Regional news

When it rains it pours and when it snows it really snows.

Guy Verhoff, Pandora weather observer, reports that the snowfall of Saturday, Dec. 14, was 6.3 inches.

Add one-half inch of snow on the 13th and 1.7 inches on the 16th and suddenly we’ve accumulated 8.5 inches – not counting snowfall on Dec. 17.

To add to the wintry conditions, the low temperature of the month reached minus 2 on Dec. 12.

Open the attachment at the bottom of this story for the daily December weather summary.

Bluffton is a Blaze of Lights again this year.

Thanks for an expanded Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce residential lighting contest, more residential lights are displayed and more winners are rewarded.

Five new lighting categories were added to the residential contest this year to encourage residents to really make Bluffton a blaze of lights.

Winners were announced this week by the chamber. Winners receive Bluffton chamber gift certificates. WATCH THE ICON FOR PHOTOS OF ALL THE WINNERS.

NOTICE: AT NOON THIS EVENT WAS CANCELLED DUE TO WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS.

The Swiss Community Historical Society is celebrating the Christmas season by hosting its annual holiday open house, “Christmas at the Homestead,” on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 1 to 7 p.m. 

The public is invited to tour the decorated house while snacking on homemade treats and listening to songs of the season.

The year is fast drawing to a close, but the Internal Revenue Service wants taxpayers to know that they still have time to take action for the 2013 tax year. The IRS offers eight year-end tax moves and three additional tips that will help make things a bit easier come tax return filing season early next year.

Here's a Christmas gift idea from the Village of Bluffton. Swimming pool season passes for 2014 are available in December at a 10 percent discount.

Four different types of swimming pool season passes will be available for the 2014 season:  Senior Single, Senior Couple, Single, and Family-Basic.  

Passes purchased before Dec. 31, 2013 are eligible for a 10% discount. Passes are avialable in the Bluffton town hall office. For questions, call 419-358-2066.

Bluffton Family Practice officially opened its new medical office at 582 Harmon Road, near Bluffton Hospital, announced Dr. Darrel R. Hotmire, D.O.

“We have more space and more rooms, which will provide our practice with more efficiency serving our patients,” said Dr. Hotmire. “We are also accepting new patients.”

The new office includes five exam rooms and one additional room, plus expanded office space. Dr. Hotmire added that an important reason for the expansion is that the practice is hoping to add additional staff - either a physician or physician’s assistant.

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