The official opening of the Bluffton Community Dog Park on Lake St. was held on Sunday, August 24. The event honored Bluffton teacher, heart transplant recipient and dog lover Katrina Riepenhoff, who passed away in 2024. Donations in her honor accelerated the creation of the dog park.
A ribbon cutting ceremony with volunteer organizers as well as Riepenhoff’s parents Joe and Becky celebrated the development of fenced areas for both large and small dogs with water stations. The dog park is located on Lake St. next to the Village Arboretum on the north side of Cobb Lake.
Ian Shriner sadly left our world on Tuesday, August 5, in Burke, Virginia. He was born July 31, 1983, in Durham, North Carolina. His parents are John (Joann) Shriner of Cookeville, Tennessee, and Elizabeth Kelly (Ray Person) of Bluffton, Ohio.
Ian graduated from Cookeville (TN) High School and the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) with a major in Marine Biology. He was a committed Superfan of the UNCW Seahawks baseball team and known for rallying up the fans in the stands. He volunteered his time with the Special Olympics and Miracle Field baseball.
The Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the date of November 29 for the 2025 Blaze of Lights parade and Festival.
The theme for downtown decorations and parade floats is "Home for the Holidays."
The chamber message notes, "It's hard to believe that three months from today is the highly-anticipated annual Blaze of Lights event! ....More information regarding parade participation, etc will be coming soon. We look forward to making this another wonderful Blaze of Lights event for our community!"
DEFIANCE__The visiting Bluffton High School volleyball team swept Defiance Ayersville in a non-league match on Thursday, August 2.
The Pirate girls won 25-23, 23-21, 25-9. Bluffton improved to 3-3 with the decisive non-league win.
Ayersville fell to 4-2 with their second straight defeat after a 4-0 start.
Kendall Stackhouse led the Pirates with 13 kills, and she added three aces. Lainey Grandey smacked downed 10 kills, and Libby Hocanson drilled seven kills.
14 of 18 roadway deaths OVI-related during 2024 Labor Day weekend
COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is urging all motorists to prioritize safety as they travel Ohio roadways this Labor Day weekend. Troopers will focus enforcement efforts on removing impaired drivers from the roads to ensure everyone’s journey is a safe one.
The Patrol’s 2025 Labor Day weekend reporting period begins on Friday, August 29 at midnight and concludes on Monday, September 1 at 11:59 p.m.
