County employees rally to help during severe rains and flooding
Crossposted from the DES Express When forecasts started showing heavy rain would inundate the region and cause local rivers to flood last month, employees at King County Emergency Management sprung into action. As they do in severe weather and other emergencies, they activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Renton on Dec. 8, calling upon other divisions in the Department of Executive Services, county departments, and local partners for help. Read more.
Join State Attorney General and County Executive at event recognizing Black History Month, Feb. 3
Employees are invited to join Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown and King County Executive Girmay Zahilay at an online event recognizing Black History Month on Tuesday, Feb. 3. Attorney General Brown will talk about key milestones in Black history for our region and discuss his own journey into public service. He will be welcomed and introduced by King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. Tuesday, Feb. 3, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Zoom. Register here. This is a County-sponsored event and King County directors, managers, and supervisors are encouraged to permit employees to… Read More
Calling all artists! Create a Metro bus shelter photomural
Crossposted from Metro Matters Are you a photographer or artist interested in adding beauty to a King County Metro bus shelter? Metro is teaming up with Photographic Center Northwest (PCNW) in a call for images to be installed as public art in our bus shelters. The theme, “Show Us Your World – Cultural Heritage,” is intended to explore personal, cultural identity, and connection, or anything meaningful and important in your life. While all submissions will be considered, artists who want to submit images that represent their interpretation of “Show Us Your World”… Read More
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday is Jan. 19
King County offices are closed on Monday, Jan. 19 to observe the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. All offices will be back to normal schedule on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Click here for Metro Transit holiday bus schedules. If you have questions about your holiday schedule, please speak to your supervisor. Have a safe and healthy holiday.
A unique salmon recovery partnership in King County has proven to be an effective model for collective impact
Crossposted from DNRP Field Notes A unique partnership created 25 years ago in King County has so far reconnected 730 acres of floodplain, completed 719 salmon recovery projects, and planted nearly 1,500 acres of native vegetation in riparian areas. The partners recently signed a new agreement that will sustain the effort for at least the next decade. Read more.
MRJC hosts ceremony for 30 high school grads
Crossposted from the DAJD Employee Newsletter Twenty-six men and four women attended graduation ceremonies inside the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) on Dec. 10, 2025. The jail hosts the high school equivalency program in partnership with Renton Technical College. Read more.
GIS at the frontlines: Mapping solutions for emergency flood response
KCIT’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team played a critical role in recent flood relief efforts, working onsite at the King County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in 24/7 rotating shifts. Their work provided essential mapping and data services to aid emergency management and response coordination. The GIS Center delivered high-impact resources, including: Emergency notification zone maps to guide public alerts. Identification of flood-impacted facilities and assets for rapid response. On-demand mapping and data requests to support decision-making. In addition, the team partnered with aerial imagery providers to capture high-resolution images of flood-affected areas near the Snoqualmie,… Read More
By the numbers: A look back at King County’s response to historic flooding
Crossposted from DNRP Field Notes On Dec. 8, the first of two atmospheric rivers slammed into King County and brought historic river flooding, setting all-time records for portions of the Snoqualmie and Cedar rivers. Five of the six major rivers in King County (Cedar River, Green River, Issaquah Creek, South Fork Skykomish River, White River, Tolt River, and Snoqualmie Basin) reached a flood Phase 4 during the storm, the Tolt River was the one that only reached a flood Phase 3. Read more.
From months to minutes: King County Sheriff’s Office first in WA to use new DNA technology
By MyNorthwest News Crime scene DNA test results in minutes rather than weeks or months. It’s a new technology now in the hands of investigators at the King County Sheriff’s Office. It’s called the Rapid DNA machine. “It allows officers to place DNA into a machine and instead of waiting weeks or months, you get results on whether that DNA is a single source of human DNA in 90 minutes,” King County Sheriff’s Captain Chris Leyba said. “Right now, every sample we collect at a scene, let’s say we collect 14 blood… Read More
New shelter update: 2025 progress and next steps for 2026
Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Progress continues on a new site for Regional Animal Services. King County is renovating a former warehouse in the Kent Valley into a new, modern animal shelter that will replace RASKC’s current facility. The new center is expected to open in early 2027. 2025 highlights Purchasing the property at 5920 S. 194th St. in Kent Onboarding an architectural firm to develop design and construction plans Establishing a Project Delivery Team in partnership with the county’s Facilities Management Division Developing initial design plans Read more.
Employee News 