What if changing just a few driving trips a month could help you save money, reduce stress, get more active, or spend less time behind the wheel? That’s exactly what Switch Your Trips is all about. Commuters across Washington are challenged to switch drive-alone trips for sustainable alternatives like transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking, rolling, passenger ferry and/or water taxi, skateboarding, or a combination of modes. Those who participate in the challenge and log at least 10 qualifying trips during October will be entered in a drawing to win prizes, including a… Read More

Crossposted from Cultivating Connections New data shows King County Department of Community & Human Services helped more people access crisis care last year than ever before, thanks largely to new services and investments made possible by the voter-approved Crisis Care Centers Levy. This levy, approved by voters in 2023, invests in mental health and substance use care across King County. Now, we’ve released two reports that show both the momentum we’re building and the gaps still to address as the system grows: 2025 Crisis Care Centers Annual Report: This report outlines the Crisis Care Center Levy’s activities, accomplishments, and data. 2025 King County Crisis System Data Brief: This brief gives a high-level look… Read More

Crossposted from Public Health Insider This opinion piece was originally published in The Seattle Times on August 20, 2026. The U.S. now has more recorded cases of measles — a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable disease — than any time in the past 35 years. Over the past two years, the infection has impacted undervaccinated communities across our country. National data show that measles has re-established itself after the U.S. declared the infection eliminated in 2000. Although this is a notable public health setback, there are several actions we can take to protect one another in King County and… Read More

By Allen Nance, Deputy Director of the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention Twenty-five years ago, the United States was shocked by an attack few had imagined possible. I still remember Sept. 11, 2001, as vividly as when it happened. Many others do as well. I’d like to share my memories of that day to help us recapture both the horror and the shared sense of purpose of that time. Whether you witnessed these events in person or on TV, or are too young to recall them, Sept. 11 is a reminder… Read More