By Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer Crossposted from Public Health Insider The horrible violence of the past week, with the killing of black men by police officers in Baton Rouge and Minneapolis and of white police officers protecting peaceful demonstrators in Dallas, revolting and deeply offending to all, has left us feeling confused, helpless and frightened.  As a public health community dedicated to promoting conditions under which all persons thrive in good health, how can we respond? First, we need continue to renounce and work to end violence against all persons, adults… Read More

Crossposted from Best Starts for Kids For Best Starts for Kids, we’ve had the fortune of working with a broad range of community and content experts through our Children and Youth Advisory Board (CYAB) . The CYAB brings together many leaders working to create a healthier place for all King County children and families. Two members recently have been recognized for their instrumental contributions. Zam Zam Mohamed is the CEO and Co-founder of Voices of Tomorrow. She also works closely with other community partners to eliminate racial and ethnic achievement gap that exists for East African children… Read More

Crossposted from Public Health Insider If you see what looks like a giant RV with a splash of sunshine painted on the outside, you’ve probably spotted King County’s new Mobile Medical Van. You might catch a glimpse at various locations around the city of Seattle, as the van makes its rounds to church-sponsored meal programs, tent cities, and other locations where people living homeless gather. The Mobile Medical program helps address some of the unique challenges of living homeless. How do you make a medical appointment and keep track of it, when you must… Read More

Crossposted from Metro Matters Metro Transit’s finest operators competed this week to prove just how awesome and precisely they can drive a 40-foot-long Metro bus at the annual ‘Metroadeo.’ Drivers snaked their buses through left and right turns, passenger stops and tight spaces. It takes care to adjust your speed and set up just right to perform each of the maneuvers, all scored by judges with a sharp eye and high expectations for precision. “Our operators are great, but the top Roadeo finishers are amazingly good– true technicians of their craft,” said… Read More

Crossposted from Public Health Insider Our health officer, Dr. Jeff Duchin, recently wrote a Seattle Times op-ed demanding more national and local effort to address gun violence. He wrote the article following the devastating mass shooting in Orlando, but gun violence is much more than mass shootings – it includes suicides, homicides, assaults and unintentional deaths that involve a firearm – which occur throughout our country and community in single incidents or small groupings, every day of the year.  Each of these types of gun violence occurs at its own unique intersection… Read More

Crossposted from Metro Matters In a surprise ceremony last Wednesday, lead mechanic Gary Archer was named Metro Transit’s 2016 Vehicle Maintenance Employee of the Year – to the smiles and applause of his coworkers and team at South Base in Tukwila. It’s the second time Gary has won the award, unprecedented in Metro’s history. Archer was selected by his peers, more than 600 vehicle maintenance workers across Metro’s seven bus bases. Gary first won the Employee of the Year award in Vehicle Maintenance in 2003. Read more at Metro Matters

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Fireworks are beautiful to look at, but they can be scary for our pets. The bangs and booms are hard on their sensitive hearing, and even the calmest pet can get upset by the unfamiliar loud noises. To help your pet cope with the noise from fireworks, and reduce the chance that it runs away, Regional Animal Services of King County offers these tips: Keep your pet secured indoors in the quietest room of your home while fireworks are audible. You can also use soothing music or… Read More

As shared from the DNRP WTD Watermark Newsletter Jessica Tanumihardja recently joined West Point [treatment plant] as the newest process analyst. Prior to WTD, Jessica was an engineer-in-training at Northwest Water Systems and earned her graduate degree in environmental engineering from the University of Washington. Jessica first learned about WTD by meeting HR staff at a college job fair. “They were really nice and friendly so I applied for an internship  in project management.” Jessica worked with Project Manager Erica Jacobs and others during her internship. After graduating, Jessica received emails about… Read More