’s Main Street, went to school at Rawson, and then graduated from Cory-Rawson High School in 1952. He married the love of his life, Joyce Benroth, on September 2, 1955. They recently celebrated 70 years of marriage.
BLUFFTON __The Bluffton High School girls basketball team fell victim to an early scoring barrage and lost 66-36 to visiting undefeated Miller City in a non-league game on Saturday afternoon, December 27.
The Pirate girls trailed 21-6 after the first quarter and fell further behind at 35-14 at intermission.
Wildcat Sophia Ruck notched five baskets in the first period and finished with a game-high 18 points.
BLUFFTON__The Bluffton High School boys basketball team utilized a big fourth quarter to defeat visiting Wayne Trace 57-42 in the semifinals of the annual McDonald's Holiday Classic tournament on Saturday, December 27.
The Pirates led just 39-38 after three quarters. But the hosts poured it on with an 18-4 fourth period to win going away.
