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

📰 Local News: 🚴🏻 Mentor Considering 3 New E-Bike Safety Rules After Accidents, Complaints

🚧 Mentor Moves SR 615/I-90 Expansion Into Design Phase

🎷 Tunes at the Lagoons Ends Friday With Pieces of Eight

🌿 EVERGREEN: Confidence to Try Something New Doesn’t Have an Age Limit

🏈 High School Football Preview: Mentor & Lake Catholic Open Tonight

⚾ Sports: ⚾ Williams Strikes Out 11 as Guardians Take Series From Giants

⚾ Francisca Races Home as Captains Rout Wisconsin

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Mentor is considering three new bicycle and e-bike safety rules following accidents, near misses and complaints involving riders and pedestrians.

City Council gave all three proposals first reading Aug. 18. The rules have not been adopted and are not yet in effect. Each ordinance will move to second reading.

The proposals would:

City officials said they have seen accidents and near misses involving younger riders carrying passengers on handlebars, rear portions of bikes and other areas not designed for an additional rider.

Officials have also received complaints from pedestrians and dog walkers startled by e-bikes passing quickly on sidewalks.

Council spent part of the discussion on education and enforcement. The city plans to use its communication channels, schools, school resource officers and recreation programs to help younger riders understand the rules. E-bike safety may also be incorporated into Safety Town.

Officials said they considered prohibiting e-bikes from sidewalks but concluded it would likely be safer for younger riders to remain on sidewalks than to force them onto roadways.

The three measures will return to council for second reading.

👉🏻 On the website: We break down each proposal, why one could be harder to enforce, why Mentor backed away from a sidewalk restriction and how the city plans to reach younger riders and families before any new rules take effect.

One of Mentor’s major future road projects is moving into the design phase.

City Council on Aug. 18 approved an engineering services agreement with American StructurePoint for up to $2,299,015 for planned improvements at the SR 615 interchange with I-90.

The project calls for widening the SR 615 bridge over I-90 to four lanes and adding one additional lane to each off-ramp.

City officials said the preliminary estimated cost of the design phase was $3 million. Mentor applied for and will receive up to $3 million in federal funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Transportation Review Advisory Council, covering preliminary and final design.

Because federal funding is involved, the city was required to use a qualifications-based selection process. Five engineering consultants responded, with American StructurePoint ranked first.

The city said the evaluation considered factors including the proposed project manager, experience of the assigned staff, current workload, past performance and project approach.

Design is expected to begin this summer, while construction is currently anticipated for fall 2029.

For residents, the key development is that Mentor has now selected the engineering consultant and authorized the agreement needed to move the planned bridge and ramp improvements into design.

👉🏻 We took a closer look at how the engineering firm was selected, where the federal funding fits in and what still has to happen before construction begins.

Mentor’s Tunes at the Lagoons concert series wraps up its 2026 season Friday, Aug. 21, with Pieces of Eight performing at Mentor Lagoons Marina.

The free concert runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at 8365 Harbor Drive, with food trucks and beverage service beginning at 6 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

Concertgoers should bring a lawn chair or blanket because seating is on the field. Accessible parking is available, and parking attendants will be on site to help direct traffic.

Adults 21 and older can purchase beer and sparkling beverages. Beverage tents accept cash, major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Venmo.

Friday’s show is the final scheduled concert of the fifth Tunes at the Lagoons season, which began in June and featured a variety of local bands throughout the summer.

For residents looking for an easy Friday night outing close to home, this is the final chance this season to catch live music at the Lagoons.

Date: Friday, Aug. 21
Food & beverages: From 6 p.m.
Music: 7–9 p.m.
Location: Mentor Lagoons Marina, 8365 Harbor Drive
Cost: Free admission and parking

👉🏻 Planning to go? We’ve put together a quick before-you-go guide with seating, parking, payment and arrival details to help make the evening easier.

Trying something new can feel harder when you’re used to knowing what you’re doing—but that may be exactly why it’s worth it. This week’s Evergreen shows how one small experiment, and a simple “two-times test,” can make curiosity feel inviting again without any pressure to become an expert. Read the full article on our website.

Friday night football returns to Mentor tonight as the Cardinals open the 2026 season against Olmsted Falls at Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

It's a familiar opponent — and one that gave Mentor everything it could handle a year ago.

The Cardinals opened the 2025 season with a 35-28 win at Olmsted Falls, breaking a 28-28 tie in the fourth quarter. Jackson Farley powered Mentor that night with a school-record rushing performance and all five Cardinals touchdowns.

That victory launched a 12-win season that carried Mentor back to the Division I, Region 1 championship game.

This year's Cardinals will look different. Mentor graduated a highly accomplished senior class that included five players who signed with FBS programs, leaving major production to replace on the offensive line and in the running game.

One important piece returns: senior quarterback Brogan Jones. According to MaxPreps statistics entered last season, Jones completed 67.3% of his passes for 1,987 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior.

Friday should provide the first real look at how Mentor replaces last year's rushing production and how quickly a new group settles into larger roles.

Fans can also start the evening early. The Mentor Football Redline Club is hosting a home-opener family tailgate from 4–6 p.m. at Mentor AMP with food trucks, poster making, crafts, spiritwear and a 50/50 raffle.

Game Night
Olmsted Falls at Mentor
Friday, Aug. 21 | 7 p.m.
Jerome T. Osborne Sr. Stadium

👉🏻 Want a closer look before kickoff? We break down what Mentor must replace, the returning Cardinals to know, three keys to tonight's matchup and what awaits next on the schedule in our full game preview. Download a PDF of the 2026 Mentor Cardinals varsity football schedule.

Lake Catholic begins its 2026 football season tonight with a familiar and challenging opponent.

The Cougars travel to Youngstown to face Cardinal Mooney at 7 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium, one year after Mooney handed Lake Catholic a 30-13 loss in the season opener.

That defeat was one of only two regular-season losses for the Cougars last fall.

Lake Catholic enters this year's rematch with experience at several important offensive positions. Junior quarterback Max Pisano returns for his second season as the starter, while senior running back Danny Zmorowski gives the Cougars a proven option in the backfield after rushing for 1,058 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

The News-Herald expects Lake Catholic to lean on a physical, run-first approach behind an offensive line that includes Connor Brugh and Alfred Antonelli.

The bigger question may come on defense, where only three starters return. Senior linebacker Brady Moran is among the experienced players back for a unit that will be tested immediately by a tradition-rich Mooney program.

For Lake Catholic, the priorities are fairly clear: establish the run, protect the football and prevent big plays.

Game Night
Lake Catholic at Cardinal Mooney
Friday, Aug. 21 | 7 p.m.
Stambaugh Stadium, Youngstown

👉🏻 Want a closer look before kickoff? Our full preview breaks down Lake Catholic's returning playmakers, three keys to tonight's matchup, why last year's opener got away from the Cougars and the demanding road stretch waiting next. Get a PDF 2026 Season Schedule.

Gavin Williams gave Cleveland exactly the kind of start it needed Thursday, striking out 11 over 5 2/3 innings as the Guardians beat the Giants 5-2 and secured their first home series win in seven weeks.

Williams improved to 12-7 and moved into a tie for the American League lead with 201 strikeouts. Cleveland backed him with a three-run first inning, including an RBI single from José Ramírez. The hit was No. 1,751 of Ramírez’s career, tying Charlie Jamieson for fifth in franchise history.

Steven Kwan and Brayan Rocchio added insurance runs, while Cade Smith worked a scoreless ninth for his 32nd save.

The win moved Cleveland to 62-66 and kept the Guardians one game behind the final AL wild-card spot. They are still just 11-20 since the All-Star break, but taking two of three from San Francisco gives them some needed momentum.

Next up: Joey Cantillo starts Friday at Colorado.

See Highlights at espn.com

Welbyn Francisca never stopped running—and the Lake County Captains never looked back.

Francisca opened Thursday’s game with an inside-the-park home run, his 15th homer of the season, before Lake County exploded for six runs in the fourth inning and routed Wisconsin 10-1.

Garrett Howe delivered a two-run single during the decisive rally, and Anthony Martinez added a two-run homer. Three Timber Rattlers errors helped turn the game into a runaway, with only six of the Captains’ 10 runs earned.

Harrison Bodendorf worked 4⅔ scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out five. Melkis Hernández followed with 2⅓ hitless innings and earned the victory.

Lake County improved to 24-25 in the second half and has won seven of its last 10, but remains six games out of first place with 15 games remaining.

👉🏻 See how one chaotic inning decided the game—and what Lake County must overcome to keep its playoff hopes alive. Read more…

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Answer: Google

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