🌤️ Weather: Clouds giving way to sun - Temps 84-86°

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

📰 Local News:🚂 Big Boy Returns: Steam Locomotive Returns to Lake County

📃 Mentor Residents May Receive RITA Non-Filing Letters This Week

🔊 Quarterly Reminder: Lake County Outdoor Siren Test Set for Wednesday

🌿 LIVE BETTER: How to Make Healthy Eating Easier Without Following a Diet

⚾ Sports: ⚾ Cleveland Bats Quiet as Twins Pull Away in Minneapolis

⚾ Captains Hold Off Lansing Rally, Move Into Second Place

🤔 Trivia Question

🤣 Something Funny

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

Railroad fans will get another chance to see Union Pacific’s historic Big Boy No. 4014 when the massive steam locomotive returns through Lake County on Monday, July 13.

The Lake County History Center will host “Big Boy Day 2: The Return Trip” from 8 to 11 a.m. at 415 Riverside Drive in Painesville Township. The locomotive is expected to pass the history center at about 9:30 a.m., according to the organization.

Union Pacific’s published schedule lists Big Boy No. 4014 departing Conneaut at 9 a.m. Monday before heading west through Northeast Ohio.

The event follows the history center’s earlier Big Boy Day celebration during the locomotive’s eastbound trip, which drew railroad enthusiasts and families hoping to see one of the world’s largest operating steam locomotives.

Attendees are encouraged to register in advance at lakehistory.org so organizers can plan for parking. Guests should bring their own chairs. Breakfast items and beverages will be available, and donations are appreciated.

The event is presented by the Lake County Historical Society and the Painesville Railroad Museum as part of Lake County’s America 250 celebration.

Some Mentor residents may receive a letter from the Regional Income Tax Agency this week if RITA does not have a municipal income tax filing on record for the tax year or years listed in the notice.

The City of Mentor says the letters are legitimate and should not be ignored. Receiving one does not automatically mean a resident owes income tax. The city says residents may not owe any income tax and may have simply forgotten to file.

Residents who receive a notice should read it carefully and follow the enclosed instructions. RITA says recipients must respond by the due date listed on the notice.

The city also warns that failing to respond will likely result in a formal subpoena. RITA says failure to respond may result in a subpoena or a tax finding based on information supplied by the IRS.

Residents can respond through RITA’s e-file system, by mail, or by fax using the contact methods listed in the notice. Questions can be directed to RITA at 800-860-7482.

👉🏻 Read the full story for what the notice means, how to respond, and why residents should not dismiss the letter even if they believe no tax is owed.

This is your quarterly reminder: Lake County residents may hear outdoor emergency sirens on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at 11:00 AM, as the Lake County Emergency Management Agency conducts its quarterly siren test.

The test is routine and is designed to help ensure the county’s outdoor warning siren system is working properly in the event of an actual emergency. Residents do not need to take action during the test.

Officials remind the public not to call 911 about the sirens unless they are experiencing a real emergency.

If you have ever started a diet on Monday and abandoned it by Thursday, you are not alone.

For many people, the problem is not a lack of nutrition knowledge. It is everyday life. When work runs late, the family is hungry or the day has already been long, convenience usually wins.

This week’s Live Better takes a more realistic approach. Instead of counting calories, following strict rules or giving up favorite foods, the focus is on making healthier choices easier to make.

Start with what you see first. Put a bowl of fruit on the counter. Move yogurt, cut vegetables or eggs to the front of the refrigerator. Keep frozen vegetables where they are easy to grab on busy nights.

Healthy eating also becomes easier when you stop aiming for perfection. One less-healthy meal does not ruin your progress, and one healthy meal does not solve everything. What matters most is the pattern you build over time.

A helpful shift is to ask, “What could I add?” Add berries to yogurt. Add vegetables to pasta. Add grilled chicken or beans to a salad. Add water with lunch. Small upgrades can make meals more balanced without making eating feel restrictive.

It also helps to prepare before hunger hits. Pack tomorrow’s lunch tonight. Wash one vegetable after grocery shopping. Cook a little extra at dinner so lunch is easier the next day. These conveniences can prevent rushed, last-minute choices.

And yes, there is still room for foods you enjoy. Pizza night, birthday cake and ice cream on vacation can all fit into a healthy lifestyle.

Try this today: put one healthy food where you can see it, move one better snack to eye level, and plan one simple meal upgrade.

Healthy eating becomes more manageable when the better choice is also the easier choice. That is enough to start.

👉🏻 Read the full article for a simple kitchen reset, easy meal upgrades and practical ways to make healthy eating feel less like a chore.

The Guardians’ slide continued Tuesday night in Minneapolis, where Cleveland fell 3-1 to the Minnesota Twins despite a strong effort from Joey Cantillo.

Rhys Hoskins gave Cleveland an early spark with a solo homer in the second inning, but that was all the Guardians could manage against Taj Bradley. The Twins right-hander struck out 10 over seven innings, allowing just three hits and no walks while keeping Cleveland’s lineup off balance throughout the night.

Cantillo took the loss despite limiting Minnesota to two unearned runs over five innings. He struck out seven, but defensive miscues in the second helped the Twins turn the game around. An error by Travis Bazzana, a late throw from Brayan Rocchio and an infield single loaded the bases before Minnesota pushed across two runs.

Kody Clemens added insurance in the seventh with an RBI triple, scoring Josh Bell and stretching the Twins’ lead to 3-1.

The Guardians have now dropped three straight. Cleveland will look to regroup Wednesday when Slade Cecconi faces Minnesota left-hander Connor Prielipp.

See Highlights at espn.com

The Lake County Captains turned an early offensive burst into an important standings win Tuesday night, defeating the Lansing Lugnuts 8-5.

Lake County jumped ahead quickly in the first inning. Dean Curley launched a three-run homer to center field, scoring Aaron Walton and Jace LaViolette, before Nolan Schubart followed with a solo shot to right-center. Just like that, the Captains led 4-0.

Curley stayed in the middle of the offense all night. He drew a bases-loaded walk in the second inning, added an RBI single in the fourth and helped Lake County build a 6-0 lead.

That cushion became important in the sixth, when Lansing scored five runs to cut the Captains’ lead to 6-5. The inning included three RBI singles and a Lake County fielding error, briefly turning a comfortable game into a tight one.

The Captains answered in the bottom of the sixth on Welbyn Francisca’s RBI single, then added insurance in the eighth when Esteban González drove in Schubart.

Jacob Zibin gave Lake County five solid innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out seven. Izaak Martinez and Donovan Zsak helped finish the game from the bullpen, with Zsak earning the save.

With the win, the Captains improved to 9-6 and moved into second place, two games out of first. The series continues Wednesday at 7 p.m.

👉🏻 Read the full recap for more on the turning point, the bullpen finish and what the win means for Lake County’s standings push.

🐝 Buzz Fact: Some large grazing animals have a built-in “stay alert” advantage: their leg anatomy helps them rest without fully collapsing into a heap, which is more than many of us can say after one good recliner nap.
Answer: Google

That’s a smart kid right there…