The King County Archives announces a new online exhibit on how the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health led the response to HIV/AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s. The exhibit “Responding to AIDS: the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health, 1982-1996” (www.RespondingToAIDSExhibit.org) features photos, graphics, other historical documents and video clips from 4Culture grant-funded oral history interviews. This exhibit highlights how Public Health became a national leader in AIDS prevention, education, research, and support for quality care, through forward-thinking leadership, innovative programs, and engagement with the communities most affected by AIDS.

DCHS is convening three meetings to hear from rural community leaders and human services providers – both in the incorporated and unincorporated areas of King County – to get ideas and input that will inform DCHS’s planning for future human services delivery as well as planning for the renewal of the Veterans and Human Services Levy. Meetings will take place: * North Bend, June 17, 2016 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., Mount Si Senior Center (411 Main Ave. South, North Bend). Councilmember Kathy Lambert will attend. Register here. * Enumclaw, June 22,… Read More

Crossposted from the Haz Waste Help blog What about lead poisoning in King County? Lead in drinking water has been all over the news in recent months.  Should we be concerned about lead poisoning in King County? In King County, water is not a common source for lead. Lead in drinking water usually comes from pipes or fittings.  These are five things to know about lead in drinking water. Read more at Haz Waste Help

Crossposted from KC Elections You may have noticed our new look that not only includes this new blog (welcome!) but also our social media profiles and the Primary Election ballot you’ll receive in July. Why the change? From Elections Director Julie Wise, “When I took office this January, one of my goals was to re-brand King County Elections so that we are better able to connect with our widely diverse population of voters. I wanted a simple, fresh look that would resonate with all of our communities, regardless of what age they… Read More

Just in time for summer, several parks around King County are freshening up their facilities, playgrounds and sports areas. One park involved in this play area rehabilitation is Five Mile Lake Park out near Federal Way and Auburn, in an unincorporated part of the County. “You think of a traditional playground, but there’s nothing traditional about this one,” said Doug Miller, a Park Specialist in the Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) who has been with King County since 1989. “I don’t think the majority of people know what it means… Read More

Crossposted from KC Emergency News Our region is vulnerable to earthquakes. A major threat lies just off the Pacific Coast, in an area known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone. This fault, when it ruptures, could cause a catastrophic magnitude 9.0 earthquake. A quake of that size would also cause a massive tsunami that would inundate the coast. This week, King County Emergency Management will join with federal, state, and local partners to test earthquake response and recovery plans in the Cascadia Rising exercise. More than 20,000 first responders, emergency management professionals, military… Read More

Crossposted from Metro Matters More than a year after the launch of the ORCA LIFT reduced fare program, customers tell us they love their card. Now we have the data to support that feedback. We’ve just wrapped up our first survey of more than 400 ORCA LIFT customers, and the results show a 95 percent satisfaction rate. In fact, more than half of those participating in the program are first time ORCA users; 44 percent say they are taking more trips on Metro and Sound Transit Link Light Rail since receiving their… Read More