Crossposted from For The Defense Update: Ezequiel Apolo-Albino was released from immigration detention yesterday, Oct. 5, and his immigration case has been terminated. Ezequiel Apolo-Albino spent eight years in prison wrongfully accused of a crime that never happened. Thanks to the tenacity and legal acumen of Department of Public Defense attorney Amy Parker and DPD investigators Molly Gilbert and Bettye Witherspoon, a Superior Court judge recently signed an order vacating his conviction on two counts of child molestation. Read more at For The Defense

On Thursday, October 20, King County will join with employers and other organizations statewide participating in the annual Great Washington ShakeOut earthquake drill. At 10:20 a.m., a PA announcement will go out in many County buildings asking employees to practice what they should do in an earthquake: DROP to the floor Take COVER under a desk, table, or other sturdy furniture HOLD ON until the shaking stops (or the earthquake drill ends). If you or your workgroup are not able to join in the drill on October 20 at 10:20 a.m., pick… Read More

For people who find themselves in the criminal justice system, transitioning back into society, including getting a job and accessing housing, can often be challenging. To ease that transition King County removed criminal history disclosure requirements from its employment applications early last year. At the same time, the County also began a partnership with Goodwill to better prepare County inmates for release. The partnership began with a Goodwill Job Training pilot at King County Correctional Facility. “The Goodwill Job Training program actually started out as a pilot at KCCF for about a… Read More

Crossposted from Public Health Insider We are writing a three-part series on the health of one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in our region, the Chinatown-International District (CID). With a one year nationally-funded grant, The BUILD Health Challenge has led to a robust community partnership that will take a deep look into the health and vibrancy of the CID.  To start us off, Nadine Chan, Epidemiologist from Public Health, shares some of her insights from taking a close look at what our health data can tell us about the neighborhood. The BUILD… Read More

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC RASKC is excited to share the first of nine segments which Univision Seattle, KUNS channel 51, will be proudly airing each Wednesday at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Univision is the fifth largest network in the U.S. with the largest Spanish-speaking audience in the world. This amazing opportunity, which starts by highlighting RASKC’s success in saving 9 out of 10 lives, will serve as a public service announcement to engage and inform the community on the various services provided by King County’s Regional Animal Services. Read more… Read More

Crossposted from Metro Matters Bus riders who are deaf or hard of hearing and use cochlear implants or hearing aids now can use a newly installed hearing ‘loop’ system at King County Metro’s Customer Service Office at 201 South Jackson Street in Seattle. The induction hearing loop system allows customers who use the system to better communicate with Metro employees when they are buying or reloading ORCA cards or getting other help to better ride Metro. Installing the induction hearing loop system demonstrates Metro’s continued commitment to accessibility for all of our… Read More

King County will participate in the Great Washington ShakeOut earthquake drill on Thursday, October 20. At 10:20am, a PA announcement will go out in most County buildings, asking you to Drop, Cover, and Hold On just like you would do in a real earthquake. Expect more information about the drill in next week’s Employee News. For details about the Great Washington ShakeOut, visit http://www.shakeout.org/washington.

Crossposted from King County Wastewater Treatment Division Many developing Asian countries face unique challenges delivering quality wastewater services. In an effort to mentor these communities, a team of Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) employees participated in information sharing with a growing utility called URENCO in Dong Hoi, Vietnam. After visiting Vietnam, Dave Jurgens, reliability engineer, realized it’s not only an infrastructure challenge, but also one of culture. “The treatment plant is within a river delta with a lot of farmland. Waste is conveyed primarily from Dong Hoi, a fishing town of about 120,000 people,” he said…. Read More