To build trust between law enforcement and Hispanic community in Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, Sheriff’s Office Community Service Officer Dahlia Corona started a workshop series called “Nurturing Trust, With Family, With Community – Padres Unidos-Familias Seguras.” “You’ll find that when there is a language barrier or a cultural barrier then there’s a disconnect between the police and the community,” Corona said. The workshops focus on topics such as positive discipline, domestic violence and child abuse, bullying, drug prevention and leadership in the community, and the role that law enforcement plays in… Read More

Peggy Harris had always volunteered, but 15 years ago her volunteering became more personal. After her grandson was diagnosed at birth with Isolaveric Acidemia, a rare genetic disorder, Harris joined Washington State’s Newborn Screening Advisory Committee, a committee that advocates for certain tests performed at birth to detect treatable genetic diseases. “At that time my grandson’s disorder was not tested for in Washington State, so I became very active in that committee,” Harris said.

Filmmaker Stephanie Wang-Breal wanted to give voice to a group of people who rarely have one — parents who have lost their children to the state welfare system because of alleged neglect or abuse. What resulted is a powerful new documentary – at times tender, at other times raw – that offers an intimate glimpse into the child welfare system. Called “Tough Love,” the 83-minute film profiles two parents in two different parts of the country struggling to put their lives back together and to prove to court and state officials that they should… Read More

King County’s Regional Communication and Emergency Coordination Center (RCECC) is the nerve center for disaster preparedness and emergency response planning in and around our region. “We’re set up to coordinate response and recovery efforts during a local emergency or disaster,” Lynne Miller, the Public Information Officer for King County Office of Emergency Management (KCOEM), said. The RCECC, housed in a building able to withstand major earthquakes, serves as a coordination hub for situational awareness, strategic planning, resource management, and public information.

When he entered the civilian workforce, Navy veteran Bryan Fry says one of the hardest parts was finding the “red line.” “In a blink, your military career is over. You’re done. Time to go home, time to get a job. But, where’s the red line? How do I integrate back home? I had a relationship with order, I had a relationship with the red line and it’s not there anymore,” Fry said at a King County Lunch and Learn called “Increasing Understanding of Our Veteran Employees.” Moderated by Fry, who is now… Read More

King County’s Drug Diversion Court celebrated 20 years of changing lives yesterday at an event at King County Courthouse. Drug Diversion Court is a rigorous minimum 11-month, four-phase program that holds participants accountable for their sobriety. Drug Court participants are required to meet with a Drug Court judge once every two weeks, go to chemical dependency treatment three times a week and are randomly drug tested twice a week. The celebration, dubbed “20 Years of Changing Lives,” was attended by County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Councilmembers Kathy Lambert and Larry Gossett, U.S…. Read More