Crossposted from King County Emergency News  Pacific Northwest winters can bring rain, wind and power outages, cold and icy roads, and sometimes, snow flurries or epic snowstorms. Are you ready for whatever Mother Nature has in store?  Winter weather preparedness includes three simple steps:  Build a kit. Create an emergency preparedness kit with at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food and water for your home, office and car.  Read more from King County Emergency News

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC  Put some spice into your life – adopt Pepper, our Pet of the Week!  This six-year-old female shorthair cat has a “Bashful Blue” personality, meaning she is a gentle and loving cat who likes to take things slow. Pepper may get nervous in new situations, so she is looking for a family who understands that she might need some time to warm up. Once this girl comes out of her shell, she is such a sweetheart!  Read more from Tails from RASKC

Crossposted from Metro Matters  Over the past few weeks, King County joined with other plaintiffs to challenge Initiative 976, which reduces car tab fees and cuts transportation and transit projects across the state. The county’s lawsuit sought an injunction to halt the immediate and irreparable harms of an initiative that violates the state constitution.  Read more  from Metro Matters

Crossposted from Metro Matters  King County Metro continues making your transit experience better and easier with the launch of its improved web-based Puget Sound Trip Planner. The new site includes upgraded accessibility features and a responsive design for mobile users, along with a list of other notable enhancements. The new web-based Trip Planner is live and ready for use now.  Read more from Metro Matters

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC  You’re killin’ me Smalls – with your cuteness!  Our Pet of the Week is a seven-year-old pittie mix. This handsome boy came to us in early October. At the Pet Adoption Center, Smalls is a bit scared of his surroundings. However, when you talk to him and take him for walks, his nervousness eases a little. He does take a bit of time to relax around new people, but once he does he’ll stick to you like glue.  Read more from Tails from RASKC

The City of Seattle is seeking feedback from people working or living in Seattle in its annual Seattle Public Safety Survey.  The survey is conducted independently by Seattle University researchers, and asks a series of questions to determine safety and security concerns in Seattle. The results of the survey will be reported to the Seattle Police Department and “be used in conjunction with crime data to direct Seattle police resources and services to target unique needs of Seattle’s micro-communities,” according to the City of Seattle.  The survey is open to people 18 years of age… Read More

The Family Support Division (FSD) in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office had some good news recently. In the third quarter of 2019, they collected more than $900,000 in child support from non-custodial parents which brings the total collections for 2019 to just over $2.6 million dollars. FSD team members said that this figure is great news for families in our caseload who need the money, but said that focusing on this number is not the most important part of the story.  The backstory  Child support collection has historically been very cold,… Read More

King County Metro invites Kirkland and Bellevue transit riders and residents to take a survey to tell Metro where they want to see high-quality, frequent, and reliable RapidRide bus service from Kirkland to Bellevue. Metro is looking for specific feedback on route options between Totem Lake, downtown Kirkland, and the South Kirkland Park-and-Ride.  In 2025, Metro plans for RapidRide K Line service to connect eastside riders between communities and to Sound Transit’s Link light rail Blue Line, I-405 Bus Rapid Transit, and the RapidRide B Line. Metro is developing RapidRide K Line service for riders in the fast-growing communities between Totem Lake,… Read More

Design-build partners Howard S. Wright, HOK, and Integrus Architecture came together to discuss their time working on the Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center.   A strong team approach is the secret sauce for the success between HSW, HOK, Integrus and the County. “There were so many different folks that actually helped inform the design of the building through the process,” said HOK Senior Design Principal Alan R. Bright. That’s probably been the most joyful part, is people working together to make a difference in this amazing facility.”    Check out the video below to hear… Read More