King County Regional Veterans Court celebrates Veterans Day and court graduates, Nov. 14
Regional Veterans Court (RVC) will celebrate all veterans and graduates who have successfully completed the court program, on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, at 1 p.m. at the King County Courthouse (Courtroom E-326). All are welcome to attend! RVC is a specialized track within King County District Court that connects veterans in the justice system to health and behavioral health treatment, housing, and other services they may need to re-stabilize their lives. The court helps veterans stay out of further involvement in the justice system, and reduces the use of jails and emergency services by veterans…. Read More
Thanking our veterans for their service
Dear fellow King County employee, Every year, we dedicate November 11 as a day to honor America’s veterans. For more than 100 years we have joined together to salute the brave individuals who have served in our nation’s armed forces, placing themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedom and security. King County is home to some 115,000 veterans of all ages. Among their number are 1,277 people we work beside every day, fellow King County employees in every branch and department of King County government who have served or are currently… Read More
Pet of the Week: Sparky
Sparky is an 11 year-old, male, black and white, shorthair cat (A581600). His personality color is BLUE, meaning he is a gentle and loving boy who likes to take things slow. Sparky is very affectionate and he loves gentle head and cheek scratches. He has a big purr and doesn’t stop the whole time you are petting him! Read more at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet.
I-976 impacts to Seattle and King County: if no replacement funds, major cuts to Metro service
King County Executive Dow Constantine outlined possible consequences of I-976, the $30 car-tab initiative that failed in King County but passed statewide in the Nov. 5 election. King County does not collect vehicle license fees or motor vehicle excises taxes, which would be repealed under I-976. However, the state of Washington, Sound Transit and 13 King County cities including Seattle use these sources to fund mobility projects, impacting Metro operations. Read more.
Raise the Sounders FC flag Friday at noon
The Seattle Sounders are on the verge of winning their second MLS Cup, and we want to cheer them on as they get ready to take on Toronto FC this Sunday. Join your fellow employees and fans at noon on Friday, Nov. 8, as we rally on the Administration Building Plaza (Fourth Avenue side) and raise the Sounders flag to celebrate our hometown club and Major League Soccer’s best fans. If you are on break or at lunch Friday at noon, or not working during this time, put on your Sounders gear and help… Read More
Have your say on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5
Dear Colleagues, It’s election time! You should have received your ballot for the November 5, 2019 General Election. If you haven’t, make sure to get a replacement ballot online or call 206-296-VOTE. I know the ballot this year is a little overwhelming. The entire front page is state ballot measures and advisory votes (don’t get me going on those advisory votes, ugh). All candidate races and local ballot measures are on the back – so make sure to flip that giant ballot over and vote the back as well! The good news… Read More
At DPD, a new unit helps people reclaim their lives
Crossposted from For the Defense For years, Detric Johnson felt as though there was nothing he could do to erase the mistakes of his past. He faced more than $10,000 in legal financial obligations (LFOs), a crippling burden. He had felonies on his record, most of them 25 years old. Without a driver’s license, he couldn’t land a job. “My life was in a shambles,” he said. All that changed over the course of a few months, when an old DUI and another driving charge caught up with him and he was assigned a… Read More
Trailhead Direct ridership increased 75 percent in its second full season
Ridership on Trailhead Direct – a transit-to-trails service co-led by King County Metro and King County Parks – increased 75 percent during the second year of a two-year pilot project. The improved service design made it possible for hikers to board any of the four routes and get to any trail in the Trailhead Direct network. Passengers boarded Trailhead Direct for more than 17,500 hikes in the second season of the two-year pilot project co-led by King County Metro and King County Parks, a 75 percent increase from last year. The transit-to-trails service added… Read More
National conference selects King County as site of annual conference, spotlights Zero Youth Detention
Crossposted from Zero Youth Detention Each year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation hosts a national conference for the over 300 jurisdictions in 40 states that have signed on to implement its Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). This year, the conference was hosted in King County, from October 16-18, in part to showcase the work of King County’s Zero Youth Detention and essential community partnerships. “I started volunteering. I found community, and they saw gifts in me I didn’t know I had,” said Durell Green, describing to conference attendees the transition that took him from time in… Read More
Pet of the Week: Sadie
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Need a warm snuggle buddy for the coming chilly winter nights? Check out Sadie, our Pet of the Week! This genteel older lady loves to stop and smell the roses! Sadie has a lot of pep in her step and loves going for long walks… sniffing here, there, and everywhere! Afterwards, Sadie just wants to hang out and cuddle, and she thoroughly enjoys neck scratches. Read more at Tails from RASKC
Employee News 