Devastating Amtrak derailment
The Monday morning train derailment near DuPont resulted in the tragic loss of life and multiple injuries and hospitalizations. King County Executive Dow Constantine issued the following statement on the accident: “The devastating Amtrak derailment this morning has caused pain and concern throughout our region. Most of the daily passengers on that line are commuters who live or work in King County. To the friends and families of those who perished, know that we mourn with you. I thank the first responders for their heroic actions to save lives in a perilous situation. We stand… Read More
Home Free Guarantee in times of need
With a new year almost upon us, the Employee Transportation Program (ETP) wants to remind King County employees that Home Free Guarantee is available to employees who come to work via bus, rail, streetcar, carpool, vanpool, biking or walking. Home Free Guarantee provides King County employees up to eight free taxi rides home each calendar year in case of unexpected personal emergencies while they are at work or unexpected requests to work overtime. “This program is designed to help employees to put their worries away and take a mode of transportation other… Read More
Tech Tip: Avoiding holiday scams
By Ralph Johnson, Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer The holiday season is a great time to make charitable gifts to support the causes you care about, and charities often run end-of-year fundraising campaigns. However, criminals take advantage of this fact and run scams and frauds of their own to fool consumers into giving them money instead. Below are some common scams and frauds used by cybercriminals and some tips on how to avoid them. If you can spot these seasonal tricks, you are more likely to ensure your donation goes where you… Read More
Social Media Spotlight: King County Archives blog
King County Archives to serves the public and agencies of King County by collecting, preserving, holding in trust, and facilitating access to County records of enduring historical value that document its land, people, culture, and governance. Through our service, we strive to foster appreciation and understanding of King County’s origins and continuing history. Follow the Bytes and Boxes blog today. Click here to view all King County social media pages.
Kudos! Public Health – Seattle & King County receives a shoutout from the University of Washington
Over 2016 and 2017, Public Health responded to one of the largest mumps outbreak in the state and county in recent memory, including cases at the University of Washington campus. UW officials recently credited our help for reducing the impact on the community. Said one official: “I am grateful to our public health colleagues who were vital in helping us with this strategy.” Said another: “I’d say that our many our many hours on controlling the outbreak was an investment in keeping the outbreak small. We heard about the large outbreaks at other universities,… Read More
Year in review: King County’s 2017 Juvenile Justice reform progress
Crossposted from King County Youth Justice Reform doesn’t happen overnight. That doesn’t mean it can’t be impressive to look back at how much progress can be made in just one year. In 2017, King County continued to step up its investments and commitments to eliminating the school-to-prison pipeline: Safe Spaces: King County set in motion partnerships with organizations across the County to open up more safe, non-detention overnight spaces for struggling youth. More beds will be opening up in South King County in early 2018. Stopping the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Best Starts for Kids hired on a… Read More
Featured Job: Administrative Specialist II
Closing Date/Time: Mon. 12/18/17 11:59 PM Pacific Time Salary: $20.87 – $26.45 Hourly Job Type: Career Service Location: Harborview Medical Center – Seattle, Washington Department: Department of Public Health–Prevention Description: The Public Health Laboratory is seeking a full-time administrative support position within the Prevention Division. This position is an essential part of the Laboratory team and leads the office coordination. This role also provides a variety of administrative support to the Public Health Laboratory management and staff. The successful Administrative Specialist II (AS II) candidate will excel in providing exceptional customer service, be skilled in managing multiple priorities with accuracy and attention to… Read More
Go green for the holiday
Crossposted from Keeping King County Green The holiday season is a great time to give. Why not go green and give back to our planet? Here are some ideas for greening up your holiday. Choose a living Christmas tree this year and help King County plant 1 Million Trees by 2020 Swansons Nursery is helping to support King County’s 1 Million Trees initiative. Here are ways you can help us reach our goal this holiday season: Choose a living Christmas tree and plant it at home after the holidays. Donate your living Christmas tree. Donate your… Read More
New pumps function as South Plant’s ‘heart’
Crossposted from Clean Water Stories Our South Treatment Plant in Renton recently underwent the equivalent of a heart transplant operation. Raw sewage pumps function as the heart of a treatment plant, providing the power to move wastewater into the plant, and South Plant replaced three of them — each orchestrated by a skilled team. The pumps had been in service for over five decades. They were reliable and easy to operate, but inefficient and energy-intensive. Project manager Bill Olwell said, “It is amazing that they are still up and working after 50 years. But… Read More
Keeping residents safe from flooding
With increased rainfall in King County during the fall and winter months, the risk of flooding in some parts of the county increases. “Flooding is a big problem in King County,” said Ken Zweig, Program Manager for River and Floodplain Management at Water and Land Resources Division. “Since 1990 we’ve had 12 presidentially declared disasters in this county. Historically the biggest floods have happened in the late fall and winter months.” The employees of King County’s Flood Warning Program work to educate and prepare residents who live in flood-prone areas about what… Read More
Employee News 