The King County Local Food Initiative 2018 Annual Report highlights significant accomplishments and tracks our progress toward building a stronger local food system over the year, including:  Protecting more than 920 acres of farmland and getting more than 630 acres of fallow land back into food production in King County since 2016;   Increasing farmer sales at King County’s farmers markets by nearly 5 percent year-over-year since 2017;   Enrolling 26 aspiring farmers in training programs in 2018; and  Supporting the Fresh Bucks Benefits program so that nearly $500,000 in Fresh Bucks were redeemed… Read More

The Big Backyard 5K (BBY5K) fun run and walk presented by Kaiser Permanente is set for Sunday, June 2 at King County’s Marymoor Park and will feature a 10K race option to celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary. Registration for the 2019 run is easy – sign up online at www.bby5k.com through May 31 and in-person on race weekend. King County Employees can create or join a King County Team and use the promo code KC5 to receive $5 off their registration. The event promotes fitness and community involvement and has raised more than $300,000 for King County Parks in the past nine years.  … Read More

Many county staff show their public service not just though their day job, but also in their daily actions. Even off duty, many employees are an #OrcaHero working for a clean, beautiful environment.   Do you know an #OrcaHero? This kind of hero helps keep our waters and Puget Sound clean and orcas healthy. Every action adds to cleaning up pollution from our homes, neighborhoods and businesses. Post your #OrcaHero and tag @PugetSoundStartsHere so we can share their story.   Everyday heroes help our habitat by:   Avoiding pesticides and synthetic fertilizers  Checking for and fixing car leaks … Read More

By Troy Brown, Communications Manager, King County District Court It all started when Bouke Spoelstra, a high school junior at The Bear Creek School in Redmond, WA, became interested in law when reading Michael Connelly’s novel “The Lincoln Lawyer” as a child. An active participant in a youth court in Bothell working with Bothell Municipal Court Judge Michelle Gehlson, Bouke decided to ask around for any judges in Redmond who might be interested in creating a similar program for teens in that city. Judge Gehlson helped connect Bouke with King County District Court (KCDC) Judge Michael Finkle,… Read More

Sasha is a 9 year-old, female, longhair dilute tortie (A497023). Her personality color is RED, meaning she is a fun and spirited cat who likes to get attention on her own terms. Sasha is a gorgeous kitty with a big personality! She likes to be petted a certain way and is a very sweet cat with those who respect her signals and preferences.  Read more.

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC  Looking for an energetic, free-spirited companion? Look no further than Franco, our Pet of the Week!  This six-year-old American Bulldog mix is a genuinely happy boy who is eager to please. He always has a big grin on his face and his happiness is contagious! Franco is an active boy, so he’s one of our “Rambunctious Red” personality pets.  Read more

In support of Bike Everywhere Month, we will be hosting a Bike Show on Wednesday, May 22 from 2-3:30 p.m. in Chinook, Rooms 121 and 123. Join us for a chance to ask your colleagues how they make bike commuting work for them. There will be a variety of bike set ups to check out. For more information contact Heather Eliason at Heather.Eliason@kingcounty.gov.