🌱Water Crisis And The Great American Lawn + Contaminated Strawberries

Hey, friends! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your fresh edition of the Orange County Daily, fresh off the press. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in town today.

First, today's weather:

Clouds giving way to sun. High: 81 Low: 61.

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Here are the top stories today in Orange County:

1. The Great American Lawn is creating a crisis for the West's ongoing drought. As California plunges deeper into a megadrought, officials are looking at water-guzzling grass lawns as one of the primary culprits. For the first time, residents and businesses around Los Angeles have to limit outdoor water use to one day a week starting June 1. Southern Californians have to limit outdoor watering and are encouraged to replace grass lawns with native plants and a more natural landscape. Lake Mead has dropped to dangerously low levels. "This is a crisis." said Adel Hagekhalil, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. (CNN)
2. The Orange County water district is bringing more native landscapes to California yards with a new "Nature Scape" rebate program. Through Nature Scape, the Moulton Niguel Water District has helped 100 residents transform their lawns into native landscapes that require little water and save money. Water district president, Brian Probolsky, said their customers were using 40 percent of water for outdoor watering, and this was "the perfect place to cut back." (KABC-TV)
3. If you purchased organic California strawberries under the Kampo or HEB brands between March 5 and April 25, the FDA warns not to eat them, and to immediately throw them away. Seventeen people in California, Minnesota and North Dakota became ill with Hepatitis A and 12 people have been hospitalized. The strawberries are past their shelf life, but anyone who froze the strawberries should not eat them and throw them away, the FDA said. The strawberries were sold at Aldi, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Weis Markets and WinCo Foods. (Orange County Patch)

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From my notebook:

• Latest Job Listings: In the Orange County area. (Orange County Patch)
• O.C. Parks: "Dance like nobody's watching! Enjoy endless fun and exciting live performances under the summer sky on Thursday’s beginning June 23 at Craig Regional Park." (Instagram)
• Orange County Register: "Six people have been arrested for allegedly operating a recycling fraud scheme in the Los Angeles area that scammed more than $10 million from the state’s recycling program." (Facebook)

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You're caught up for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update!

— Paula Constance

About me: Paula is a freelance writer, author, and award-winning media producer. She is committed to media projects that empower, engage, and help make the world a better place.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Orange County Daily? Contact me at orangecounty@patch.com