Local News

• Eastlake man sentenced to 19.5 years on sexual-conduct, drug charges after teen alleged trafficking threat

  Hopkins pleaded guilty to seven felonies involving sexual conduct with minors and providing drugs to juveniles at locations in Eastlake and Willoughby Hills.

• Gubernatorial Candidates Acton and Ramaswamy Push for Tighter Flock Camera Regulation

  Both gubernatorial candidates want stricter oversight of the same Flock cameras Mentor police have used since 2021, as local pushback over privacy continues across Lake County.

• Avery Dennison Launches First-of-Its-Kind RFID Program, Shifting from Materials Supplier to Manufacturing Partner

  The Mentor-based company's AD Fusion program lets label converters add RFID capability without new equipment, a shift driven by retailer mandates from Walmart and Target.

• Editor's Note: Story Assignment Withdrawn

  A story assignment about cold case identifications was withdrawn after the events were traced to Lake County, Florida, not our Lake County, Ohio.

• Painted Rain Barrels That Brightened Mentor Streets All Summer Hit the Auction Block Aug. 26

  Auction proceeds from the 12 barrels will fund future arts programs, testing whether the city's public-art model can sustain itself beyond grants.

• Mentor Council Commits Nearly $7 Million for Municipal Annex, Locks In Five Years of Waste Collection in One Evening

  The two votes lock in a new police-and-recreation annex that came in over $1 million under estimate and extend residential trash service through 2031.

• Levy Failure Moves From Ballot Box to Kitchen Table: Mentor Families Face New Fees This Fall

  New per-student paper charges, 20% higher activity fees, and $1,800 preschool tuition take effect this fall after voters rejected the 4.9-mill levy in May.

• Mentor Prepares Possible Appeal After Judge Overturns Car Wash Denial on Mentor Avenue

  The city's law director is now evaluating whether to appeal the ruling, which could cost taxpayers money to fight a decision the judge called arbitrary and capricious.

• Two Utility Votes Will Shape Eastern Lake County's Lakefront — but Key Details Remain Missing

  The county approved a final waterline payment in Willowick and a $412,357 sewer extension in Mentor, but completion dates and funding sources remain undisclosed.

• A Mentor Thrift Store Where Every Shift Behind the Counter Builds a Résumé

  Hannah's Harbor, a thrift shop on Lakeshore Boulevard, doubles as a job-training site where mothers from a local maternity home gain documented work experience.

• Mentor Avenue Resurfacing Underway Near Great Lakes Mall

  The $2.57 million project narrows the corridor to one lane each way through October, with most work overnight to limit disruption to nearby retailers.

• State Auditor Released Medicaid Review of ViaQuest Facility on West Heisley Road

  The audit reviewed the Mentor facility's 2024 Medicaid billing and documentation alongside several other ViaQuest locations statewide.