LIMA — The Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission (LACRPC) has announced that Rebecca Phillips is its new executive director. The vote was made official in a special board meeting with the organization’s executive committee on Feb. 20. Phillips’ new role became effective immediately following the vote.
LACRPC is also the administrator for the newly designated West Central Ohio Rural Planning Organization (WORPO), which came to fruition in December 2024. “With our service area expanding from Allen County to now include seven additional counties because of WORPO, I want to ensure we continue to meet the needs of all of our stakeholders,” Phillips explained. “We have a lot of projects coming up, so I’m looking forward to sharing and discussing them with the community.”
The Village of Bluffton is among communities finding Klu Klux Klan recruiting flyers on the ground, according to Mayor Richard Johnson at the Monday, February 24 council meeting.
Johnson asked residents to turn in any flyers found to Town Hall.
He characterized the flyers as an attempt to draw attention to an upcoming convention and “create fear and intimidation toward members of our village.” He stressed that “this is unacceptable and is not representative of our village. Hate is not to be tolerated in our village.”
News reports indicate that the flyers have been distributed in places including Ohio and Kentucky along I-75.
The Village of Bluffton has issued notice of a public hearing to be held before the Streets, Alleys, Lights and Sidewalks Committee to consider the proposed vacation of a portion of Vine Street between N. Jackson Street and N. Lawn Avenue.
Hearing Date: March 25, 2025
Time: 5:30 pm
Location: Bluffton Town Hall – 3rd floor Community Room
154 N. Main St., Bluffton, Oh 45817
Annette "Sue" Sprunger, 86, passed into the loving arms of her Savior, Jesus, on February 23, 2025. Sue was born May 6, 1938 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana to the late Paul and Opal (Wasson) Berlien who preceded her in death. On August 26, 1961 she married Ben Sprunger and he survives.
A woman of deep faith, Sue dedicated her life to her family, church, and community. She was a faithful wife, loyal helper and mother with distinction.
A history of "Sharing Hopes And Nourishing Needs Of Neighbors"
By Duane Bollenbacher and Patien Dulaney
Duane:
In 1997 a group of young couples and individuals in Bluffton formed the Bluffton Junior Chamber of Commerce (the Jaycees). After one year they decided they did not like paying big dues that were sent out of town. So in 1998 they formed a local service club--called the Bluffton Area Service Organization, or BASO. They existed for a couple years and they got busy, most of them with young children and disbanded. When the Exchange Club was formed, BASO gave them ideas for activities and turned over the money in their account.
There were 25 members when the Exchange Club officially started on April 25, 2003. The activities were dictated by International Headquarters and 90% of the expensive dues went out of town. As the President and other officers became busy elsewhere, our numbers dwindled extensively but we still tried to do all the nationally-dictated activities. We finally got down to a very small number, myself being the only remaining charter member from the Exchange Club just three years prior.
