King County celebrates September as National Preparedness Month “Start the Conversation”

Crossposted from KC Emergency News Join us in highlighting this year’s theme of “Preparing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Communities for Risks and Disasters.“ Things to do for National Preparedness Month Register to receive emergency alerts from ALERT King County in 29 languages Sign up for a free virtual Disaster Skills Training on Sept. 25 Join King County Emergency Management for a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” on Sept. 18 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on r/Seattle and r/SeattleWA Take a preparedness selfie and post Sept. 23-27 and tag #KingCountyReady Come learn about emergency preparedness at Uwajimaya Asian Markets from 3 p.m…. Read More

KCSO Deputy Sare and K9 Chuck make their TV debut

The King County Sheriff’s Office celebrated National Police K9 Day (Sept. 1) by making the local news rounds. KCSO Deputy/K9 Handler Sam Sare and his partner Chuck made their TV debuts on both KOMO TV (the Arc) and Good Day Seattle on Q13. Both were most excellent as Deputy Sare explained the benefits and the success of the K9 Program. Chuck, it seems, was born to be a star. Watch the video clip at the link here: King County K9 unit talks about special partnership.

Roads interns complete another amazing summer

Crossposted from King County Local Our amazing Roads interns are wrapping up their summer with us! Since June, these bright and driven students have been exploring various careers within Road Services – from Bridges and Structures to Geotechnical Engineering, Construction Management, Road and Traffic Engineering, and much more. Some of their key takeaways from a summer’s worth of real-world experience: Picked up pro communication skills and teamwork habits Got hands-on with industry programs and software Learned the ropes of safely operating field equipment Saw what goes into project timelines and development Read… Read More

Increase connections during Suicide Prevention Month

National Suicide Prevention Month, recognized during September, is a month to bring awareness to the general public and those who are affected by suicide. Mental health struggles, such as suicidal thoughts, can happen to anyone at any time. Mental health may be especially impacted by the unprecedented levels of loneliness many of us are experiencing. A 2023 Gallup poll indicated that one in five workers worldwide suffer from loneliness. Additionally, the United States Surgeon General issued a report in 2023 stating that our nation was experiencing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation…. Read More

King County partners with University of Washington to open free veteran civil legal clinic

On Sept. 6, King County Executive Dow Constantine and the University of Washington School of Law announced a new partnership to open a free civil legal services clinic for veterans, servicemembers, and their families. Starting in early 2025, law students will work with the Veterans Clinic to provide free legal advice, representation, and services to veterans seeking benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other legal assistance. Read more.

Fifth annual Reconnect to Opportunity High School Resource fair distributes resources to more than 450 community members

Crossposted from Cultivating Connections It is back-to-school season, and this August the Reconnect to Opportunity (ReOpp) team hosted the fifth annual High School Resource fair with 23 community partners and 466 community members participating. The resource fair was initially launched in the summer of 2020 as a drive-through resource fair to connect families to basic needs items for school such as food, school supplies, and backpacks. The fair has become a fixture and draws consistent turnout from the community and organizational partners. Read more.

King County’s investments in the mental health and well-being workforce

Crossposted from Cultivating Connections Supporting the well-being and mental health of our communities is a priority for King County. Even before the pandemic, community members were facing new challenges in accessing supports for mental health care. Since the pandemic, those challenges have deepened, especially for young people who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+, and multilingual who have increasing mental health needs but a lack of culturally representative providers. Among other areas of investments in behavioral health, King County is expanding funding in the workforce. The Crisis Care Centers Initiative invests… Read More

King County’s Vashon Recycling and Transfer Station achieves zero energy certification, with more climate successes on the horizon

Crossposted from Keeping King County Green With installation of a new solar array and other energy-saving features completed, the Vashon Recycling and Transfer Station has been Zero Energy Certified by the International Living Future Institute, meaning that over the course of a year the facility generates as much or more energy through solar power than it draws from the electricity grid. “This is a huge milestone for our division,” said Elly Trinh, King County’s Green Building Team Program Manager. “The Vashon Recycling and Transfer Station is the division’s first zero energy facility, and it’s one… Read More

More young people will have access to outdoor recreation, refurbished aquatic centers, and enhanced sports fields with $5 million in King County Parks funding

More young people will have access to outdoor recreation, after-school activities, refurbished aquatic centers, and enhanced sports fields and playgrounds thanks to a combined $5 million in King County Parks funding proposed by Executive Dow Constantine and approved by the County Council. The 63 funded projects include summer backpacking trips for underserved young people, after-school sports and wellness programs in South King County cities, a new synthetic baseball infield in Seattle’s Central District, and improvements for aquatic centers in Des Moines and White Center. “With support from King County Parks, more young… Read More

Is your personal information correct in PeopleSoft?

It’s important to review and update your personal information in PeopleSoft. Here’s why: You will receive important Open Enrollment and other employee benefits information mailed to you at the address you have listed as of Sept. 30, 2024. Your emergency contact can be notified if something happens to you at work. You can be notified of safety directives, building closures, etc. You can receive information at the email address you prefer. Here’s how: Watch the Updating Personal Details in PeopleSoft video or follow these steps: Sign in to PeopleSoft from any device… Read More