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📢 Local Events from Mentor & the Area: MentorLocalBuzz.com/Events!

📰 Local News: 📊 Mentor Unemployment Edges Up to 1.7%, Below Last Year

📰 Historic Mentor Manor House Gets Fresh Spotlight as Event Venue

☎️ A Friendly Voice, Free of Charge: Lake County's Phone Pal Program

🍽️ Dinner RESCUE: The Finishing Touch That Makes Dinner Feel Special

🏈 Sports: 🏈 Mentor Blanks Euclid, 31–0, to Share GCC Football Title

🏈 Lake Catholic Falls to Rival NDCL, 35–7, in Regular-Season Finale

🤔 Trivia Question

🤣 Something Funny

Contact Mentor Local Buzz - [email protected] - 440-256-6115

Mentor's unemployment rate rose slightly in September, but a closer look at the numbers shows the city's employment picture remains considerably better than it was a year ago.

According to figures released by the City of Mentor on October 23, the unemployment rate increased from 1.6% in August to 1.7% in September 2026, a modest rise of 0.1 percentage point.

A year earlier, Mentor's unemployment rate stood at 2.9%.

Lake County experienced a similar monthly increase, with unemployment rising from 1.6% to 1.8%. That's still substantially below the county's 3.0% rate in September 2025.

Meanwhile, Ohio's comparable statewide unemployment rate remained at 3.3%.

Mentor's civilian labor force was estimated at 25,900 people, unchanged from August.

Although the latest figures show a slight uptick, one month's movement doesn't necessarily signal a changing employment trend. In fact, Mentor's unemployment rate has been lower than its year-earlier level in each month from June through September.

There's more behind these numbers than the latest 0.1-point increase.

➡️ Read our full breakdown to see Mentor's four-month unemployment trend, how it compares with neighboring communities, and what these figures really mean for local workers and job seekers.

A 26-room estate tucked away off Morley Road in Mentor has a sunken garden, space for gatherings—and a curious bit of history beneath its library.

Lake Erie College is giving Victor Manor House renewed attention as a setting for weddings, corporate retreats and celebrations. The college recently staged a wedding-style setup on the grounds to show what the approximately 25,000-square-foot property could offer, according to News 5 Cleveland.

The story goes back much further. In 1905, Helen Rockwell Morley and her son Charles acquired what was then a farmhouse and surrounding land. A formal library was added in 1921, with a basement room that reportedly served as a speakeasy during Prohibition.

Lake Erie College purchased the house in 1958. It has hosted events for years and remains the college president's residence, with the second floor kept private.

What's new isn't the opening of a venue. It's the college's effort to introduce this less familiar Mentor property to more potential event hosts.

➡️ How do you reach the room with the Prohibition-era past—and what does it actually take to host an event here? We found the unusual entrance, the college's rental rules and where to inquire. Discover Victor Manor House.

For some older adults, the quietest part of the week can also be the loneliest. Lake County's Phone Pal Program offers something simple: a friendly person who calls just to talk.

The free program matches Lake County residents age 60 and older with screened volunteers age 55 and older. Instead of an automated message, participants receive a real conversation at scheduled times — an opportunity to share stories, discuss common interests or simply catch up.

The county's current program page describes calls as weekly. Residents in Mentor and throughout Lake County can ask to enroll by calling 440-350-2020. There's no charge.

Family members and neighbors can help, too. The county provides an online Refer Someone option for older adults who might benefit from companionship.

Adults age 55 and older interested in making these calls can contact the Lake County Volunteer Network at 440-350-5360.

The program has been available since 2023, but the City of Mentor recently highlighted it as a community resource worth sharing.

➡️ Want to help someone get connected? Our full website story explains how enrollment and volunteer matching work, how to refer someone, and where to find the official county forms.

Two flavorful dinners show how a cool, lemony drizzle or bright pineapple slaw can make the whole meal come together.

That little bowl of sauce sitting beside the stove? It might be the most important five minutes of dinner.

For our fourth and final Small Skills, Better Dinners installment, we're focusing on a technique anyone can use: build one bold, warm main dish, then give it a fresh finish just before serving. A good sauce or slaw isn't decoration. It can add brightness, crunch and a little balance to every bite.

First up, Smoky Chicken Shawarma Bowls with Roasted Peppers & Lemon-Yogurt Drizzle. Chicken thighs, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic and colorful peppers roast into a savory, fragrant dinner. Spoon everything over rice, add cucumber, then drizzle on lemony garlic yogurt. The contrast is the point: warm spices meet something cool and lively. Make the sauce in a clean bowl while the chicken cooks, not after everyone's seated.

Or try Coconut-Crunch Fish Tacos with Pineapple-Lime Slaw. A coconut-panko crust gives baked cod or pollock golden crunch. Cabbage, pineapple, yogurt and lime provide the fresh counterpoint. Prepare the slaw ingredients while the fish bakes, but toss them with dressing near serving so the cabbage stays crisp and the topping doesn't turn soggy.

Here's the practical trick: plan your finishing component before you start the main course. It keeps the last few minutes simple instead of frantic. Put the sauce in the fridge; keep the slaw separate until dinner is ready. Then taste: does it need a squeeze more citrus or a pinch of salt?

You don't need ten garnishes or a restaurant kitchen to make dinner feel complete. Sometimes one fresh finish is enough.

On our website, we've gathered both step-by-step recipes, a side-by-side dinner comparison, a combined grocery list and a simple prep sequence for each meal.

➡️ Get both complete recipes, plus our simple finishing-touch guide, combined shopping list and step-by-step dinner plans to bring everything together without the last-minute scramble… here at Dinner RESCUE!

Cardinals score four first-half touchdowns, preserve shutout and finish regular season 8–2.

The Mentor Cardinals returned to the field Friday night with no signs of slowing down, shutting out Euclid, 31–0, at Tom Banc Field and earning a share of the Greater Cleveland Conference championship.

After last week's home game against Lorain was canceled because of a stadium power outage, Mentor wasted little time taking control.

Quarterback Brogan Jones connected with Jeremiah Claridy for a five-yard touchdown to open the scoring. Sophomore quarterback Corbin Bissett followed with a four-yard touchdown run, giving Mentor a 14–0 first-quarter lead.

Ryan Orsog added an eight-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Then came one of the night's biggest highlights: Bissett found Cameron Deitrick for a 30-yard touchdown with just 43 seconds remaining before halftime.

Mentor led 28–0 at the break.

Sophomore Daniel Kristo added a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter, while the Cardinals' defense completed the shutout. Charlie Grano and Harrold Phelan each intercepted a pass, with Phelan's fourth-quarter takeaway stopping a Euclid scoring threat near the goal line.

The victory lifts Mentor to 8–2, including its forfeit win over Lorain.

Conference champions: Mentor, Riverside and Strongsville all finished 6–1 in GCC play, sharing the championship after Friday's victories.

Mentor now awaits the final OHSAA playoff seedings, with a first-round bye within reach.

➡️ The Cardinals delivered far more than a win Friday night. See our full game breakdown, scoring timeline, defensive highlights and what comes next in the Division I playoffs on the Mentor Local Buzz website.

Cougars create turnovers and find a second-half touchdown, but Lions pull away

Lake Catholic's regular season ended Friday night with a 35–7 loss to rival Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin in Chardon, sending the Cougars into the Division III playoffs looking to regroup.

The Cougars struggled offensively in the first half, managing just 31 yards as NDCL built a 21–0 halftime lead.

Lake Catholic's defense delivered one of the night's biggest moments when Davere Graves intercepted a pass in the red zone, ending a promising Lions scoring drive.

Another defensive takeaway in the second half helped the Cougars break through. Quarterback Max Pisano connected with Brady Moran on a 13-yard touchdown pass, cutting NDCL's lead to 21–7.

But the Lions responded with two more touchdowns, securing the 35–7 victory and finishing their regular season at 9–1.

Despite the loss, Lake Catholic's season continues. Both teams have qualified for the Division III playoffs, with official pairings expected Sunday.

➡️ The Cougars showed flashes on defense, but what kept them from mounting a comeback? Read our full game recap for the key plays, individual performances, and what Friday's result means for Lake Catholic heading into the playoffs.

🐝 Buzz Fact: Nothing tests a family's manners quite like the last helping of a really good dish. Suddenly, people who haven't exercised in years are displaying Olympic-level speed with a serving spoon.
Answer: Google

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