Heating Assistance Application Deadline: May 31, 2026
MEDIA RELEASE__The Ohio Department of Development and Area Agency on Aging 3 remindS older Ohioans that assistance is available to help with home energy bills. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) helps Ohioans at or below 175% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for a household of up to eight members and 60% of the State Median Income for a household of nine or more members to pay their heating bills.
Village Administrator Jesse Blackburn provided the attached 2025 Zoning Permits Summary for the village council at the December 22 regular meeting. The total dollar value of cost estimates is $12.9M with $6M in residential permits and $6.9M in commercial permits.
COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
Gerken Materials, Inc. is listed as submitting the largest project, an asphalt plant with a cost estimate of $6M. Commercial projects with estimates of at least $10K are:
Happy Monday, Blufftonites! Here are BlufftonIcon.com's top stories from the week that was, January 5-11. For a chronological look Icon content, visit blufftonicon.com/archive.
PAULDING__The Bluffton High School girls basketball team went on the road and lost to former conference foe Paulding 64-42 on Saturday, January 10.
The Pirate girls dropped to 8-7 overall after the road defeat. The Panthers improved to 11-1 with the convincing victory.
The Panther girls built an 18-9 lead after the first period. A 15-4 Paulding second stanza extended their advantage to a commanding 33-13 at intermission.
Bluffton was only outscored 31-29 after intermission.
CONVOY__Several Bluffton High School wrestlers won individual weight class titles as the Pirate team swept the Crestview Duals event on Saturday, January 10.
The Pirate grapplers went 5-0 in dual match play as a team at the event.
Bluffton initially defeated Maumee 48-29 and whipped Archbold 30-6. The Pirates also beat Crestview 47-6, defeated Hicksville 47-6 and swamped Antwerp 60-6.
Several Pirate individuals went undefeated at the Crestview Duals at 5-0 and were thus tournament champions of their weight class. They were:
MEDIA RELEASE__Dr. Paul Neufeld Weaver, professor of education and Spanish, will present a faculty colloquium titled “Reflecting on a Bluffton Education: Experiences of African Alumni of Bluffton University” at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23.
Weaver will share insights from the experiences of Bluffton alumni from African nations, examining how a Bluffton education shaped their academic, professional and personal journeys.
Faculty colloquiums at Bluffton University highlight scholarly and creative work by faculty members and provide opportunities for campus and community dialogue.
CAREY__The visiting Bluffton High School boys basketball team defeated non-conference rival Carey 54-46 on Saturday, January 10.
The Pirates led 14-11 following the first quarter. After an 11-7 second stanza, Bluffton built a 25-18 edge at the end of the first half.
The teams played to a 13-13 draw in the third quarter to maintain a seven-point margin at 38-31 heading into the final stanza. The Pirates won a tight fourth quarter 16-15 to triumph by eight.
CONVOY__The visiting Bluffton High School boys basketball team was edged 45-42 by Northwest Conference rival Crestview on Friday, January 9.
The Knights led 16-12 following the first quarter. After a defensive 5-4 second stanza, the Pirates had inched within 20-17 by the end of the first half.
A 16-13 Bluffton third quarter knotted the game up 33-33 going into the final stanza. The Knights won the fourth quarter 12-9 to pull the game out by three.
The Orange Township Board of Trustees held its 2026 reorganizational meeting on Thursday, January 8 with the following agenda. Minutes from December 11 and 30, 2025 meetings, are attached below.
MEDIA RELEASE__A panel of Bluffton University faculty and staff who were first-generation college students will present a Forum titled “Why College?” at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13, in Yoder Recital Hall.
Panelists Tami Forbes, Autumn Graves ’21, Darricle Jones and Carter Ritchey ’25 will reflect on how earning their bachelor’s degrees shaped their lives and careers. Drawing from personal experience, the panel will explore access to higher education, the challenges first-generation students face and the lasting impact of a college education.
