When King County’s Noxious Weed Control Team discovered the toxic noxious weed poison hemlock growing near multiple community gardens in the county, they knew a multilingual communication campaign was the only way to alert the diverse communities of gardeners who speak a wide array of languages “All told, we installed more than one hundred posters in nine languages and 19 unique language combinations at 76 community gardens, farms, and other public spaces in King County,” Nate Dolton-Thornton, Assistant Education Specialist and Multilingual Outreach Lead with the Department of Natural Resources and Parks,… Read More

Here’s something you don’t think about every day: recycled water. Millions of gallons of water are cleaned every day at the five wastewater treatment plants that King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) operates. After the water is cleaned, some of the water is recycled for other uses like industrial, irrigation and wetland purposes. In fact, WTD even uses recycled water to cool machinery and buildings at the West Point and South Treatment Plants. By using recycled water, WTD saves the county approximately $650,000 annually, and saves millions of gallons of water. “We’re helping to… Read More

When domestic violence is perpetrated by children in their own homes, families are faced with a difficult decision about whether to involve the police, which can lead to incarceration and a criminal record. In many instances families want their children to have the opportunity to “cool down” and learn how to manage their feelings of anger or frustration in non-violent ways. That’s why King County created FIRS (Family Intervention and Restorative Services). One of the employees who oversees FIRS is Stephanie Trollen, Legal Services Supervisor at the county’s Juvenile Division of the Prosecutor’s Office. “FIRS… Read More