Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) has announced that Renee Smith, MD will become its new chief medical officer (CMO).
Dr. Smith comes to BVHS from Aspirus Network, Inc. (ANI), a clinically integrated provider network in Wausau, Wisconsin with more than 1,100 physicians, advanced practice clinicians and other providers with 110 practices. Most recently, she served ANI in the capacity of executive director (since 2016) and as medical branch director–emergency operations center (since 2020).
The Bluffton Board of Education met in the Elementary School media center on October 18 with an audience of nine including the Bluffton Icon.
Among contracts approved by the board was bus driver Deborah Hilty, hired for a 60 day trial period at 4 hours per day.
Middle school principal Josh Kauffman noted that amidst the tight hiring market for drivers, that “knock on wood,” the Bluffton schools are in good shape with drivers and substitute drivers.
On a wet October 16, Pirate freshman June Essinger captured first place in the girls NWC cross country championship with a time of 21:32.086, ahead of 40 other girls.
The Bluffton volleyball team lost a five-set nailbiter to visiting Van Buren in the Div. III sectional semifinals Monday evening, October 18.
The Lady Pirates won sets two and four in close battles to force a decisive fifth game. But VB took the first, third and fifth sets to eke out the win.
Bluffton's season record ended up 13-10. Five seniors played their final match for the Pirates in the gut-wrenching 25-12, 30-32, 25-17, 22-25, 15-12 defeat.
VB improved to 17-5 with the tournament victory, their second win over the Pirates in less than a week.
The Usual Suspects were keeping it light on Wednesday, October 13 at the Bluffton Senior Center. The repetoire favored John Prine, Townes Van Zandt and Jimmy Buffett.
Bluffton High School graduate Trevor Bassitt (2017) visited the 7th and 8th graders at Bluffton Middle School on Homecoming Friday, October 15, 2021. Bassitt, who reached the 400-meter hurdles finals in the United States Olympic Team Trials in June, responded to a standing invitation from teacher Robin Ault.
