Two culinary students from Lima Senior put their baking skills to the test as they presented their desserts to a panel from the met. Their goal is to be featured on the dessert menu at the restaurant. The judges sampled three dishes. A triple lemon blondie with a blueberry sauce and white chocolate mousse, a toffee Bundt cake with caramel drizzle, and a strawberry shortcake. The decision was to pick all three to be on the menu and the students are thrilled.

 Chef Abdul Jaad of Abdul's 5 Star Catering started the idea to give back to the community in the summer, when he wanted to do a movie night, but unfortunately couldn’t raise enough money to do it.  So, he and his wife came up with he idea of doing a free meal for people who needed something on the holiday.  Fresh and faded let them use their space, and 419 Drywall Repair helped with the water to pass out with the meal.  Jaad felt it was important to offer this meal to others, because what happened in his life.

The city has held four small business roundtables that Smith says have started dialogues that have led to some changes. One is the fire department making occupancy checks in bars and restaurants and Lima Police Department officers now being able to work off-duty security at local establishments to increase safety. The mayor says that businesses are appreciative of the opportunity to speak their mind.

A golden-brown turkey with delicious sides may set the stage for the perfect Thanksgiving feast, but state officials urge Ohioans to make fire safety the real centerpiece of holiday festivities by staying alert and practicing patience in the kitchen. According to the National Fire Protection Association, on Thanksgiving Day alone, around 1,400 home cooking fires are reported to U.S. fire departments annually, more than three times an average day.

26-year retired Navy Senior Chief spent today welcoming guests to the Bob Evans on Cable Road. He is a regular at the restaurant and wanted to give back this Veterans Day. So he put on his dress uniform and reported to duty this morning and loved every minute of it.

Those attending experienced eating a meal as the blind do. As dinner was served the blindfolds went on. At first, you could see some struggling to get their bread buttered or trying to pour the salad dressing onto the salad. But as the meal progressed it appeared to get easier for some. Members of the Low Vision Coalition gave helpful tips like using your knife to find your food and using a dinner roll to make a dam to get food on your fork.

The Spartan Inn is the pride and joy of the Lima City Schools culinary and food service management program. The restaurant is run by the students as they learn the fundamentals of the food industry with hands-on real work experience. The students say it is an experience that exceeds their expectations.

The culinary student-run restaurant will be open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. The Spartan Inn, located in the northwest wing of the school, has a separate entrance and parking area. The restaurant is not open if school is not in session. The Spartan Inn serves a hot buffet bar, soups, salad and desserts for dine-in or carryout. Different entrees are featured throughout the year.

And finally, we put the Community Enrichment spotlight on a downtown Lima business that has only been open a year but is making a big impact on the community. Here is this year's Rising Business of the Year Award winner. Vibe Coffee House and Café opened last year to educate the world through the global love of coffee. Owner Carlton McLellan traveled the world for his job as a senior diplomacy and international affairs professional, and he was drawn to coffee houses.

The City of Lima is bringing together bar and restaurant owners and first responders to have an open dialogue. The city started these meetings this month with members of the Lima Fire Department and Police Department. They discussed safety issues that could affect their patrons, property, and employee and how safety can help them in these areas. The goal of the meetings is to make sure each party is familiar with one another just in case something does come up.