The sight of workers being lowered from a helicopter onto an electricity transmission tower near Phillips and Augsburger roads on Friday, December 12, wowed local passersby. Photographer Dawn King shared these photos on the Bluffton Buzz Facebook group and with the Bluffton Icon.
Duane Keith Farmer, 68, of Seymour, Indiana and formerly of Pandora, Ohio, passed away December 14, 2025, in North Vernon, Indiana. Duane was born April 21, 1957, in Detroit, Michigan, to the late Albert and Katie (Germanovich) Farmer.
Duane was a tool and die maker for many years before becoming a landlord and property manager. He was a member of the Kentucky Colonels. Duane enjoyed martial arts and held a black belt in Taekwondo. He also enjoyed traveling and watching sports, especially the Detroit Lions, Detroit Red Wings and the Michigan Wolverines.
Happy Monday, Blufftonites! Here are BlufftonIcon.com's top stories from the week that was, December 8-14. For a chronological look Icon content, visit blufftonicon.com/archive.
MEDIA RELEASE__The children of Trinity Lutheran Church and school in Jenera are looking forward to presenting their Christmas service "The Carols of Christmas" on Tuesday, December 23 at 10:00 a.m. and again on Wednesday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m.
MEDIA RELEASE—The Swiss Community Historical Society of Bluffton and Pandora is pleased to announce it has hired Neil Allen, a native of Ada, as its first-ever Museum Director. Gary Wetherill, president of the SCHS, stated, ”On behalf of the Swiss Community Historical Society, I’d like to welcome Neil Allen as our director of the Swiss Heritage Center. We look forward to working together with him as we enter a new era for the Society. His expertise and professionalism are already apparent in the first exhibits he has developed for the Society.”
Words of the day
Semiquincentennial and Bisesquicentennial. A.k.a. 250 years. The United States will be celebrating its Semiquincentennial in 2026. Most event organizers are using the shorthand “America 250.” I learned these vocabulary-builders at America 250-Ohio.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The RSVP deadline is today, December 15.
Monday, December 22 at 12:00 p.m.
MEDIA RELEASE__Maple Crest Senior Living Village is delighted to invite residents, families, neighbors, and community partners to their Community Christmas Dinner on Monday, December 22, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.
NAPOLEON–The Bluffton High School girls and boys swim teams both finished eighth at the tough 17-team Napoleon Wildcat Invitational on Saturday, December 13.
Host Napoleon won the girls team title with 402 points. Ottawa-Glandorf took second with 371 points. The Pirate girls finished eighth with 153 points.
Bryan captured the boys team crown with 377 points. Lima Shawnee was a distant second with 274 points. The Bluffton boys also came in eighth with 169 points.
DELPHOS – The Bluffton High School boys basketball team opened its Northwest Conference season at Delphos Jefferson by losing a tight 39-38 encounter on Friday, December 12.
The game was close throughout, with the score tied 8-8 after the first period. Delphos pulled ahead 19-17 at intermission, and the Pirates trailed 33-30 after three periods.
Bluffton won the final period 8-6, but came up just short.
The Pirates dropped to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in NWC play after losing their first road game of the season.
