Crossposted from Election Connection Ballot boxes are now open for the August 2 Primary Election and Elections Director Julie Wise marked the occasion this week with ribbon cuttings at new ballot drop boxes at both Fairwood Library in Renton and Lake City Library. A total of 29 drop boxes will be available for this Primary Election followed by 14 more boxes for the November General Election. A total of 43 ballot drop boxes will increase access and convenience for voters across King County. For a complete list of boxes visit our website…. Read More

Crossposted from Metro Matters Abdi Elmi has a motto: having a career driving a bus for Metro is one of the best kept secrets in the region. Elmi, a Metro Base Chief in Bellevue, is from Somalia, and his story is one of triumph and hard work to overcome adversity. As a teenager he and his family fled the civil war in Somalia, and he lived in a refugee camp for several years. Later he brought his family to the US, and came to Seattle in 2009. In 2012, he was hired… Read More

*Correction: This article incorrectly lists Dave Murphy as the current interim Director of the Community Corrections division. Saudia Abdullah is the current Director, starting in August 2015 and confirmed by counsel in October 2015. Each year in Washington state, hundreds of inmates are released from correctional facilities after completing their sentences with $40, a bus ticket, and whatever they had on them upon entering. They are released into society without any training on how to deal with reintegration or changes in the way we live. Many have served long-term sentences and find… Read More

Crossposted from King County Parks YAY for GIS! Now you can find ALL of our regional trails, backcountry trails, natural areas and parks on an interactive and easy-to-use virtual map. You can even search specific amenities and activities such as picnic locations, fishing locations and soccer locations. Go monkey around with it: http://gismaps.kingcounty.gov/ParkFinder/

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