Inaugural Muckleshoot Pride event
Originally posted in King County Sheriff’s Office News The King County Sheriff’s Office and Muckleshoot Tribal Police partnered and participated in a recent Pride event at the Muckleshoot Pow Wow grounds. This event was monumental as it marked the first Pride event for the community. In attendance were Chief Val Kelly, MRO Sergeant Corbett Ford, and Communications Liaison Zoe Birkbeck. Muckleshoot Tribal Police Detective Jason Rich and Deputy Damian Walburn were also there to hand out pride beads and bracelets and meet with community members.
Free admission to Emerald Downs July 10
King County employees and their families are invited to attend the Emerald Downs racetrack for King County Day on Sunday July 10. They will receive free admission and should check in at Will-Call to receive their tickets. Employees will need to show proof of current employment, such as an employee badge or recent paystub. Part of the Family Fun Weekend event, gates open at 9 a.m., and the first race of the day is at 2.15 p.m. Throughout the day from 1-5 p.m. children can also participate in several games and activities… Read More
Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics
Originally posted in King County Sheriff’s Office News On Thursday June 16, law enforcement throughout the state participated in the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for the Special Olympics. The mission is to raise awareness and funds for the Special Olympics movement, and several King County contract city partners also participated. Shoreline, Burien, Sound Transit, Sammamish, Maple Valley, and Covington ran or walked alongside community members and King County Deputy Kristi Bridgman, who led the effort. There were also two Special Olympic athletes in attendance, both of whom have been participating in… Read More
Commander Todd Clark retires after 40 years with Adult and Juvenile Detention
Originally posted in the June edition of Roll Call, the newsletter for the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention Commander Todd Clark’s deep experience working for King County jails made him a wealth of institutional knowledge. At the end of April, Clark stepped down from the commander’s role for both the Seattle and Kent divisions. He had been leading the Seattle Division since 2020, following Gordon Karlsson’s retirement. In the fall of 2021, he took on the added role as commander of the Maleng Regional Justice Center, after Ed Bautista retired. Clark’s… Read More
Judge Jim Rogers receives Outstanding Judge Award from King County Bar Association
The King County Bar Association (KCBA) recently presented Judge Jim Rogers with its 2022 Outstanding Judge Award. KCBA lauded Judge Rogers for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge Rogers served as Presiding Judge of Superior Court from 2019 through the end of 2021. During his tenure as Presiding Judge, King County Superior Court held hundreds of trials while courts across the nation remained closed. Read more.
Fresh, affordable, and culturally relevant: A spotlight on farmers markets serving our immigrant and refugee communities
Cross-posted from Public Health Insider After a winter that stayed too long, a cooler than average spring, and as summer moves in with the promise of endless sunshine, so do the annual summer farmers markets that emerge across the county each year. For many residents, buying fresh local food at one of the 30-plus farmers markets is a highly-anticipated seasonal ritual. These market programs provide communities with access to local, fresh, affordable, and culturally relevant produce. Read more.
Update on protests in response to Supreme Court ruling
With today’s ruling by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, a number of large-scale protests will take place in our region beginning today. Several protests are planned, including: Westlake Park in downtown Seattle today and tomorrow at 5 p.m. Federal Building at 915 Second Avenue at 5 p.m. today Yesler Terrace Park at 5 p.m. today Redmond Downtown Park at 5 p.m. today. Additional protests may also take place. Please expect disruptions to traffic in and around the downtown core. Be prepared for these impacts and allow extra time when… Read More
A shameful day in our nation’s history
By Dow Constantine, King County Executive This morning’s ruling by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade is the culmination of a decades-long strategy by right-wing zealots to strip the essential right to abortion care from millions of Americans. On a personal level, I am outraged that my daughter will come of age in a society that treats her as a second-class citizen, without authority even over her own body; in a country that lacks basic supports for families, like universal paid family leave and affordable access to quality child care;… Read More
Pride Parade is back, and King County is marching
Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 26 to join with colleagues and represent King County in the 2022 Seattle Pride Parade. Participants will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to participate. Marchers can join the King County contingent on 4th Ave, between Columbia and Cherry, from 1 to 1:30 p.m. See the parade and staging area map below. To get the full logistics and stay up to date on all things related to the Pride Parade, email leah.holland@kingcounty.gov with the subject line “PRIDE Info.”
Burien Police storefront takes an old-school approach
While the idea of a ‘storefront’ police officer is not new to King County – Kent, White Center, Skyway, Seatac, and others have had them several years – Burien has only recently joined in with the practice of having a fulltime presence in the downtown business district. The storefront is more of a community-focused, old-school approach to policing. It’s basically having an officer who’s out there most every day, walking a beat. “It allows us to look at problem solving instead of crisis response,” said Burien Police Chief Ted Boe. People feel… Read More
Employee News 