King County employees and one guest will get free admission to Emerald Downs Racetrack on Sunday, August 13, which features the 82nd running of the Longacres Mile, activities for children and displays showcasing the array of agricultural goods produced in King County. Employees must show their King County ID at any of the 12 gates which will provide an employee and one guest tickets that include free admission, Official program, and chips and soda. Children 17 and under get in free. This year’s Longacres Mile (Grade III) is the 82nd running, with a purse of $200,000. Horses from all over… Read More

Electronic Benefits Transfer-eligible clients can now enjoy more fruits and vegetables with Fresh Bucks Rx prescriptions redeemable at participating farmers markets in King County. “Fresh Bucks Rx addresses health disparities in low-income communities across Washington,” says Mara Andrus, RD, CD. “Prescriptions were dispensed at Columbia Public Health Center and Kaiser-Rainier Valley.” Thanks to Fresh Bucks Rx, 41 families will be able to redeem Fresh Buck Rx throughout the summer – a value of $15,000 for local, farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. Public Health – Seattle & King County is a partner of the Washington… Read More

Employees are invited to participate in King County’s Cine en el Parque, Movie at the Park event on Saturday, Aug. 5 at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center, for the screening of Moana in Spanish with English subtitles. Cine en el Parque is a terrific summertime outreach opportunity for County employees to reach the Latino community and connect residents with programs and agencies. DNRP would like to invite all departments to participate and promote their community programs and services. Here’s what employees are signing up for: Arrive on site at 5:30 p.m. One or two volunteers (proficient in Spanish is… Read More

King County Elections today mailed ballots to nearly 1.3 million registered voters. This Primary Election includes candidates for state and local offices as well as four ballot measures. King County Elections has opened 10 new drop boxes in time for the Primary Election, for a total of 53 available drop boxes. The new ballot drop-off locations include Kenmore, Mercer Island, Tukwila, Newcastle and Rainier Beach in Seattle. Make sure to read and follow directions on your ballot, sign the return envelope, and get it back before the August 1 election day deadline. Here’s… Read More

When King County’s Noxious Weed Control Team discovered the toxic noxious weed poison hemlock growing near multiple community gardens in the county, they knew a multilingual communication campaign was the only way to alert the diverse communities of gardeners who speak a wide array of languages “All told, we installed more than one hundred posters in nine languages and 19 unique language combinations at 76 community gardens, farms, and other public spaces in King County,” Nate Dolton-Thornton, Assistant Education Specialist and Multilingual Outreach Lead with the Department of Natural Resources and Parks,… Read More

Here’s something you don’t think about every day: recycled water. Millions of gallons of water are cleaned every day at the five wastewater treatment plants that King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) operates. After the water is cleaned, some of the water is recycled for other uses like industrial, irrigation and wetland purposes. In fact, WTD even uses recycled water to cool machinery and buildings at the West Point and South Treatment Plants. By using recycled water, WTD saves the county approximately $650,000 annually, and saves millions of gallons of water. “We’re helping to… Read More

When domestic violence is perpetrated by children in their own homes, families are faced with a difficult decision about whether to involve the police, which can lead to incarceration and a criminal record. In many instances families want their children to have the opportunity to “cool down” and learn how to manage their feelings of anger or frustration in non-violent ways. That’s why King County created FIRS (Family Intervention and Restorative Services). One of the employees who oversees FIRS is Stephanie Trollen, Legal Services Supervisor at the county’s Juvenile Division of the Prosecutor’s Office. “FIRS… Read More

Nearly 1,000 walkers and runners took part in King County Parks’ eight annual Big Backyard 5K presented by Kaiser Permanente on Sunday, June 11, 2017, and participants did more than just get a Sunday morning workout. The proceeds of the event, which took place at Marymoor Park in Redmond, go toward the maintenance and operations of King County Parks. “The Big Backyard 5k is a great event that our employees, supporters and volunteers put on for runners and walkers across our community,” said King County Parks Director Kevin Brown. “Not only does it showcase one of the crown jewels in our… Read More