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News
Free live, virtual exercises classes for King County employees
You asked for it and here it is! In response to employee requests, Balanced You, in partnership with Vivecorp, will begin offering free, live, virtual exercise classes on Wednesday, Oct. 21. King County employees and anyone in their home, including children, are welcome to join. During the pandemic, many people have shifted to outside exercise due to gym closures and restrictions. As fall and winter set in, Balanced You recognizes that it will be harder to get outdoors and exercise, so we want to provide you with other ways to move. Recently, in Employee News,… Read More
COVID-19 cases are rising in King County – What does that mean for schools?
Crossposted from Public Health Insider Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise again in King County, after two months of decline. As we move into the school year and into fall, a time when COVID-19 spreads more readily, it’s time to renew our commitment to fighting the spread of the virus in our community, for everyone’s sake. It’s more important than ever to mask up, stay distant and limit your contacts with people outside your household. We’ve driven the case count down before, and we can do it again. While daily case numbers fluctuate, public… Read More
Supporting Latinx Heritage Month through the 2020 Annual Giving Drive
As we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, we’re highlighting four nonprofits participating in the Annual Giving Drive whose work supports Latinx, Hispanic, and Latino-identified communities in our region: Casa Latina (9307): Empowers Latino immigrants through employment, education, & community organizing toward the full participation of the Latino community in the economy & democracy of this country. El Centro de la Raza (9349): Human & Emergency Services (food, housing, etc.), Child & Youth programs (college readiness, academic achievement, etc.), & Education/Asset-building programs (employment, etc.) Latino Community Fund of Washington State (9652): Cultivates new leaders,… Read More
Commitment to people with disabilities and Employment First
People with disabilities face long standing barriers obtaining competitive employment. Recent pre-COVID-19 data shows the overall jobless rate for people with disabilities at two times that of people without disabilities, and if you experience a developmental disability, the rate is triple that of your peers who do not have a disability. As we honor Disability Awareness Month this October, we recognize King County’s strong network of people with disabilities, their families, employment service providers, school partnerships, and business champions who are upholding Employment First to help people with developmental disabilities overcome barriers and gain… Read More
Volunteer to close a drop box with King County Elections on November 3
Looking for some Election Day excitement? Meet your neighbors and continue your commitment to public service by volunteering as a drop box closer. Drop box closers are the friendly face the public sees on Election Day, ensuring that every vote is counted, and every voice is heard. Who: You and your co-workers What: Closing ballot drop boxes across King County When: Election night, Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 6-8:30 p.m. Where: A drop box location near you Sign up: Click here. Most voters wait until Election Day to return their ballots and drop boxes are often busiest… Read More
Training Spotlight for October 13
QuickBooks Level 1 – Online – North Seattle College – Explore everything you need to get started with QuickBooks Desktop. This class is $85.00 and takes place on Thursdays for two sessions on Oct. 15 and 22. Register here More opportunities are available on our King County Eventbrite page. For more information, contact the Learning and Development Team at KCTraining@kingcounty.gov or visit Learning and Development at www.kingcounty.gov/learning.
Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Today we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and the rich heritage, culture, contributions, and resilience of Indigenous people in our region and here at King County. There are 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington State and King County is home to a thriving Native American population from Tribal nations across the country. We are on the ancestral lands of the Muckleshoot, Snoqualmie, Puyallup, Tulalip, and Suquamish Tribes, and the Duwamish people. Our region benefits tremendously from the generations of Native people on whose land we currently live, and who today continue to fight… Read More
Reasonable Accommodations for WA State DOC Prisoners, October 15
The King County Superior Court and Community Committee presents a facilitated panel discussion on the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and how it functions within Washington’s Department of Corrections (DOC), in particular how Washington State prisoners interact with the ADA-mandated reasonable accommodation process and the DOC’s duties in providing reasonable accommodations to prisoners with disabilities. Thursday, Oct. 15 from 12:15 – 1:30 p.m. Join via Zoom. Use passcode: 239752. To dial in, call 253-215-8782 and use ID# 91789390895. King County Superior Court Judge David Whedbee will host the discussion between Assistant Attorney General Candie Dibble, who regularly… Read More
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Celebrating Latinx voices and culture
We are nearing the end of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage month, but we still have so much to share with you. King County Metro’s very own, Penny Lara, has shared with us a video of her and her family reciting one of her favorite poems – “A Callarse (Keeping Quiet).” She has also shared the significance poetry has in her culture. Read more to learn more about Penny’s story, and view the video below. By Penny Lara, Transportation Planner III, Metro Transit Growing up in Mexico, poetry has always been a part of my family…. Read More
National drug take back day October 24: A good reminder that safe medicine disposal saves lives
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections Since 2016, DCHS has promoted awareness and use of free and confidential neighborhood medicine disposal programs as a strategy to prevent opioid overdose death, medicine abuse and suicide. DCHS, along with partners that include King County Waste Management and Washington Poison Center, produced a successful “Don’t Hang on to Meds” public health messaging campaign focused on promoting at home medicine safety strategies such as securely storing medicines in use and disposing of unused and expired meds. The campaign and local information dissemination efforts boosted traffic to the www.TakeBackYourMeds.org website where in… Read More
Art Showcase: Merging Communities and Social Justice, October 12
This event, hosted by King County, will feature local King County Afro Latino artists showcasing their artwork, talking about their community involvement, and explaining how art plays a crucial role in fighting for Social Justice. Monday, Oct. 12, from noon to 1 p.m. Join via Zoom. Use passcode: 216492 – Register for this event here on Eventbrite. For more information, contact Margarita Aguado at MAguado@kingcounty.gov or Maria Jimenez-Zepeda at Maria.Jimenez-Zepeda@kingcounty.gov. View the full list of events for Latinx Heritage Month here.
Celebrating 10 years of RapidRide
Crossposted from Metro Matters October 2 marks the 10-year anniversary of Metro’s first RapidRide, the A Line. Providing frequent service that connects Federal Way, Kent, SeaTac, and Tukwila, the A Line has grown to carry an average of 9,100 riders on weekdays since launching a decade ago. Across King County, Metro’s RapidRide lines offer riders faster, more frequent, and more reliable bus service, fast all-door boarding, enhanced stations and passenger amenities, and on-board Wi-Fi. Read more.
King County ePayment Storefront improves customer service
Crossposted from DES Express All county customers can now make payments online through the ePayment Storefront system, which launched early this summer. This is an important and timely improvement, since most King County in-person services are shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Congratulations and thank you to employees from several divisions in the Department of Executive Services (DES) and other departments for their hard work and collaboration. Read more.
Training Spotlight courses from Learning and Development
Leadership and Management Series through North Seattle College – Online – Develop your leadership, communication, motivation, and problem-solving skills with this workshop based series. Take all four classes in the series to enhance your professional toolbox with skills to be used in a variety of workplace situations. All four classes need to be completed to receive a completion in PeopleSoft. Register here Oct. 14 – Communication Skills Oct. 21 – Decision-Making Oct. 28 – Dealing with Difficult People Nov. 4 – Team Leadership Communication and Problem Solving Skills with Lenny Borer – Online – Facilitated by… Read More
Zoom: How to conduct meetings safely
When conducting virtual meetings, either between King County employees or with the public, it’s critical to follow best practices for cyber safety. Recently, there has been several episodes of public Zoom meetings featuring bad actors, including those who posted objectionable material for all to see. To keep our customers safe, KCIT has created an At-Risk Meeting Notifier. This tool searches the public internet for Zoom meeting information and checks the meeting’s security settings. When we find a meeting that looks to be at high risk of being disrupted, we notify the host. To avoid such incidents, KCIT security experts strongly recommend following these practices: If you would like to make your meeting private, but there is already public… Read More
Supporting Disability Awareness Month through the 2020 Annual Giving Drive
Each year King County employees help hundreds of nonprofit organizations do vital work in our community and around the world by donating to the Annual Giving Drive. The start of this year’s Giving Drive coincides with Disability Awareness Month, which King County celebrates each October. The following are four participating nonprofits whose work helps people with disabilities: Alliance of People with disAbilities (9438) – To provide independent living resources and advocate for the well-being and assure full exercise of human rights of persons with disAbilities. Center for Independence (9185) – Empowering people with disabilities to live independently… Read More
Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month and supporting one another
The King County Latinx Affinity Group is hosting several events throughout the year to encourage employees during these challenging times, and celebrate Latinx Heritage Month, recognized as Sept. 15 – Oct. 15. Several of these events are planned in collaboration with Sound Transit Latinx in Transportation (LiT), and the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Latinx Caucus. They are intended to educate and empower community members to join together in supporting one another, the Latinx community, and other King County communities as well. To learn more about these events and the Latinx Affinity Group… Read More
Coming together to address racial inequities and care for one another
In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, recognized as Sept. 15 – Oct. 15., the King County Latinx Affinity Group has hosted several events to celebrate the Latinx community. In addition to these events, the Group has also developed opportunities to honor and highlight the great work being done on behalf of other minority communities. In July, the group held a Lunch and Learn to discuss working alongside the Black Lives Matter movement, and how to support the efforts being made to raise awareness and create change in response to the injustices experienced by the Black community. To… Read More
Is your new workspace earthquake ready?
October 15 is the annual Shakeout drill, an opportunity for us to practice what to do during an earthquake. Many of us have participated in this drill while in an office building, but few have at our homes. We encourage employees to take time before the event to check out if their new workspace is earthquake ready. Do you have large hanging items such as mirrors, plants, artwork or pictures, or lighting hanging near your workspace? If yes, considering moving them or finding ways to make them secure during an earthquake. Are you able… Read More
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