In this Issue of Mentor Local Buzz 🐝

☁️ Weather: Windy, Light Rain in the Morning - Temp 60-61

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

 📰 Local News: 📰 New Year, New Energy: Mentor City Hall Gets to Work in 2026

 📰 Fresh Faces and Familiar Leadership Take Seats on Mentor School Board

 📰 McIntosh Appointed Commissioner, Beverage Takes Leadership Role

 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Event Spotlight: 🧊 Food, Fire, and Flights of Light: Chilloughby Celebrates Winter in Style

 🏀 Sports: 🏀 Lineup Gamble Backfires as Cavs Fall to Timberwolves

 🏀 Mentor Girls Basketball Rolls Past Strongsville in 71-45 Rout

 🤔 Trivia Question

 🤣 Something Funny

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📰 New Year, New Energy: Mentor City Hall Gets to Work in 2026

Dowling, Kirchner Lead City Council into a Promising New Year

Mentor City Council Rings in 2026 with Oaths, Appointments, and Ambitious Goals The City of Mentor launched 2026 with a ceremonial City Council organizational meeting on January 6. Three returning council members—Janet Dowling, Ray Kirchner, and Brian Cook—were officially sworn in for new terms ending in 2030. Council also elected Janet Dowling as Council President and Ray Kirchner as Vice President for the year.

In addition to organizational duties, Council approved several legislative measures, including a $162,847 storm sewer project on Blossom Drive, a $181,502 four-year service contract with Motorola Solutions for public safety communications, and a tax revenue-sharing agreement with the Mentor School District to support the Uptown Mentor development.

Council also made over a dozen appointments to key boards and commissions, ensuring robust civic engagement across planning, zoning, housing, and tax review matters.

The administration announced new businesses opening in the city, including RA Convenience and Tobacco, Mayor Dolar Inc., and LC Fluharty Construction. City Manager Ken Filipiak reminded residents about the upcoming “Mentor Chill Out” event on January 17 and encouraged live Christmas tree recycling through January 31 at local parks.

The meeting closed with a public discussion about sidewalk safety following snowfalls, with city officials acknowledging concerns and pledging to review plowing practices to ensure pedestrian access.

Read the Full Story at mentorlocalbuzz.com

 📰 Fresh Faces and Familiar Leadership Take Seats on Mentor School Board

Mentor Board of Education Swears In New Members Following Key Election

The Mentor Board of Education has officially sworn in Maggie Cook for a second term, along with newly elected members Robert Haag and Daniel Hardesty, following a closely watched November election. All three will serve four-year at-large terms, beginning this month, after earning the most votes in the race.

Cook previously served as board president and returns with a focus on continuing the district’s academic and financial progress. Haag and Hardesty join the board with priorities that include fiscal responsibility, academic achievement, and effective governance.

The election drew significant community interest as it was seen as a turning point for the five-member board, which oversees Mentor Public Schools, serving about 7,300 students.

In recent years, the district has seen a rise in state performance ratings—from three to 4.5 stars on the Ohio School Report Cards—and has expanded offerings like Advanced Placement courses, College Credit Plus, and career-technical education.

Looking forward, the new board members have expressed a commitment to maintaining academic progress while addressing budget concerns and fostering a collaborative approach to district leadership.

📰 McIntosh Appointed Commissioner, Beverage Takes Leadership Role

McIntosh Appointed Commissioner; Beverage Named Board President

Lake County’s Board of Commissioners begins 2026 with new leadership following the appointment of Morgan McIntosh and the election of Morris Beverage as president.

McIntosh, a Concord Township trustee and small-business owner, was appointed Tuesday to fill the seat left by the November death of Commission President Richard J. Regovich. He won 81 of nearly 100 votes from the party’s central committee, defeating Timberlake Mayor John Marra and former Eastlake Councilman Mike Merhar.

McIntosh will serve through 2026. A November election will determine who completes the rest of Regovich’s term, ending in 2028. With a Feb. 4 filing deadline for the March primary, McIntosh must soon decide whether to run.

On Thursday, commissioners unanimously selected Beverage as board president. Commissioner John Plecnik had led meetings since Regovich’s passing.

Beverage reflected on Regovich’s impact and welcomed McIntosh, expressing optimism for the year ahead.

The board now returns to full strength and will focus on major county issues including taxes, infrastructure, and budgeting. While all commissioners share equal authority, the president presides over meetings and serves as chair.

🧊 Food, Fire, and Flights of Light: Chilloughby Celebrates Winter in Style

Chilloughby Returns to Downtown Willoughby for a Night of Winter Fun

Winter magic returns to downtown Willoughby as the City of Willoughby’s Parks and Recreation Department presents the second annual Chilloughby – Winter Festival, a family-friendly celebration of the season.

Set for Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., this free community event invites residents and visitors to gather in the heart of downtown Willoughby, Ohio, for an evening packed with festive sights, sounds, and experiences.

Following last year’s successful debut, Chilloughby is back with an even bigger lineup of entertainment and winter-themed activities. Guests can enjoy delicious food available for purchase from local vendors, live music performances, and a lively DJ setting the tone for the evening.

Ice sculptures and live ice carving demonstrations will dazzle attendees, while a cozy s’mores station offers the perfect warm-up treat for chilly hands. The festival promises fun for all ages, making it ideal for families, couples, and groups of friends alike.

As the night winds down, all eyes will turn to the sky for a spectacular drone light show at 6:45 p.m., offering a dazzling high-tech finale to cap off the celebration.

With a mix of food, fire, music, art, and light, Chilloughby – Winter Festival is a can't-miss event that captures the heart of the season in downtown Willoughby.

See the event on Facebook

🏀 Lineup Gamble Backfires as Cavs Fall to Timberwolves Despite Strong Bench Play

Cavs' Lineup Change Proves Costly in Loss to Timberwolves
Cavaliers give up 20 3’s to Timberwolves

The Cleveland Cavaliers dropped a 131-122 decision to the Minnesota Timberwolves, with a lineup experiment overshadowing one of their better team performances of the season.

Coach Kenny Atkinson inserted Craig Porter Jr. into the starting five for the first time this year, pairing him with two other undersized guards. The group lacked spacing and struggled on both ends, quickly falling behind 17-5. Cleveland regained its footing behind strong bench play and even led at halftime.

However, returning to the same starting unit after the break led to another early run from Minnesota, and the Cavs couldn’t recover. The starting five posted a -19 in under 10 minutes, while the rest of the team outscored the Timberwolves by 10 in the remaining 38 minutes.

Despite the loss, the Cavs showed real promise. Their second quarter was a model of efficient, balanced offense, featuring strong interior play from Jarrett Allen. Donovan Mitchell excelled as both a playmaker and scorer, helping push a late comeback attempt.

While the loss adds pressure in a tough season, Cleveland’s performance — outside of the flawed starting lineup — offered encouraging signs against a top-tier opponent.

Read More, See Highlights at espn.com or fearthesword.com

🏀 Mentor Girls Basketball Rolls Past Strongsville in 71-45 Rout

The Mentor Cardinals girls basketball team delivered a dominant performance Wednesday night, cruising to a 71-45 victory over Strongsville in a home conference matchup. The win marked another step in an impressive season, improving the Cardinals' record to 10-1 overall and a perfect 7-0 in conference play.

Mentor controlled the game from start to finish, showcasing a balanced attack and aggressive defense. Leading the charge was a standout performance that set multiple personal bests. Freshman Ashlyn McKinney racked up a career-high 24 points, 20 rebounds, and 6 steals, also adding 2 blocks and finishing with an efficiency rating of +41 — all career highs. Teammate, Lyla Willis, played a crucial supporting role, tallying a career-best 7 assists and drawing a charge on defense.

The Cardinals now turn their attention to Saturday’s (01/10) road matchup against the Brunswick Blue Devils (7-5). Tip-off is set for 2 p.m..

Source: Google

🤣 Something Funny 🤣

Have you seen this person?? No, really. What?