King County celebrates refugee resettlement efforts in the region

Today, King County Deputy Executive April Putney, alongside the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the City of Redmond celebrated the short-term refugee resettlement program for individuals and families coming to the region and the nearly 800 new neighbors who benefitted from the program. Read more.

Why people over age 50 should get an updated COVID-19 booster before the holidays

Cross-posted from Public Health Insider

The cold winter months help COVID-19—along with RSV and flu—to spread more easily. COVID-19 continues to spread and evolve across King County and in the world around us. The chance of having severe disease and needing to visit the hospital is much higher for those over age 50. Read more.

Annual Cybersecurity Training required for all King County employees by Dec. 31

Cybersecurity Training is an important safeguard that protects King County systems, and the number of employees who complete training each year impacts our insurance rates.

When your training is assigned, you will receive an email from kc-knowbe4@kingcounty.gov with a direct link to your required training modules. If you can’t find the email, check your Junk folder or login with your work email here.

All employees must complete annual Cybersecurity Training by Dec. 31, 2022 unless your agency has specified a different deadline. Thank you for doing your part to protect King County. Read more.

Photo of K9 Deputy wins contest

Cross-posted from King County Sheriff's Office newsletter

In November, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) held their 2022 Photo Contest. Photos of Sound Transit K9 Deputy Kristi Bridgman won first place in two categories: Athlete and Officer, and Spirit.

The awards were presented at the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) International Conference in Austin, TX with almost 1000 participants in attendance. This program supports the Special Olympics.

The photo above of K9 Luna and athlete Ariana Graham was taken by Ariana's mother and won the Athlete and Officer category. A photo of athlete Viana Lopez and Deputy Bridgman during the annual polar plunge won first place for the Spirit category. View a video of these photos and all the winners here.

More holiday spirit, less holiday stress with WeightWatchers

Reach your goals—and still enjoy every delicious moment—with a truly livable program from our partner, WeightWatchers.

All employees and benefits-covered spouses and domestic partners can join now for as low as $8.48 per month on select plans—that’s 50% off the retail price. Visit WW.com/us/KingCounty to sign up. Join by Dec. 31 and get a free WW Easy Everyday Cooking cookbook with your membership.

Learn more at WW.com/us/KingCounty. Then, get your WW cookbook at WW.com/cookbookoffer. 

Work to repair lighting in Jefferson Street alley completed

The City of Seattle has completed the temporary repair work to the lighting in the Jefferson Street alley, just south of the King County Courthouse between Third and Fourth Avenues.

 A permanent repair, which involves running new electrical cable, will follow at a later date. Ensuring the area around the Courthouse is properly illuminated will help provide a safer, more welcoming environment for staff and visitors.

Upcoming Mindfulness Classes

Mindful Leadership: Self-aware Leaders are Better Leaders: Learn how mindfulness can help you become a more effective and compassionate leader. Leadership isn't just what you say and do, it's who you are and how you relate to others. Explore how blind spots and bias interfere with good leadership and how mindfulness tools like embodiment help protect against assumptions. And shift self-care from the last thing on your to do list to the first, as no one leads well when they are depleted.

• Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 4 to 6 p.m. Register here.

Emotional Resilience: Working with Difficult Emotions: Difficult emotions can so easily sneak up on us, causing great confusion and sending us down an unhelpful path. Learn how mindfulness can help with difficult emotions. Become more aware, less reactive, and more able to self-regulate.

• Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 3 to 5 p.m. Register here.

See the full mindfulness schedule here.

Mindfulness Toolkit for stress reduction at work

Mindfulness is a practice that can help reduce burnout, stress and anxiety. Balanced You's partner, Mindfulness Northwest created a toolkit that offers practical tips to use mindfulness techniques throughout your whole workday.

Tips include setting intentions when you start your workday and taking purposeful pauses to minimize multi-tasking. View the Mindfulness Toolkit on the Balanced You blog. 

Pet of the Week: Ryoko

Hi, I'm Ryoko, a six-year-old  Labrador Retriever / Whippet mix looking for a new home. I'm 55 pounds, full of energy, and love to play. I'm affectionate and fun-loving, but would do best with a family who is willing to work with me and help me become the best dog I can be.

You can find out more about me and my other friends on our website at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Note that Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) has moved back to walk-in services. Find out more information about our adoption process on our website. If you have more questions, contact RASKC via phone at 206-296-7387 (PETS) or email pets@kingcounty.gov. 

Featured Job: Ending Secure Youth Detention Project Community Partner Co-Lead, Special Projects Manager (SPM) II