The future of news in paper and ink in Ada, Ohio

Iconoclast View

/ Aug 03, 2025

List of Ada Icon July 2025 Highlights below

By Paula Pyzik Scott
Ada Icon and Bluffton Icon owner-editor

I grew up reading a newspaper, starting with the comics. Peanuts and then Calvin and Hobbes were an important part of my day! I’m also nostalgic for picking up the big, fat Sunday paper and enjoying it with a cup of coffee. So I was sad to learn that the Ada Herald–the Ada Icon’s competition–was ending publication.

A recent conversation has inspired me to test drive a monthly print edition of Bluffton Icon Highlights that I am distributing to the public library, university and senior center. For July 2025, it includes some 42 pages of articles that have the most short- and long-term importance.

That’s some 20 articles of the 94 published on BlufftonIcon.com during July. And that’s a month when there were no high school sports!

It will take some time to figure out the interest level for this Icon spinoff. I’m making the effort because it seems like a good way to grow Icon online readership and to give more back to Icon advertisers, who are the key to the Icon's free online news with no login and no story limits.

Highlights is currently a bound 8.5 x 11 inch (letter size) document, the most easily accessible printing format. It’s not an easy undertaking. There is no commercial printing business in Bluffton or in Ada. It takes some doing to get quick, affordable color prints. I’ve got my homework cut out for me.

Compiling highlights also encourages us to reflect on the past weeks and not be solely focused on what’s ahead in life. While I rely on to-do lists, I also like to make an occasional done list. Looking back at a month’s worth of Icon highlights is a great way to take stock as a community.

Stay tuned for an Ada Icon survey on reader interest in a print Highlights product. For now, I’ll plan on complimentary in-house copies for the Ada Public Library, Beatitudes and Heterick Library at Ohio Northern University.

In the meantime, here are 19 articles of lasting importance from among 101 articles published on AdaIcon.com during July 2025.

July 7 Ada Board of Education approves waiver of school fees for 2025-2026

July 9 Expectations, communication feature in public meeting about N. Gilbert St. parking

July 10 Ada Icon reaches 4,534 Facebook followers

July 14 Financial support for Ada park and veterans groups presented at VFW Park in the Park show

July 15 Funding granted for roundabout at SR 81 and CR 15

July 18 Recap of July 15 Ada Council meeting

July 18 Village of Ada Municipal Pool season extended through August 16

July 19 Ada school board discusses free student admission to sporting events

July 20 United Way campaign kick-off and Day of Caring, August 15

July 20 $2.9M in Ada open construction permits during first half of 2025

July 22 Icon test drives Facebook group for Ada area public meeting minutes