See ad here:

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-lake/inclusivity-taking-center-stage-this-weekend-in-mentor

Google search "WEWS Let's Talk Mentor August 25."

>WEWS News 5 is hosting its community "Let's Talk" series event at the Mentor Civic Amphitheater on August 25, 2026. Lake County reporters and news team members will be on-site to connect directly with local residents. [1]

>Event Details

>Location: Mentor Civic Amphitheater, Mentor, OH

>Date: August 25, 2026

>Host: WEWS News 5 team and Lake County staff [1, 2]

>A short introductory clip covering local reporting and neighborhood news tips from Lake County with WEWS reporter Tracy Carloss:

https://www.facebook.com/News5Cleveland/videos/have-a-neighborhood-news-tip-from-lake-county-tracy-carloss-wews-has-you-covered/1915429229176995/

The WEWS news staff will seek news tips for Mentor and Lake County.

Surprisingly, WEWS doesn't provide a good article about the event on its website. It is promoted daily during WEWS news programs.

Michelin introduced the first all-weather tire a few years ago, but now there are several more models. Unfortunately, many articles discussing the best tires for winter don't adequately consider all-weather tires.

Here's a key explanation about all-weather tires from Car and Driver (BF added):

>For this latest foray into matchmaking, we selected five tires in the fledgling all-weather category. If you have never heard of all-weather, don't confuse it with the nearly 50-year-old all-season category. All-weather tires take the one-tire-to-do-it-all directive and bake in more winter capability. The sales pitch on all-weather tires is that they carry the three-peak mountain snowflake (known as 3PMSF) badge of certification that some localities—namely, Quebec and parts of Europe—require in winter months. Since all-weather tires are designed to run year-round, drivers can avoid the twice-a-year swapping of one set of rubber to another and then back again.

https://www.caranddriver.com/car-accessories/a64432470/best-all-weather-tires/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mgu_ga_cd_md_pmx_comm_org_us_18715054781&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18707942106&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItfT8jsGilgMVSR6tBh3GMQJgEAAYAyAAEgLmg_D_BwE

Winter (snow) tires become more dangerous in temperatures above 45 degrees, not uncommon any longer even in Greater Cleveland winters. And all-season tires become more dangerous in temperatures below 45 degrees, as indicated in a graph in the following article (also do Google searches to obtain Google AI Overview explanations of the key 45-degree temperature level for both winter and all-season tires). Winter tires become much more dangerous in temperatures above 55 degrees, and very dangerous in temperatures above 75 degrees. All-season tires become much more dangerous in temperatures below 30 degrees and very dangerous in temperatures below 15 degrees, according to the graph.

https://www.discounttire.com/learn/tires-below-45

Unfortunately, the graph doesn't include all-weather tires, reportedly very safe below and above 45 degree temperatures.

This Colorado Department of Transportation article says the stopping distance on snowy roads driving 60 mph is 668 feet for all-season tires and 310 feet for winter tires. All-weather tires stopping distance likely is very similar to winter tires. Even though the article doesn't provide a stopping distance for all-weather tires, it does provide this analysis of all-weather tires:

<<All-weather tires are considered safe in winter conditions, particularly conditions with heavy rain, slush or wet snow. Tread patterns in all-weather tires provide extra traction and stability, while rubber compounds allow the tire to stay flexible for various temperatures for grip on both wet and snowy roads and dry asphalt. Thus, all-weather tires are efficient year-round.>>

https://www.codot.gov/travel/winter-driving/tires

Last October, Consumer Reports issued this article about all-weather tires:

>Best All-Weather Tires: These special tires combine the strengths of all-season and winter/snow tires, so there's no need for seasonal changes

>Many drivers in cold climates invest the time and money to switch their all-season tires to winter/snow tires with optimized traction to tackle winter’s challenges. But there’s another tire type that provides similar cold-weather traction without needing to be changed seasonally: all-weather tires.

>These are designed to stay on year-round. Some all-weather tires cost more than the all-season tires they typically replace, but most buyers will come out ahead by avoiding the cost and hassle of seasonal tire changes.

>“The best all-weather tire provides year-round traction that truly combines all-season and winter/snow performance,” says Ryan Pszczolkowski, Consumer Reports’ tire program manager. “Despite the higher prices, they typically represent a good value.” Pszczolkowski cautions that not every all-weather tire has performed well in our tests. 

>All-weather tires are a subset of the main tire categories, meaning they’re mixed in among all-season, SUV all-season tires, and ultra-high-performance (UHP) all-season tires. However, there are no CR Recommended all-weather models in the UHP category.

>There are nine tested all-weather tire models in our ratings: the Bridgestone Weatherpeak, Falken Aklimate, Firestone WeatherGrip, Kenda Vezda Touring 4S, Michelin CrossClimate2, Nitto Motivo 365, Nokian Tyres Remedy WRG5, Toyo Celsius II, and Vredestein Quatrac Pro+. Some are exceptional, while others are best avoided.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/tires/best-all-weather-tires-a8621335540/

Viewers must subscribe to CR in order to view the ratings for all-weather tires. As a long-time CR subscriber, I believe that CR's coverage of all-weather tires is pathetic. E.g., by far the top-rated all-weather tire in this article is the Michelin CrossClimate2 (CR tests tires extensively) with a 78 rating. Unfortunately, it's ridiculously listed under the "All Seasons SUV Tires" even though: 1) the Michelin CrossClimate2 is an all-weather tire, not an all-seasons tire (they are significantly different); 2) according to my local Discount Tire branch, Michelin CrossClimate2 tires are available for all cars, not just SUVs. I've asked CR several times for an explanation of why they list all-weather tires inappropriately under incorrect categories and have never received an answer.

The CR second-ranked all-weather tire with a 67 rating is the "Vredestein Quatrac Pro+," again ridiculously listed under CR's "All Season Tires" category.

Car and Driver's top-rated all-weather tire was the "Pirelli Cinturato WeatherActive**"** tire. I couldn't find this tire model in the CR tire rankings.

This CR article provides only the overall scores. You must long on to CR "Tire Ratings and Reviews" in order to get detailed ratings, such as Owner Satisfaction, Dry braking, Wet braking, Handling, Hydroplaning, and Snow traction. E.g., the Michelin CrossClimate2 tires have a 5/5 "snow traction" rating, just like snow tires.

Personally, I still have all-season tires, but I avoid driving in bad winter conditions. Like all counties in Greater Cleveland, roads are treated both before, during and after storms with anti-ice materials, salt if temperatures will remain sufficiently high. Freeways typically are cleared within a few hours after a storm. I also drive more slowly and carefully in bad winter conditions. I'm also well aware of black ice concerns when temperatures move below freezing. Yet I'm anxious to buy all-weather tires given their significant superiority to all-season tires in temperatures below freezing, especially if roads are in bad condition.

Decades ago, when I traveled long commutes for work, I did use snow tires. E.g., I remember ice conditions on I-90 in Ashtabula County so bad that even trucks were driving on the freeway shoulders. When my long commutes ended, I disliked the cost of switching tires and the hassle of doing so and of storing tires, that I switched to all-season tires as they became available.

This happened at the Sheetz on 306 in mentor near route 2. I’m an HVAC tech and was working on a roof off Mentor Ave when this happened. One electric car caught on fire while charging, and caught the one parked next to it as well. Pretty scary! Wonder what actually happened to cause it.

https://www.wkyc.com/video/news/health/painesville-condo-complex-tackles-bat-infestation-as-rabies-positive-case-confirmed-in-lake-county/95-7b904450-d0a1-43fd-b23a-45b7a02c25b8

Has anybody experienced problems with bats invading their premises? When I was a kid, I remember bats getting into our home a couple times in the summer. My dad was excellent at trapping and removing them.

I didn't know that bats now were infected by rabies, which makes it more dangerous to try to remove them on your own.

Don't leave doors open as bats can rapidly enter homes.

Google AI Overview (search: Lake County, Ohio bats):

>In July 2026, the Lake County General Health District confirmed a rabid bat inside a Painesville home—the first confirmed case of rabies in a Lake County bat since 2022. While local groups like Lake Metroparks promote bat conservation and education, recent localized infestations have raised public health awareness. [1, 2, 3, 4]

>Safety and Health Guidelines

>Report Exposures: If you find a bat in your home or wake up to one in a room, capture it safely without touching it directly and call the health district at 440-350-2543 for testing guidance.

>Protect Pets: Ohio law mandates rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats, and ferrets over 4 months old, including indoor-only pets.

>Watch for Signs: Rabies spreads via scratches, bites, or saliva contact with broken skin or mucous membranes. [1, 2, 3]

>Ohio Legal Rules for Bat Control

>No Harm or Killing: It is illegal to intentionally harm or kill bats unless human exposure is suspected.

>No Chemicals/Traps: Using glue traps, toxic chemicals, or foggers to eradicate bats is strictly prohibited.

>Exclusion Limits: You cannot seal off entry and exit structural points while active bats remain trapped inside. [1]

Pets also are vulnerable to rabies, and apparently there is a mandatory Ohio law that pets must be vaccinated against rabies.

>“Humans and pets are exposed to the rabies virus when they are either bitten or scratched by an animal with rabies; or less commonly, when saliva from an infected animal gets into an open wound or mucous membrane,” said LCGHD Environmental Supervisor Bert Mechenbier in the online post.

>Mechenbier added that if a person is exposed to a bat, “or if a bat is discovered in the house while residents are sleeping,” the bat needs to be “carefully captured.” Residents should call the health department at 440-350-2543 to decide if the bat needs to be tested.

>“Residents should not fear spending time outside, but should be aware and keep their pets nearby,” said Health Commissioner Adam Litke in the post.

>Mechenbier added that there are mandatory rabies vaccination laws for dogs, cats and ferrets that are more than 4 months old, including indoor pets. He urged families to ensure the pet vaccinations are up to date.

>“Vaccinating pets against rabies protects the pet, as well as family members, against the threat of this fatal disease,” the post said.

>The health district said that more information about rabies can be found from the Ohio Department of Health at odh.ohio.gov or the Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov/rabies.

https://www.news-herald.com/2026/07/24/health-district-reports-first-rabid-bat-in-lake-county-since-2022/

Do a Google search for how to capture bats. My dad used a pole kit, which is very advantageous as the bats land near the ceiling.

https://products.bestreviews.com/best-bat-house-pole-kits?

Attic bats are an entirely different problem, as explained in the WKYC story and several links found using a Google search.

Also:

https://thebatguysbatremoval.com/got-bats-ohio/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&campaignid=14869916877&adgroupid=143355347210&creative=708746142454&matchtype=p&network=g&device=c&keyword=bat%20control&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=14869916877&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9YSj0viLlgMVBAKHAx0r3CvWEAAYASAAEgKTg_D_BwE

Bats are vital to the environment, each eating thousands of insects each night. The also pollinate major plants and spread seeds.

https://thebatguysbatremoval.com/got-bats-ohio/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&campaignid=14869916877&adgroupid=143355347210&creative=708746142454&matchtype=p&network=g&device=c&keyword=bat%20control&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=14869916877&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9YSj0viLlgMVBAKHAx0r3CvWEAAYASAAEgKTg_D_BwE

EDIT: Excellent thread discussing the need and cost to get rabies vaccine if a bat in a house is released without having been tested. Just one important comment by zymurgest:

>Am animal with rabies doesn't need to bite you, drool/saliva is enough of a transfer. If you show signs of rabies in days, you are dead, it is not treatable. Read this if you have doubts! https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c982m1m95q9o

https://www.reddit.com/r/Columbus/comments/1visvf1/woke_up_to_a_bat_flying_around_our_room/?sort=top

>Rabies infection is a serious, and often fatal, infection. In the U.S., rabies in wild animals, especially raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, accounts for most cases of rabies passed on to humans, pets, and other domestic animals. In Canada, the animals most often infected with rabies are foxes, skunks, bats, dogs, and cats. Horses, swine, and cattle also have been known to become infected with rabies. In much of the rest of the world, including Latin America, Africa, and Asia, dogs account for most cases of rabies passed on to humans.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/rabies-vaccine-intramuscular-route/description/drg-20069868

Most domestic dogs in the U.S. are vaccinated against rabies. Raccoons are common in northeast Ohio, and also often enter attics.

The library discussion begins at the 17 minute level.

https://www.ideastream.org/show/applause

https://www.ideastream.org/shows/applause/episodes/lake-shore-live-steamers-bid1aj

The July 21, 2026, Applause episode begins with an in-depth discussion of Lake Shore Live Steamers, including its history, a featured attraction at Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glen Reservation. These model railroad rides, often free, are especially enjoyed by children, but also many adults.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MentorOh/comments/1v7dym2/applause_features_lake_shore_live_steamers_with/

News-Herald is behind a paywall, but it you do a Google search, "News Herald Mentor schools," and click on an article link, you may be able to read the article (that's what I just did).

Apparently, these cuts are inevitable even if a November levy passes.

>Mentor Schools is continuing financial planning discussions, specifically the conversation surrounding a consolidation and grade-level reconfiguration plan.

>In an email signed by Superintendent Craig Heath sent to district families earlier in the summer, the district announced approximately $6.6 million in reductions for the 2026-27 school year through staffing changes, operational efficiencies, administration reductions, fee adjustments and other cost-saving measures in response to the May levy failure.

>The district is committed to cutting an additional $3.3 million going into the 2027-2028 school year, which will likely come via a school consolidation plan with additional staffing reductions.

>Those planned reductions, combined with the $6.6 million in cuts this year, are the reason the operating levy request on the November ballot is 3.5 mills. That millage would generate $3.9 million less per year than the proposal presented to voters in May.

>The email stressed that the district wanted to make sure the community understands these additional reductions are not dependent on the outcome of the November election. They are part of the district’s long-term financial plan and will move forward regardless of whether the levy passes or fails. [BF added.]

https://www.news-herald.com/2026/07/23/mentor-schools-considering-consolidation-reconfiguration-of-grade-levels/

>“As part of the planning process, district leadership has been evaluating how our buildings are currently being used. As with any facilities management effort, available building capacity vs. usage rates and enrollment trends are key considerations.”

>One concept being discussed would take advantage of the available space at Mentor High School by moving eighth-grade students to the high school campus. That change would create additional capacity at Shore and Memorial, allowing those buildings to potentially transition to serving students in grades four through seven.

>Reconfiguring grade levels in this way could then create the opportunity to consolidate elementary school buildings for preschool through third-grade students.

BTW, subscribing to the News Herald allows articles such as this one to be produced.

Mentor schools already have increased fee charges for the current school year.

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-lake/levy-failure-prompts-mentor-schools-to-make-fee-changes-for-upcoming-school-year

Super cool place, the owner seems really nice and you can watch demonstrations of them making the candy at the top of each hour. The candies have a nice variety of flavors that are rotated often. I'm very much enjoying what I bought from there, I recommend stopping by if you're ever in the Willoughby area! Its always nice to support a local business, too.

>The Perseid meteor shower takes place every summer and peaks in mid-August. According to the American Meteor Society, this year’s shower is expected to be at its most spectacular on the night of August 12 into August 13, 2026.

>The Perseids — so named because their radiant is in the constellation Perseus — boast meteors that are bright, fast and abundant, often leaving long trails in their wake. According to NASA, you can expect to see 50 to 100 meteors per hour, ripping through the skies at approximately 37 miles per second.

>These showers produce fireballs that appear roughly as bright as Venus, according to the American Meteor Society. This year, we could be in for a particularly exciting show as its peak coincides with a new moon, meaning darker skies and higher contrast.

https://www.discovermagazine.com/a-total-solar-eclipse-and-the-perseids-meteor-shower-will-share-the-sky-in-august-2026-49416?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

The Moths and Meteors Event at Geauga Park District is fully booked with a waiting list.

https://reservations.geaugaparkdistrict.org/programs/index.shtml?id=24299&sid=88597.29983&uid=

Lake Metroparks and Cleveland Metroparks apparently have no events scheduled for Aug. 12 to view the Perseids Meteors overnight. Perhaps call and request one.

Google AI Overview says Squires Castle at the North Chagrin Reservation would be an ideal location:

>Squire's Castle (North Chagrin Reservation): An incredibly popular, open-space gathering spot for local stargazers to set up blankets and lawn chairs.

Perhaps call Cleveland Metroparks to confirm it will be open to the public overnight on Aug. 12.

If the lights were turned off, wouldn't Lake Metroparks Chapin Forest be an ideal location?

https://www.lakemetroparks.com/parks-trails/chapin-forest-reservation/

This Google AI Overview page suggests Mentor Headlands Beach, but especially Lake Metroparks Farmpark (if lights are turned off):

Google search: {New moon Lake County Ohio August}

>The best local spots to enjoy unobstructed, pitch-black night skies in and around Lake County for this lunar phase include:

>Headlands Beach State Park (Mentor): Ohio's largest natural sand beach offers expansive northern views over Lake Erie, reducing light scatter and giving you a great vantage point for meteor showers or general stargazing.

>Lake Metroparks Farmpark (Kirtland): Located further inland away from lakeshore lights, this park offers excellent open fields for dark-sky viewing.

Of course, good weather and clear skies (especially no wildfire smoke) will be vital for an enjoyable overnight event to view the Perseids Meteors.

Overnight on Aug. 13 to 15, also may be good Perseids Meteor Shower viewing dates in Lake County in 2026 (see illumination in the following link), although past the peak viewing day.

https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/@5166017?month=8&year=2026

https://www.space.com/perseid-meteor-shower-2026-guid

EDIT: The Headlands Beach parking lot likely will be closed at night on August 12, and entering the park may be illegal, unless the state decides to open the park for the Perseids Meteors event.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MentorOh/comments/1j7pqju/will_mentor_headlands_beach_lake_erie_bluffs_be/

EDIT2: Some persons may decide to attempt to view the Perseids Meteors in their yard, or a nearby park. Nearby lighting may be an issue. I've never attempted to view meteors in my back yard, but perhaps others have done so and could please comment!