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MONDAY, APRIL 07- APRIL 13, 2025
VOL. 11,
Mayor’s Challenge competition highlights water conservation
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By Staff
an Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran has joined mayors nationwide who are asking residents, businesses and schools to pledge to save water by taking part in the Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation. The Wyland Mayor’s Challenge is a friendly competition among cities to gather the most pledges indicating the most “water-wise” places in the United States. The campaign runs through the entirety of April and encourages participants to commit to doing simple, everyday things to use water efficiently. “Water is one of San Bernardino’s most vital resources and we all must do our part to protect it,” Tran said in a statement, “By taking the pledge, our residents can show their commitment to sustainability and help San Bernardino become one of the most water-wise cities in the country.” Water-wise pledges include promises to spend less time in the shower, agreeing to turn off the tap when brushing teeth and fixing slow leaks from faucets and pipes around the house. This is the second year that Tran has joined with the San Bernardino Municipal Water Department to ask residents “to step up and make a difference in their water use,” according to a
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Bill Essayli sworn in as US attorney for Central District By City News Service
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x-Riverside Assemblyman Bill Essayli was sworn in Wednesday as the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California following his appointment Tuesday by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Essayli, 39, was sworn in during a private ceremony by Chief U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in downtown Los Angeles. Essayli now oversees the largest U.S. Attorney’s Office outside of Washington, D.C. The office, which employs more than 250 lawyers, serves almost 20 million residents in the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. “It is the honor of a lifetime to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office and serve the people of the district that I have called home for so many years,” Essayli said. “As our district’s chief federal prosecutor, I will work diligently and tirelessly with our federal and local law enforcement partners to implement the priorities of the president and the attorney general and to protect our communities from criminals. Our citizens deserve no less.”
See Bill Essayli Page 27 Water flows from the San Bernardino Mountains after record-breaking rain and snow fell in 2023. | Photo courtesy of the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District
city statement. Residents who participate in the challenge contribute to environmental sustainability and also have an opportunity to win hundreds of eco-friendly prizes, including $3,000 for utility bills. Schools in top-ranking towns will also receive cash prizes to pay for education supplies and 100 pairs of Zenni Remakes bluelight-reducing eyeglasses. To participate in the water conservation competition, enter online at mywaterpledge.com and make a pledge on behalf of San Bernardino. More information on the city’s water
conservation programs and tips for saving water, visit sbmwd.org/conservation. The city’s water department serves more than 200,000 people in a 45-square-mile area of San Bernardino and surrounding communities. The department also provides water reclamation services for San Bernardino and Loma Linda and sewer collection services for San Bernardino. The Wyland Foundation is a nonprofit organization that aims to promote, protect and preserve the See Water conservation Page 27
world’s oceans, waterways and marine life, according to the city statement. The foundation advocates for environmental awareness via community events, education initiatives and public art projects. More information is at wylandfoundation.org. City offers free water tracking, leak detection devices The Municipal Water Department is offering customers free Flume water tracking and leak detection devices, the city announced Tuesday.
Riverside County announces 1st confirmed measles case since 2018 By City News Service
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he first case of measles in seven years surfaced in Riverside County, prompting health officials Thursday to urge precautions and vigilance among residents. The patient, identified only as a person from the eastern half of the county, tested positive for a measles infection in the last couple of weeks and is now recovering at home, according to the Riverside University Health System. The origin of the infection could not be verified, but RUHS officials said the person had recently traveled outside the United States, without naming the country. It’s the ninth case of measles documented statewide
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