In this Issue of: Mentor Local Buzz 🐝

🌦️ Weather: Mix of Clouds & Sun, Isolated Showers - Temps 66-69

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

 📰 Local News: 🎶 20 Ride Brings Southern Vibes to 2025 Mentor Rocks Series

 🐶 Service Dog Turned Bat Dog Steals the Show in Lake County

🌧️ Relentless Spring Rain Threatens Ohio Farmers’ Growing Season

 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Pet Corner: 🐕 The Pet Economy Is Booming, Can Pet Owners Keep Up?

 🐶 Pup Craw - Crawl with a Purpose Event in Willoughby

⚾ Sports: ⚾ Martínez's Late Homer Powers Guardians to 7-4 Comeback Win

⚾ Mentor Cardinals Drop Season Finale to St. Edward, 4-2

 🤔 Trivia Question

 🤣 Something Funny

 📢 Advertise With Us! 

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

👉 Events in Mentor & the Area! Visit MentorLocalBuzz.com/Events
Featured Event for May 29

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MentorLocalEvents.com/Events

🎶 20 Ride Brings Southern Vibes to Start 2025 Mentor Rocks Series

Tuesday June 3 @ 7pm @ the Mentor Civic Amphitheater

Few bands capture the feeling of summer quite like the Zac Brown Band. Since their 2008 breakout, hits like “Chicken Fried,” “Toes,” and “Homegrown” have become warm-weather anthems.

Charlotte-based 20 Ride brings the Zac Brown Band experience to life with a lineup of veteran musicians who’ve performed with legends like Jimmy Buffett, Sheryl Crow, and the Beach Boys. Their tribute isn’t just about sound—it’s about spirit.

The band returns to the Mentor Civic Amphitheater on June 3 to open the 2025 Mentor Rocks concert series, marking their third appearance at the venue. Guitarist Jeff Jones shared some background and what fans can expect.

Formed in 2013, the band started after a talent scout saw them live and suggested a Zac Brown tribute. Since then, they’ve been performing nationwide, known for their energetic shows and unexpected cover songs that surprise and delight audiences.

“Chicken Fried” is a standout for the band—not just a fan favorite, but a moment to express gratitude for freedom and those who serve. For their upcoming Mentor show, fans can expect classic hits, deeper cuts, and a few surprises.

When not performing as 20 Ride, the members also play as Southside Station Band, a variety act with the same crew. They invite fans to check them out on Facebook.

Jones praised Ohio audiences as some of the most gracious they’ve met, saying the band is thrilled to be back in Mentor for what promises to be a memorable summer kickoff.

For details on this and other shows, visit www.mentorrocks.info.

🐶 Service Dog Turned Bat Dog Steals the Show in Lake County

The Lake County Captains have welcomed a unique new addition to their roster this season—a four-legged teammate named Mokoro. The Labrador retriever joins the team not as a player, but as their official bat dog, delighting fans and retrieving bats during games.

The idea was inspired by the team's popular "Dog Nights," held every Thursday home game, and by similar bat dogs in minor league baseball. The Captains partnered with Victoria Brody, owner of Mission Empawthy Dog Training and Mokoro’s trainer, to make it a reality.

Brody, who specializes in training psychiatric service dogs for individuals with invisible disabilities, prepared Mokoro specifically for her role at the ballpark. Her training included learning to pick up bats properly, avoiding distractions like chasing baseballs, and holding the bat in a way that prevents getting sticky pine tar in her mouth.

Beyond adding fun to the game-day experience, Brody sees Mokoro's presence as an opportunity to raise awareness about how service animals can support people with non-visible conditions such as PTSD. Tasks like retrieving a bat at a ballpark mirror real-life responsibilities, like fetching medication for a veteran at home.

The team hopes Mokoro brings not only smiles but a greater understanding of the role service animals play in people’s lives. As Captains staffer Logon Potosky said, it’s all about creating a special, memorable day for every fan in the stands.

WATCH the Video or Read the Full Article at spectrumnews1.com

🌧️ Relentless Spring Rain Threatens Ohio Farmers’ Growing Season

Spring rain is nothing new—but this year, it’s been relentless. While most grumble about soggy lawns or canceled plans, for farmers in northeast Ohio, persistent rain threatens their entire season.

In farming, a year's income often hinges on a few key weeks. For row crop farmers, constant rain means lost planting days and long-term damage if they risk using heavy equipment on wet fields. Compacted soil and rotting seeds can devastate future yields—and profits.

Livestock farmers face their own challenges, trudging through muddy conditions to care for animals and manage manure. Wet weather delays hay cutting too, raising the risk of winter feed shortages.

But beyond the physical strain is the emotional toll. Farmers are planners, and watching those plans dissolve in the rain is deeply discouraging. With bills piling up and pressure mounting, the stress is real—and growing.

While there’s no controlling the weather, communities can help. Check in on neighbors. Buy local. Understand that bad weather hits more than weekend activities—it hits livelihoods.

Farming requires faith: in the land, the work, and the seasons. This spring is testing that faith. When the rain finally ends, farmers will race to catch up. Roads will be filled with equipment, and days will get even longer.

So when that time comes, be patient. Be cautious. Be kind.

To our farmers: we see your struggles. Take care of yourselves. You are more than your work—and deeply appreciated.

Read the Full Article at ofbf.org

🐕 The Pet Economy Is Booming, But Can Pet Owners Keep Up?

In a time of economic uncertainty, one constant remains: the deep bond between people and their pets. As costs rise and supply chains falter, pet owners face tough financial choices, balancing care for their animals with tightening budgets.

At Global Pet Expo and The Pet Summit, the overriding theme was clear—uncertainty. Despite the challenges, the pet industry is still growing, expected to reach $157 billion in 2025 and nearly $200 billion by 2030. Research from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) highlights the health and emotional benefits of pet ownership, with over $22 billion in estimated healthcare savings linked to having pets.

Still, many owners are struggling to afford basics like food and veterinary care. Some in the industry propose increasing pet ownership to boost sales. But pushing more people to get pets—without addressing affordability—risks animal welfare and overlooks the real issue: rising costs in an already strained economy.

Ownership trends show increases among Gen Z and Millennial men, especially in cat adoption. Cats tend to be more affordable and better suited to smaller living spaces, likely influencing this shift. Yet even affordable pet care is becoming difficult.

As a potential recession looms, pet owners are making sacrifices—canceling streaming services and cutting discretionary spending—rather than skimping on their pets’ needs. This shows a clear priority: pets come first.

But the industry must recognize that nonstop growth isn’t always healthy. True progress means making pet ownership sustainable, not just more widespread. Compassionate, realistic approaches are needed to avoid overpopulation and ensure animal well-being.

In these hard times, pets offer hope and stability. Taking care of them—even when things are tough—is a testament to the love and responsibility pet owners carry.

Read the Full Article at ohmydogblog.com

⚾ Martínez's Late Homer Powers Guardians to 7-4 Comeback Over Dodgers

The Cleveland Guardians mounted an impressive late-game comeback on Wednesday, securing a 7-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the final game of their interleague series. Trailing by three runs going into the bottom of the seventh, Cleveland rallied with a five-run eighth inning, highlighted by Angel Martínez's decisive three-run home run.

The Dodgers had established a 4-1 lead thanks to contributions from Will Smith, Andy Pages, and Freddie Freeman, along with a wild pitch that allowed Kiké Hernández to score. Cleveland began to chip away at the deficit in the seventh with Carlos Santana's RBI single. In the eighth, Nolan Jones delivered a two-run single to tie the game, and Martínez followed with a 394-foot blast to push the Guardians ahead for good.

Cleveland’s bullpen held strong, with Matt Festa earning the win and Emmanuel Clase recording a perfect ninth inning for his 11th save. The victory allowed the Guardians to avoid a sweep at home.

Veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw pitched five solid innings for the Dodgers in his third start since returning from knee and toe surgery. Though he allowed just one run and struck out three, he exited before the Guardians’ bats came alive against the bullpen.

José Ramírez extended his hitting streak to a career-best 21 games with an RBI single in the first inning, also climbing to eighth on the franchise’s all-time hits list. Carlos Santana posted a 3-for-4 performance at the plate.

Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ power-hitting designated hitter and league home run leader, was held hitless in three at-bats, breaking his streak of homering in three consecutive games. Cleveland starter Kolby Allard allowed two runs across four innings in a spot start.

Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan exited early due to right wrist inflammation, adding a note of concern amid the team’s comeback win.

Read More or See Highlights at espn.com

⚾ Mentor Cardinals Drop Season Finale to St. Edward, 4-2

The Mentor Cardinals boys varsity baseball team closed out their season with a tough 4-2 loss to the St. Edward Eagles at home on Tuesday. Despite a promising start, the Cardinals couldn’t hold off a decisive fourth-inning rally by the visiting team.

Mentor got on the board early, plating a run in the first inning to set the tone. St. Edward answered in the third, but Mentor quickly reclaimed the lead with another run in the bottom half. However, the game shifted dramatically in the fourth inning when St. Edward struck for three runs, establishing a lead they would maintain for the rest of the game.

At the plate, Brayden Bortnick stood out for the Cardinals with two hits in four at-bats. Jack Vanhimbergen, Josh Wieland, Austin Vanhuss, Jake McCartney, and Tyson Cendrowski each contributed a single hit, but Mentor was unable to string together the offense needed for a comeback.

Peter Kennedy took the loss on the mound, pitching four innings and allowing three earned runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Jacob Gunvelson delivered a solid relief effort, going three innings and giving up only two hits with one strikeout.

With the defeat, Mentor ends a strong season with a 20-6 overall record, including an impressive 10-2 mark on their home field.

Trivia / Quiz Video - Can You Get All 5 Correct?

🤣 Something Funny 🤣

Watch that right hand!! Smack!