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Holiday travel? Metro will help you get there
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King County Wins 2025 Geospatial Professional Network Award for Innovative AI-GIS System
Recognizing the service of Metro veterans
News
Anita Khandelwal reappointed to lead Department of Public Defense
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the reappointment of Anita Khandelwal to continue serving as director of Department of Public Defense, a critical position to ensure equity and justice in the criminal legal system. The department provides legal defense to any person charged with a crime or facing a loss of liberty who cannot afford an attorney, representing more than 15,000 individuals last year. Read the announcement here.
Executive Constantine appoints Patti Cole-Tindall as King County Sheriff
Following a nationwide search and thorough interview and public engagement process, Executive Constantine announced today his appointment of Patti Cole-Tindall to serve as King County Sheriff. Cole-Tindall has a background in law enforcement, labor relations, human resources as well as service to the community. She joined the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) in October 2015, serving as the Chief of Technical Services Division for almost five years before being appointed to Undersheriff in 2020. She was appointed Interim Sheriff in November 2021 and began serving in her new role in January. Read the full announcement here.
Level up: King County International Airport moves toward next step in Airport Carbon Accreditation Program
Climate change caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions will have long-term consequences for the environment, the economy, and public health and safety. To do its part to reduce the threat, King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. After achieving Level 1 in the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program (ACAP) in 2021, the airport is now on track toward Level 2, demonstrating actual reductions of harmful greenhouse gases emitted in airport operations. Read the story here.
King County releases Reimagining Public Safety report and pilot program recommendations
A new report released shares findings from the Reimagining Public Safety Survey that launched last fall, including pilot program recommendations and future community engagement strategies. King County is sharing the community-driven recommendations from a report on reimagining public safety in urban Unincorporated King County with the results of the Reimagining Public Safety Survey. Read the full announcement here.
Executive Constantine proclaimes May as Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month
In recognition of the contributions, leadership, and their historic significance to King County and the nation, Executive Dow Constatine proclaims May 2022 as Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Read the full proclamation below.
Celebrating you during Public Service Recognition Week
This week we celebrate your work and the work of every public servant during Public Service Recognition Week, May 1 – 7, 2022. We all come to public service from different places, bringing with us our unique perspectives, experiences, and skills. The work we do varies tremendously, but we are united by a desire to serve our community and make things better for the people who live here today, and for those who will follow. This has never been more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic. When our region was the first… Read More
Forty-five-year sentence for gunman who injured Metro employee Eric Stark
Cross-posted from Metro Matters On April 22, a judge handed down a 45-year prison sentence to the gunman who killed two people and shot and injured two others, including Metro employee Eric Stark when he was driving a bus in Lake City. Despite his gunshot wound, Eric backed his bus out of the area safely to protect the passengers onboard. Eric’s bravery and heroic actions saved the lives of his riders. Read more here.
Administrative Professionals receive special recognition
The Administrative Professionals Recognition Day event held on Wednesday, April 27 was a huge success, celebrating these essential contributors who are Simply the Best at keeping King County running smoothly and efficiently on many levels. View the full celebration on the AP Stream Channel and take the opportunity to recognize an administrative professional here. For more information about the Administrative Professionals Program, visit www.kingcounty.gov/administrativeprofessionals.
What does Medium COVID-19 level mean for you? Latest data and steps to take with cases rising
Cross-posted from Public Health Insider Based on Public Health’s latest data from Monday, April 25, our rate of cases now puts King County into the Medium COVID-19 Community Level as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): over 200 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day period. To decrease risk over time, it’s critical to continue to focus on sustainable, long-term strategies. Click here to read more of this post and watch a video on how to reduce risk.
Green River restoration project completed
King County Executive Dow Constantine recently congratulated staff and partners for completing a major restoration project along the Green River that has improved fish and wildlife habitat while protecting nearby farmland, homes, and roads from flooding and erosion. The successful project near Auburn replaced the degraded Lones Levee, which was built in the 1960s, with a modern, integrated design that restores a critical section of the Green River to its natural state. View the video below and read the full story here. Featured image courtesy of Eli Brownwell, King County Parks.
FTA recognizes King County Metro with Most Equitable and Most Transformative awards
Cross-posted from the Federal Transportation Association Earth Day media release The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration recently recognized the exemplary efforts of 10 transit agencies across the nation to combat climate change through its Sustainable Transit for a Healthy Planet initiative. Because of the dedication and hard work of its employees, King County Metro was recognized with the Most Equitable and Most Transformative awards. Read the full announcement here.
Take a tour of land conservation successes in the Green-Duwamish Watershed
Protecting greenspace in urban communities is a significant challenge. The land is expensive to buy and it is more difficult to restore ecological functions in industrial river corridors than in less impacted ecosystems. But for the Land Conservation Initiative – a regional partnership to protect the last, best 65,000 acres of the highest conservation value open space before they are lost forever – providing more equitable access to the outdoors and improving habitat for some of the most productive salmon runs in the state are calls to action. View the video below and… Read More
Celebrating King County’s Administrative Professionals
Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 27 is Administrative Professionals Recognition Day, an opportunity to recognize and celebrate King County’s hard-working Administrative Professionals. Administrative Professionals are the backbone of County operations. Many operate behind the scenes to make sure customers get access to the services they rely on and employees can do their best work for our community. Whitney Abrams, King County’s Chief People Officer and Executive Sponsor of the Administrative Professionals Development and Recognition Program, said that she is looking forward to celebrating the achievements and contributions of Administrative Professionals. “I see the impact… Read More
Get free at-home COVID-19 tests
With COVID-19 cases slowly but steadily rising in our region over the past month, now is a good time to check your family’s supply of at-home rapid COVID-19 tests. It’s important to test if you have symptoms and before indoor group gatherings—especially if high-risk people are going to be present. If it’s time to restock, check out the following convenient options to get additional free test kits: Order at-home tests from the federal government at Covid.gov/tests. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to have two sets of four free at-home tests delivered… Read More
King County Superior Court receives technology award for outfitting courtrooms with video
Cross-posted from the King County Superior Court blog While many courts across the country remained closed during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote courtroom technology enabled King County Superior Court hold trials. From July 2020 to March 2021, Superior Court held more than 600 trials, including over 100 jury trials, and thousands of hearings. Superior Court received the Technology Achievement Award in the Connected Government Category for “the successful delivery of a new, modern video system for 48 trial courtrooms to allow remote jury selection, participation, and witnesses for civil trials.” Click here… Read More
Masks recommended on transit
Guided by a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) statement on Monday night, King County Metro will no longer require masks on transit. However, Public Health – Seattle & King County recommends that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time. Click here to read the full announcement.
Drug Court graduates get praise, support from White House drug policy official
Cross-posted from King County Superior Court The top attorney for drug control policy at the White House spoke to graduates of King County Drug Diversion Court (KCDDC) at the online April 13 celebration. Robert Kent, General Counsel for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy said attending drug court graduation is one of the most special parts of his work, “because it is a manifestation of what is possible — how we can get to the point where we engage, and live productive lives.” Click here to read the full story.
New RASKC employees get experience and opportunity through new Jobs and Housing program
Cross-posted from Executive Services Express Through the new King County Jobs and Housing program, Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) has hired two temporary employees who are or were experiencing homelessness. The new positions are funded by the Jobs and Housing program, tapping into the federal COVID-19 recovery budget. Read more about this innovative program.
New IT Helpdesk portal offers convenient, user-friendly experience starting April 22
King County’s IT Helpdesk portal (Cherwell) is getting a new look and added features starting April 22. These changes are based on feedback provided by employees. The new IT Helpdesk portal provides a more intuitive, user-friendly experience, including: A handy search tool at the top of the page to quickly find self-help “Knowledge Articles” that answer basic questions A more prominent “Major Incidents” alerts for unplanned outages impacting King County systems A new “Conference Room Equipment” button for onsite AV support The IT Helpdesk will be unavailable on Friday, April 22 from 6 to 9… Read More
Tech Tip: KCIT shares accessibility tips for Outlook, Office, and Teams
Since one out of five people has a disability, it is important to support everyone’s accessibility needs. Whether it’s larger text sizes or closed captioning for online meetings, accessible technology makes a real difference. KCIT developed this online training series with Microsoft to discuss accessibility features in Outlook, Office, and Teams. Take a look to learn how you can support this work. Accessibility Tools for Low-Vision Accessibility Tools for Hard of Hearing Accessibility Tools for Neurodiversity Creating Accessible Content for Every Body For help using accessible technology, contact the KCIT HelpDesk here or at… Read More
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