Crossposted from the Election Connection  Every election, voters call and email us with a number of questions. Why did I receive a ballot for the previous resident of my home? What do I do if I forgot to put my ballot in the security envelope? But each election fields a few questions specific to the races on that year’s ballot. Here are some of the most frequent questions we heard this election.  I live in Seattle. Why aren’t any of the city’s candidates on my ballot? If you live in Seattle and… Read More

Crossposted from Public Health Insider  With the holidays drawing near, many of us look forward to travel or seeing family and friends. And just as our schedules get busier, it’s also the time of year when the flu starts to circulate. We turned to Libby Page, manager of our immunizations program, to get the scoop on flu vaccine .  Why is it important to get vaccinated now?  LP: Autumn is often the time when flu activity picks up and it can take at least two weeks from the date of vaccination for most… Read More

We would like to take the time to say how thankful we are for our employees and their dedication to making King County a welcoming community and a great place to live, and for supporting and serving the 2.1 million people who call this part of the world home.   You drive the way that we innovate, connect and excel in our service to our community and people across the region.  King County never stops serving, and we send a special thank you to the employees – bus operators, jail guards, sheriff’s deputies,… Read More

In honor of Veteran’s Day, county agencies are recognizing their veterans and reservists throughout the month of November in unique ways.  The Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) held a department-wide recognition event on November 13. The event acknowledged employees based out of King Street Center who are veterans and reservists. DNRP Director Christie True and management team members provided their veterans and reservists with the King County “Veterans” thank you card and pin to commemorate their service. Employees were from the four DNRP divisions: Solid Waste Division, Wastewater Treatment Division, Parks Division and the Water… Read More

If you are looking for a fun and rewarding team-building activity, how about boosting esprit de corps by helping King County plant a million trees?   As part of the County’s “1 Million Trees” initiative, King County Parks is currently signing up volunteers for tree planting events this fall and winter on many of its properties. Planting a million trees by 2020 is a target action in King County’s 2015 Strategic Climate Action Plan.  “Whether pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, cleaning contaminants from the air and water, preventing flooding, providing shade or… Read More

More than 100 regional stakeholders gathered together October 12 for our 6th Annual Winter Weather Seminar. Facing another La Nina forecast, NWS Seattle’s Ted Buehner said we can expect cooler and wetter than average conditions this winter season. Already we’ve seen snowfall at low elevations and stage 2 flooding in some areas. Professional experts assured participants we are ready for whatever Mother Nature sends our way.    The event also provided an opportunity to reflect on past events and lessons learned. Of note was praise from King County Road Services for a collective response to… Read More