Good morning, San Bernardino.

The Inland Empire kicked off 2026 with New Year’s Eve celebrations across Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ontario — with winter wonderland parties held at Big Bear Lake and Lake Arrowhead — as the region, reflecting on 2025’s challenges, remained upbeat about the year ahead.

In November, Plastics Plus Technology, led by Kathy Bodor, earned the CSUSB Spirit of the Entrepreneur Award and the Top Female Entrepreneur Award as its workforce training boosted record production at its expanded facility in Redlands with help from the County Workforce Development Board.

Grand Terrace High School senior Kenneth Jaquez impresses with a 4.6 GPA and All-League honors on the varsity soccer team, balancing academics and athletics in the community.

He has been accepted to Cal Poly Pomona’s Construction Engineering and Management program and plans a future in public works as an engineer.

Fontana High's AVID program, dedicated to college readiness, was honored with the first-ever AVID 2025 Site Team of the Year award on Dec.

11. Its ongoing initiatives, such as College Application Submit Day, have set a model for other local schools (Henry J. Kaiser, Summit, Jurupa Hills).

National reports show the flu season is severe due to a mutated H3N2 strain (subclade K), and local clinics advise San Bernardino residents to get a flu shot soon to help prevent serious illness.