Bernard W. Baumgartner, 92, passed away peacefully in Dayton, Ohio on May 12, 2022. He was born on July 15, 1929 in Bluffton, Ohio to the late Reno and Viola (Geiger) Baumgartner. On February 14, 1949 he married Betty J. Busick who preceded him in death.
The Bluffton High School track and field teams fared well at the nine-team, annual Northwest Conference championship meet in Convoy Saturday, May 14, hosted by Crestview.
The Bluffton boys finished an impressive second, behind only repeat champion Columbus Grove.
Spencerville won the girls team crown, with Grove second and Bluffton coming in a solid fourth.
Pirate junior Landon Armstrong won the boys 800 meter run in an NWC R meet record time of 1:56.16. He broke the mark held previously by Simon Derstine of 1:57.7.
The Bluffton High School varsity softball team finished strong late to end its league regular season schedule with a 7-2 win at local rival Allen East Saturday afternoon.
The Pirate girls improved to 10-8 overall and finished a very respectable 5-3 in the NWC with their comeback victory.
AE dropped to 9-11 overall and 2-5 in the NWC with the defeat.
Bluffton trailed 2-0 after Lady Mustang hurler Nikki Thaxton slugged a two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning.
Question: Can you name a business that has continually operated on Bluffton’s Main Street for over one century?
Answer: You may not guess this, but the answer is a movie theatre. Today’s Shannon Theatre was once called the Carma. And, the Carma’s origins started in the silent film era as the Star Theatre.
In the days of silent movies, a piano player sat in a pit near the screen providing music to accompany the drama unfolding.
The Bluffton Town Hall Concert Series will host poet and songwriter Terry Hermsen at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 4. Hermsen will be playing a set of original music dealing with climate crisis along with hope for change.
Bluffton's own Jeff Gundy will also be performing. The event takes place on the third floor of Bluffton Town Hall, 154 N. Main St.
Bluffton University sophomore Desmond Gist (Detroit, Mich./Trenton) headed to Baldwin Wallace University on Friday, May 13, looking to put down a time that would qualify him for the 2022 Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 110 meter hurdles, his signature event.
After a spring filled with cold and rainy conditions, Gist had to adjust to sun and scorching heat while training for the event at George Finnie Stadium in Berea.
Gist placed 6th at the Harrison Barnes Twilight Meet with a time of 14.89.
