Tech Tip: Power BI is not a superhero, but it can turn you into one!
Microsoft’s Power Business Intelligence (Power BI) is a KCIT-delivered service that creates useful and powerful visualizations from your data. With visualizations, it’s easy to tell the story you’ve always wanted to tell but couldn’t get the staff of graph paper on your side. The analytics piece of the program allows you to test and explore ideas. KCIT is delivering Power BI training Dec. 6 for the incredibly low price of $75.00. Sign up and become your team’s newest superhero. Register here.
Share this:
General Election ballots due Nov. 7
Don’t forget to vote! Ballots for the General Election are due November 7.
Here’s how to return your ballot:
By mail: Put a first-class stamp on your ballot and mail it back to King County Elections. Your ballot must be postmarked by Election Day.
Ballot drop box: Return your ballot to any one of the 54 ballot drop-off locations; no stamp required. Your ballot must be returned to a ballot drop-off location by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Accessible voting centers: King County accessible voting centers (AVCs) are open to voters who may have difficulty completing their mail ballot. Anyone who would like to vote at an AVC may do so.
Questions? Call King County Elections at 206-296-VOTE (8683).
Share this:
Going beyond carbon neutral: New solar panels installed in our parks
Crossposted from King County Parks Plog
In the fall of 2016, DNRP announced it achieved carbon neutrality a year ahead of scheduleby removing or reducing more GHG emissions than its operations create. But we didn’t stop there! For the past year we have continued to make changes in our department with a green mindset. Recently, two of our parks became a little more sparkly with the welcome addition of more than 300 solar panels. We’re pretty psyched about the project. Check them out!
Marymoor Park Last month 112 new solar panels were installed at the North Utilities Maintenance Shop at Marymoor Park. The system is estimated to produce up to 33,238 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. With the goal of making this a net-zero building, in which the energy it consumes equals the energy it produces.
Read more at King County Parks Plog
Share this:
KCInform test will help us reach employees in emergencies
Thank you to everyone who participated in Tuesday’s test of KCInform, King County’s employee emergency notification system.
The results of the test will be used to ensure we can reach employees in an emergency with critical, time-sensitive information – at work, home or on-the-go.
If you haven’t yet registered your personal contact or work cell information, please contact kcinform@kingcounty.gov or 206-296-3830 (between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday) to request your unique registration link. Watch this short video to learn more or visit our website.
Share this:
A job with a view
This article originally appeared in the Seattle Transit Blog. It features Link operator Kevin Gumke.
In a tight workspace with barely enough room to turn around, light rail operators enjoy some of the most unusual views of Seattle from their cabs as they traverse the city. Like all Link operators, Kevin Gumke started out driving for King County Metro Transit, before transferring over to the light rail side in 2010. To qualify, bus drivers must have a squeaky-clean driving record and complete 8 weeks of paid training, starting with a week of classroom instruction.
“It’s actually pretty easy,” Gumke said about operating a light rail vehicle. He contributes his experience driving a trolley route, at a time before trolleys could briefly travel under battery power, as good preparation for operating a light rail vehicle.
Read more at Seattle Transit Blog.
Share this:
King County Noxious Weed Program launches web pages in four languages!
Crossposted from Noxious Weeds Blog
Want to learn more about noxious weeds in Spanish—or know someone who does? How about Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian, or Somali? Well now, King County’s Noxious Weed Control Program has made a start to offer just that.
This week, the program launched a revised and expanded version of its Spanish web page, along with four brand new web pages hosting noxious-weed-related resources in an array of languages. You can find these pages gathered under a new “Languages” landing page as well as linked directly in the right column of the noxious weeds home page.
Read more at Noxious Weeds Blog
Share this:
eCourt: Case filing made easy
With over 200,000 case filings a year, King County District Court clerks processed 2,429,000 pieces of paper in one year alone using a 1980’s software system jokingly referred to as the ‘black screen of death’. In order to improve workflow efficiency, expedite cases and reduce their carbon footprint, District Court is launching eCourt, a new electronic case management system that offers new functionality County employees and residents will enjoy, electronic filing being one of them.
“Not only the Court is reducing its carbon footprint, we’re helping other people reduce their carbon footprint on the world: they don’t have to drive to court any longer; they’re going to save money on gas; they’re not going to be required to leave work. They can do it at midnight if they wish to,” Judge Elizabeth Stephenson said.
To learn more view the video below or visit the District Court website.
Share this:
King County Executive, Governor celebrate Colman Dock project and our future home
Crossposted from the Captain’s Blog
As crews continue to build King County Water Taxi’s future home, Executive Dow Constantine, Gov. Jay Inslee and other transportation leaders took time last week to celebrate the progress of the Seattle Multimodal Terminal at Colman Dock Project.
The Executive was one of the keynote speakers at a celebration inside Colman Dock, the state’s busiest terminal, which overlooks the site of the Water Taxi’s future Passenger Only Ferry (POF) facility.
Executive Constantine – who has long made improving mobility throughout the region one of his priorities – spoke about the Water Taxi’s role in getting people out of their cars and out of gridlock.
“When we talk about transit, we mean everything: buses and trains and light rail and van pools and water taxis,” he said. “Our new passenger-only ferry terminal here at Pier 50 represents a big step in improving the experience of the ever-increasing number of riders crossing the Puget Sound.”
Read more at the Captain’s Blog
Share this:
Recognizing service and sacrifice of DAJD employees
On Oct. 24, the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention honored friends and colleagues for their outstanding service and sacrifice at the 18th Annual Employee Recognition Award Ceremony.
“To me, there’s no greater responsibility than serving the public, including our youth,” King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove said at the event. “And it’s a duty we all share, and it’s an effort and a battle that you fight every day. This deserves to be acknowledged, and you deserve this recognition. So on behalf of myself and the King County Council, I want to lead off by saying thank you for all that you do.”
CM Upthegrove then described how he and his 75-year-old father recently completed the Seafair Triathalon together despite the fact that his father lost his sight a few years ago. Together, they swam as a team, ran as a team, and even biked together using a tandem bicycle to complete the course. “By working together and serving others, we can overcome any obstacle,” he said.
“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, the namesake of our county, once said, ‘If you want to be important, wonderful. If you want to be recognized, wonderful. If you want to be great, wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be a servant. That’s the new definition of greatness.’ So thank you all for being dedicated servants, thank you for all that you do. Congratulations to the award winners, and thanks for inspiring me and so many others in King County to do the best job we can.”
2017 DAJD Employee Award Recipients include:
- Alin Nicoara, Purple Heart
- Adam Wong, Purple Heart
- Pamela Dunderdale, Life Saving Award
- Don Nguyen, Life Saving Award
- O’Leary Michael, Life Saving Award
- Chris VanDerVliet, Life Saving Award
- Michael Jarvis, Life Saving Award
- Richard Gorman, Life Saving Award
- Napolean Rafanan, Life Saving Award
- Steven Lee, Life Saving Award
- Michael Thomas, Life Saving Award
- Robert Milne, Life Saving Award
- Irvin Worrell, Life Saving Award
- Stinson, David, Life Saving Award
- Charles Helmer, Life Saving Award
- Maurice Collier, Life Saving Award
- Dennis Folk, Life Saving Award
- Zane McCraw, Life Saving Award
- Edward Oman, Life Saving Award
- Vern Dupea, Life Saving Award
- Dynese Greer, Life Saving Award
- Ramil Pagulayan, Meritorious Achievement
- Mores Gluaymai Na Ayudhaya, Meritorious Achievement
- Randall Green, Meritorious Achievement
- Joseph Korzeniecki, Meritorious Achievement
- Kathleen Callaghan, Meritorious Achievement
- Joseph Ho, Meritorious Service
- Stephanie Robel, Meritorious Service
- Todd Lassila, Distinguished Service
- Charla Williams, Distinguished Service
- Andrew Currier, Distinguished Service
- Christopher Ossewaarde, Distinguished Service
- Troy Bacon, Distinguished Service
- Michael Allen, Distinguished Service
- Joshua Bott, Distinguished Service
- Davis, LaVance, Distinguished Service
- Kristin Jones, Distinguished Service
- Wilena Montgomery, Distinguished Service
- Angela Toussaint, Distinguished Service
- Megan Pedersen, Distinguished Service
- Hikari Tamura, Distinguished Service
- Rodriguez, Jorge, Distinguished Service
- Jose Reynaga, Distinguished Service
- Tinney, Catherine, Distinguished Service
- Ashley Mareld, Distinguished Service
- Greg Hanson, Distinguished Service
- Mary Missler, Distinguished Service
- Ebony Frazier, Distinguished Service
- Nonylon Astudillo, Distinguished Service
- Jennifer Conston, Certificate of Achievement
- Troy Bacon, Certificate of Achievement
- Robert Beckman, Certificate of Achievement
- Ena Kyles, Certificate of Achievement
- Anna Ponder, Certificate of Achievement
- Sabrina Gorman, Certificate of Achievement
- Steven Anderson, Certificate of Achievement
- Garrett Ferreiro, Certificate of Achievement
- Steven Fox, Certificate of Achievement
- Benjamin Frary, Certificate of Achievement
- Michael Garcia, Certificate of Achievement
- Jens Jellen, Certificate of Achievement
- David Kirk, Certificate of Achievement
- Abdulmonaiem Mohamed, Certificate of Achievement
- Richard Neher, Certificate of Achievement
- Norman Walton, Certificate of Achievement
- Todd Wheeler, Certificate of Achievement
- Terri Stewart, Certificate of Achievement
- Hulet Gates, Certificate of Achievement
- Richard Gold, Certificate of Achievement
Share this:
2017 Annual Giving Drive: Youth
Crossposted from KC Employee Giving
Many of us have heard the old adage, ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ but how many of us have reflected on helping a child during the Employee Giving Program’s 2017 Annual Giving Drive? With three week to go, you can still do your part to create a more equitable world for them.
Here are three of the many nonprofit organizations that are doing work with youth!
Read more at KC Employee Giving
Employee News 