🌨️ Weather: Cloudy, Snow Showers - Temp 30-32°

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

📰 Local News: ❄️ Friday Snow Followed by Arctic Blast, Dangerous Wind Chills

📰 Mentor High School EMT Academy Tackles Firefighter Shortage

📚 Hometown History: Mentor Public Library’s 200-Year Journey

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Event Spotlight: 💘 Young Artists Paint Candy Heart Plates at Valentine Workshop

🏀 Sports: 🏀 Mitchell Leads Cleveland Past Clippers After Blockbuster Trade

🏈 Mentor’s Logan Mitchell Carries Family Legacy to Tiffin University

🤔 Trivia Question

🤣 Something Funny

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

Light snow is expected across Northeast Ohio early Friday, with up to an inch of accumulation by morning as temperatures drop into the teens.

Snow showers will continue at times throughout Friday, with occasional breaks. Afternoon temperatures near freezing should help improve road conditions for a period, but conditions are expected to worsen during the evening commute. A burst of snow — possibly including brief squalls — could lead to quick accumulation and reduced visibility.

Behind the snow, temperatures will fall sharply Friday night as an arctic air mass moves in. Strong northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph, will create blowing and drifting snow and drive wind chills down to around 20 degrees below zero by Saturday morning.

Lake-effect snow will continue overnight into Saturday, with highs Saturday remaining in the low to mid-teens. Travel may remain difficult at times, especially in snowbelt areas.

Total snowfall from Friday through Saturday is expected to range from 1 to 4 inches, with locally higher amounts possible.

A hands-on program at Mentor High School is helping address the nationwide firefighter shortage by preparing students for emergency service careers before graduation.

The EMT Academy, a five-year partnership between Mentor Schools and the Mentor Fire Department, gives seniors real-world training by holding classes at local fire stations rather than in the classroom. The program was created to strengthen recruitment efforts as fire departments across Northeast Ohio face shrinking applicant pools.

Students who complete the academy earn their EMT certification at no cost and receive college credit through Lakeland Community College. The program has already produced three graduates who have gone on to work as firefighters and paramedics, with additional students currently training or employed by Mentor Fire.

Fire Chief Ron Zak said the academy has become an important recruitment tool as testing numbers have dropped significantly in recent years. Graduate Ryan Skelly, now a firefighter with Mentor Fire, said the opportunity gave him a direct path to employment after high school.

The program is taught by retired firefighter Jerry Craddock, while Superintendent Craig Heath said it helps students explore career paths while gaining valuable certifications.

Read More or Watch Video at cleveland19.com

The Mentor Public Library traces its roots to February 1819, when a small collection of 79 books was shared among private homes in the community.

Public interest in a dedicated library grew, and in 1889 residents formed the Mentor Village Library Board. The effort was led by James R. Garfield, son of President James A. Garfield, with the goal of constructing a permanent public library and reading room. Funding came from local citizens, including strong support from Lucretia Garfield and her family.

The first permanent Mentor Public Library building was dedicated in 1903 at the northeast corner of Mentor Avenue and Center Street. Designed by Abram Garfield, another son of the former president, the New England–style structure quickly became a community landmark.

The building served Mentor for 57 years, later adding electric lighting, plumbing and other modern updates. In 1956, voters approved a bond issue for a new facility, which opened the following year at 8215 Mentor Avenue.

In 1960, the original library was relocated to 7300 Center Street. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the historic building continues to serve the community as the home of a local bakery, The Confectionary Cupboard.

Residents can learn more about the library’s history and other Mentor History Trail sites at www.mentorhistory.com.

This paint party is just for kids! Young artists are invited to create a festive candy heart plate for all their Valentines at the studio. The Bees will guide each child step-by-step, helping them paint the sweetest designs while having plenty of fun along the way. After painting, kids will enjoy games and laughter to wrap up the night.

This is a parent drop-off workshop. Parents may drop off their children and return for pickup at 7:30 p.m. Participants must be at least 6 years old, potty-trained, able to follow instructions, and have completed at least one year of kindergarten.

Kids Night Out is held in Busy Bees’ party room, while the main studio remains open during the class. Registration is required.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers rolled past the Los Angeles Clippers 124-89 on Wednesday night, hours after the teams completed a blockbuster trade involving All-Star guards.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 29 points and nine assists as the Cavaliers seized control early and never let up. Jaylon Tyson added 17 points, and Jarrett Allen recorded 10 points and 11 rebounds in Cleveland’s seventh win in eight games.

The trade that sent Darius Garland to the Clippers for James Harden dominated pregame attention, but neither player appeared. Cleveland’s recent additions contributed, with Dennis Schroder scoring 11 points in his Cavaliers debut and Keon Ellis adding six.

Cleveland shot 51 percent from the field and drained 16 three-pointers while turning 24 Clippers turnovers into 47 points. Los Angeles struggled from deep, making just 6 of 28 attempts.

Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points to lead the Clippers, with John Collins adding 19. Los Angeles also played without starting center Ivica Zubac.

The Cavaliers built a 62-42 halftime lead and pushed the margin to as many as 35 in the second half, as the Clippers never seriously threatened.

Read more, See highlights at espn.com

Nearly 30 years after John Mitchell signed a letter of intent to play football at Tiffin University, his son Logan followed the same path Feb. 4, committing to the Dragons during a ceremony at the Paradigm Building.

Logan Mitchell, a defensive lineman at Mentor, signed with Tiffin as his father — a former Dragons captain and All-American in the 1990s — watched proudly while wearing his old Tiffin letterwinners jacket. While the scene was far different from John’s quiet kitchen-table signing in 1995, the goal was the same: earning an opportunity to prove himself at the college level.

Logan capped a standout senior season by earning News-Herald all-star, Northeast Lakes District, all-conference and All-Ohio honors. The 6-foot, 225-pound defensive end and outside linebacker built a reputation for high effort and leadership, traits his father said mirror his own playing style.

Despite his accomplished athletic career, John Mitchell said watching his son achieve his dream of playing college football has been especially meaningful. Logan chose Tiffin after a campus visit and plans to major in accounting or business.

Mitchell was one of three Mentor football players to sign letters of intent Feb. 4. Offensive lineman Gibril McLendon also committed to Tiffin, while linebacker Carson Wolk signed with Lake Erie College.

When toddlers meet newborns for the first time…