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Honoring Probation Officers and District Court staff during National Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week, July 19-25, 2022
By Meagan Terlep-Boxley, Probation Manager with King County District Court The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) annually celebrates over 100,000 community corrections professionals around the country who work hard to keep communities safe during National Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week. This year’s theme for the week is Restoring Trust, Creating Hope. Learn more about APPA here. King County Probation Officers (POs) have worked extremely hard the past few years in making a huge shift to do their jobs. They have been incredibly flexible in their willingness and ability to conduct… Read More
Create diagrams and flowcharts with Visio Online – now free for all King County employees
Visio is the ultimate tool for creating professional diagrams and flowcharts. Now any King County employee can access the free Visio Online app through your Office 365 portal. Visio Online offers most of the same tools and templates as the paid desktop version, allowing you to easily create flowcharts, org charts, network diagrams, and more. Learn more by watching this video demo (28:20) from our recent KCIT Office Hours with Microsoft webinar series, or check out the Office 365: Get Started with Visio Online Skill Track in the KCIT Training Hub. For further assistance, Executive branch employees can LiveChat with… Read More
5th Avenue Theatre discount tickets for Come From Away
Broadway’s Come From Away is a Best Musical winner. This inspirational, funny, and touching show celebrates humanity and being kind to one another. King County employees can receive a 20% discount on all tickets for Sunday evening through Friday evening shows. Book directly at www.5thavenue.org/seacity using promo code: SEACITY to purchase your tickets. See all available employee discounts on the Employee Discount webpage.
Marriage boom? License requests go up
Crossposted from the DES Express The sound of wedding bells is getting louder. King County is starting to see an increase in business for marriage licenses. “We believe this is due to customers becoming more comfortable with our online process, couples now able to have larger get-togethers and receptions that were prohibited under COVID, and more people traveling to Seattle to have their weddings,” said recording manager Jon Scherer. “This last category is particularly interesting as we are anecdotally seeing an increase in couples coming to us from Oregon.” Read more.
Ballot drop box moved, now located near King Street Center
King County Elections has relocated the ballot drop box previously found at the Administration Building on Fourth Ave to near the King Street Center. The new location is in front of the Kingdome Deli on the corner of Second Ave S and S King St. This new location will provide more direct access to a ballot drop box for the Pioneer Square area and is more conveniently located to a variety of transit options. View all drop box locations, at the King County Elections website.
Volunteer to close a ballot drop box for the August Primary
The Primary election is just around the corner and Elections is looking for volunteers to help close ballot drop boxes on Election Night. Under state law, ballot drop boxes close at 8 p.m. sharp on Election Day. As a volunteer drop box closer, you will be paired with Elections staff to close a drop box, provide customer service, and hand out I Voted stickers. No experience is necessary. Election Day is Tuesday, August 2 and Elections is looking for volunteers from about 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sign up and join us for a fun and… Read More
How to keep kids safe from COVID this summer: A checklist for parents
Crossposted from Public Health Insider Summer is here, and that brings a mix of emotions for parents. Let’s be real, this year has been a dumpster fire of stress and anxiety for parents navigating the pandemic. While some may feel relief, others are facing a whole new set of questions about how to keep their kids safe from COVID-19 in settings like camps or during summer travel. When kids have less structured time, some kids may need to make more of their own health and safety choices. No matter your plans or… Read More
Emergency Management employees save co-worker’s life
Crossposted from the DES Express Sheri Badger, Public Information Officer for Emergency Management, is used to being behind the scenes, responding to media inquiries, writing social media posts and other content, and orchestrating regional gatherings of communicators. But after surviving a cardiac arrest at work, thanks to the quick response of co-workers who performed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and used an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), she agreed to share her story. Read more.
July is BIPOC Mental Health Month
Established in 2008 in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell, the formally recognized National Minority Mental Health Awareness month was created to bring awareness to the unique mental health struggles that underrepresented groups in the U.S. experience. Anyone can experience mental health challenges; they do not discriminate based on race, age, gender, or identity. At the same time, one’s background and identities can present unique experiences, specific barriers, and opportunities to get support. Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and underrepresented communities face additional barriers including structural racism, access to quality care, and cultural stigmas. This year… Read More
Paving the way to disability justice: Remembering the Section 504 Sit-ins
By Dorian Esper–Taylor, ADA Disability Specialist, Office of Equity and Social Justice When we think of the life-changing civil rights movements in the U.S., the road to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is often a forgotten struggle. Historically, civil rights movements in the U.S. have begun as radical struggles. Equal rights have been earned and fought for rather than given; disability rights and the pathway to the ADA were no different. One of the early victories was the passage of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the first disability rights law… Read More
Public records request submitted to Washington State Department of Retirement Services
The Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) has received a public records request that seeks information about all members of the state’s retirement systems, including all retirees and members, for the period of July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. DRS intends to release information, per the state’s public records act, to the requesting organization, the Seattle Times, on Aug. 15, 2022. Read the DRS notice for details, including a list of the information items that will be released. If you are the subject of this public records request, no action is required… Read More
KING 5 spends the day with DNRP Swim Beach Monitoring Team
KING 5 reporter Erica Zucco spent the day with the Water and Land Resources Division’s team that monitors water quality at 27 lake beaches in King County. Wildlife, people, and pets all contribute to bacteria levels. The story highlights the important service this team provides to keep local beachgoers and swimmers safe. Watch the video.
New approach to increasing access to free vegetarian meals
Cross-posted from Keeping King County Green Nearly one-third of households in Washington reported they were food insecure in 2021, according to the Washington State Food Security Survey. Hunger relief organizations such as NorthWest Share work to address this ongoing issue. Harry Terhanian, founder of NorthWest Share, recently discussed how food trucks serving free meals came about, and the importance of providing free vegetarian meals via food trucks. Read more.
Public advisory committee and reorganization for King County Sheriff’s Office under new plan
Executive Dow Constantine and King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall announced new plans and updates for the vision, structure, and community engagement of the King County Sheriff’s Office, including the creation of a community advisory board. Read more.
WW (Weight Watchers Reimagined)
Are you ready to kickstart your journey to better overall health and wellness? Whether you want to learn about nutrition, ways to improve your sleep, or new workout techniques, WW has you covered. During July, King County employees and your benefits-covered spouses or state-registered domestic partners who register as new WW members receive a $25 WW Shop credit! Visit WW.com/us/Kingcounty to sign up.
How a beaver boom is reshaping floods and fire
Jen Vanderhoof, a senior ecologist with the Water and Land Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, was recently interviewed for a story on beavers. The video was produced by Grist, a non-profit, independent media organization focused on covering climate solutions. The piece highlights how beavers may offer real protection against climate impacts like flooding and wildfires, if people can learn to live with them. Watch the video.
Office of Equity and Social Justice Community Compensation Project
King County is working to become an anti-racist and pro-equity government, and is looking toward community engagement and co-creation to reach those most affected by inequality. One way shown to improve on this inequity is to compensate those in the community who participate in developing county programs. The Office of Equity and Social Justice (OESJ) is partnering with Root Cause Equity Consulting to connect King County departments doing this work with these community members. The goal is to establish consistent standards for compensating community members who work with our government through volunteer… Read More
The intern experience at King County International Airport
Originally posted in Plane Talk Getting an internship at King County International Airport (KCIA) provides a unique opportunity for high school, college, and graduate students. Key Brewer, Landin Reibram, Chloe Sow, Inayah Farooqi, Elijah Jones, Vaibhavi Lakshmi, Sierra Sellers, and Rares Neagu have joined the team this year to add valuable on-the-job experience to their educations, as well as some fun. One of the benefits of an internship at KCIA is getting to tour the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) station and get some hands-on experience. Above, at left, Elijah Jones gets… Read More
Celebrating Disability Pride and people with disabilities
Dear fellow King County employee, July is Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate the pride people with disabilities have in themselves and their many successes and contributions to our workforce and community. Disability Pride Month coincides with the anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, better known as the ADA. The ADA has created civil rights protections and better access for people with disabilities. Disability Pride builds upon the legacy of the ADA with the demand for visibility, acknowledgement, and acceptance from society. Disability spans all… Read More
White House Evidence Team highlights King County’s Priority Hire Program
King County’s Priority Hire program has been featured by the White House as one of six examples from across the country to share how evidence can inform practices and policies. “When we use evidence to inform our practices and policies everyone benefits,” said Sandy Hanks. Manager, Business Development and Contract Compliance in the Department of Executive Services. The White House’s recent Year of Evidence for Action Summit highlighted leading practices from Federal Agencies to generate and use research-backed knowledge to advance better, more equitable outcomes for all of America. As a lead… Read More
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