King County is updating its Local Food Initiative to address some of the most urgent challenges facing the local food economy, including access to hunger relief, rising farmland cost, a lack of food distribution infrastructure, and increasing threats from climate change.

Since launching in 2015, the initiative has guided King County’s efforts to expand access to farmland for farmers, improve the farm-to-market pipeline to get more locally grown food to consumers, and ease access to healthy, affordable food in low-income communities. Read more.

Crossposted from Metro Matters

The holidays are coming! Whether you are going to holiday events, shopping or celebrating with friends and family, it’s a great time to explore your transit options.

We have some schedule adjustments to bus, water taxi and other services during the upcoming holidays and sharing them here to help you more easily make travel plans.

Tips for holiday travel

• How do I pay my fare? Tap your ORCA card, show your Transit Go Ticket or tap your Android Google Pay app. Insert correct amount of cash into the farebox. Link tickets can be purchased at Link rail stations. ORCA day passes, monthly passes and standard and reduced fare prices are available.

Read more.

Crossposted from Public Health Insider

It’s the holiday season, and that means FOOD! Whether you’re hosting a big group or bringing your famous side dish to a gathering, you want to make sure your food is both delicious and safe.

While anyone can get a foodborne illness, and symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting are never pleasant, foodborne illnesses are most dangerous for children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. Read more.

Crossposted from the DES Express

Before dawn on Oct. 30, promptly at 7 a.m., Runway 14L/32R at King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) officially reopened for flight operations. Moments later, BETA Technologies’ ALIA electric aircraft quietly took off from the runway (watch a video of the flight), the first plane to do so. Later, airport tenants, guests and employees celebrated the reopening of the small utility runway at a brief gathering over the lunch hour outside the terminal, with Mount Rainier in the background.

“This is celebrating the history of Boeing Field,” said Ann Richart, Aviation Director, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). “This project is supporting safety and innovation.” Read more.

Crossposted from the DES Express

For the first time, Emergency Management held a drill called a Joint Information Center/Joint Information System exercise involving other local governments and non-profit organizations in addition to the usual King County agencies. A total of 33 people participated, with 13 of those in person and 20 online. They hailed from as far south as Clark County and as far north as Vancouver, Canada. Another eight people were involved in exercise coordination.

“This exercise was a great opportunity to have our partners test the communications plans and procedures for the upcoming World Cup in the Seattle area next year,” said Sheri Badger, Public Information Officer for Emergency Management. “We want to seamlessly share information between jurisdictions and with the public to keep our visitors and communities notified of potential issues that may come up during the tournament.” Read more.