King County celebrated the efforts of parents to reunite with their children that were once placed in foster care at the eight-annual Reunification Day on June 30, 2017. Judge Helen Halpert, Superior Court Chief Dependency Judge, kicked off the celebration which was attended by several Superior Court Judges and Commissioners, and featured Presiding Judge Laura Inveen, a Reunification Day Proclamation by King County Executive Dow Constantine and parents sharing the stories of their journeys to reunification. “I listened to those wonderful words from [parents] Scott and from Natalie, and I think they couldn’t have… Read More

Hear directly from candidates participating in the August 2017 Primary.

The following is a kudos from Catherine Thompson, a Probation Manager with King County District Court: We would like to recognize King County District Court Probation Officer’s (P.O.’s) during National Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week, focusing on Empowerment through Partnerships. An important part of supervision is understanding how we can work together to give clients the best chance of successfully reentering the community. We are continuously mindful of how to best utilize current and potential partnerships to the benefit of our clients.  Probation services are provided to any defendant who is sentenced to probation by a judge, including primarily high impact and… Read More

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