News across Hancock County
Pirate football shuts out Spencerville
Sports By Cort Reynolds BLUFFTON__The Bluffton High School football team shellacked visiting Spencerville 61-0 in a Northwest Conference mismatch on Friday, Sept. 25. The Pirates raced to a 47-0 halftime lead over the winless Bearcats and cruised to victory. The Pirates improved…

Pirate girls cross country 9th at Van Wert meet
Sports Prothro 28th of 164 in boys meet By Cort Reynolds VAN WERT__The Bluffton High School boys and girls cross country team competed at the annual Ohio Health Invitational meet at the Van Wert Fairgrounds course on Saturday, Sept. 26. BOYS Pirate sophomore Atticus Prothro was…

Pirate girls soccer shut out by Elida
Sports By Cort Reynolds LIMA__The visiting Bluffton High School girls soccer team lost to Elida 3-0 in a non-league match on Saturday, Sept. 26. The Pirate girls fell to 5-6 with the road loss. The Bulldogs improved to 8-0-2 after the clean-sheet win. Elida scoring ace Lexie Good…
Pirate volleyball loss vs. Crestview
Sports By Cort Reynolds CONVOY__The visiting Bluffton High School volleyball team lost in three sets to Northwest Conference foe Crestview to snap their seven-match win streak on Thursday, Sept. 24. The Pirate girls dropped to 10-5 overall and 3-1 in NWC play after suffering…
Pirate girls soccer win vs. Allen East
Sports By Cort Reynolds BLUFFTON __The Bluffton High School girls soccer team ran out to an early lead and defeated visiting local rival Allen East 4-1 in a Northwest Conference match on Thursday night, Sept. 24, at Steinmetz Field. The Pirate girls improved to 5-5 overall and…
Pirate boys golf 10th at sectionals
Sports By Cort Reynolds OTTAWA__The Bluffton High School boys golf team finished 10th in the 13-team Div. II sectional tournament at Moose Landing Country Club in Ottawa on Thursday, Sept. 24. Senior Ethan Fifer led Bluffton by shooting an 18-hole round of 45-42=87. He finished…

October Business Collective with Bluffton Food Pantry
Events MEDIA RELEASE__The October Business Collective Networking Night will include a presentation by the Bluffton Food Pantry. Business owners and managers are invited to join on October 1 from 4:00–6:00 p.m. at 1861 Wine Lounge. Please bring a donation for the Bluffton Food…
Bluffton Icon headlines, Sept. 25
Regional news New content on www.BlufftonIcon.com , Friday, September 25 Fall Festival activities are all over Bluffton, Sept. 26 Clay, community, and the classroom Pirate volleyball loss vs. Crestview
Janine Elizabeth (Minnich) Millager, 87, was a lab technician
Janine Elizabeth (Minnich) Millager, a longtime resident of Bluffton and then of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, passed away on September 18, 2026, at the age of 87. She was born on May 5, 1939, to Marion (Tam) and Helen Minnich in Continental, Ohio. She met the love of her life,…

New time for Planning and Bluffton Beyond Tomorrow meetings, Sept 29
Public Meetings MEDIA RELEASE__Start times for the following Village of Bluffton meeting has been changed. A joint Planning Commission and Bluffton Beyond Tomorrow meeting will be held at Town Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m.
Fall Festival activities are all over Bluffton, Sept. 26
By Paula Pyzik Scott The 21st annual Bluffton Fall Festival on Saturday, Sept. 26 has a new promoter--the Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce--and a mix of new and familiar family-focused activities. The festival provides many free options as well as opportunities to purchase food…

Paul Richard Wingate Jr., 79, worked for the Lima Ford Engine Plant
Paul Richard Wingate Jr., 79, passed away September 23, 2026, at ProMedica Toledo Hospital. Paul was born April 28, 1947, in Bluffton to the late Paul and Alice (Jones) Wingate Sr. On April 24, 1970, he married Pamela Steele Wingate, who survives. Paul was a 1965 graduate of…