The first Bluffton council meeting of 2026 was called to order by Mayor Johnson who proceeded to administer the Oath of Office to incoming Council members Thomas Downey, Liz Gordon-Hancock and Phil Talavania. Their terms are through December 31, 2029.
Phil Talavania will serve as the Council President for this calendar year.
The January 9 breakfast meeting of the Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce provided the following updates. The chamber's next breakfast meeting is February 13.
CHAMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
The 2026 Chocolate Walk will be held on Thursday, February 5. Stay tuned for information about participating businesses and ticket sales.
The chamber will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Maple Crest’s new fitness center on Tuesday, January 27, time TBA.
By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team
The idiom “keeping up with the Joneses” refers to social pressure to match or keep up with the wealth or status of your neighbors. In 2016, this common idiom was made into an action-comedy film starring Jon Hamm. The plot reveals the neighbors are jealous of the new couple who have moved in next door until they find out they are actually spies and the drama begins!
MEDIA RELEASE__ONU HealthWise Pharmacy now offers a free Remote Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) program for Medicaid patients with diabetes. Eligible patients receive a free wearable CGM device and ongoing remote support from a pharmacist via phone or text to help monitor blood sugar in real time, improve diabetes management, and reduce barriers to care.