News from and about King County… from health updates to community news affecting our daily lives.

Dear Friends:

Today’s update includes information about King County’s recognition of the Seattle Thunderbolts’ 2022 Minor League Cricket Championship win, King County’s call for public input for the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update, King County’s search for participants for the new Flood Management Plan Partner Planning Committee, the Mariners post season schedule, grant opportunities, transit and health updates, and more.


Washington Trivia

This Seattle-born actress recently won her second consecutive Emmy award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Who is she?
(Answer is at the bottom).




King County recognizes the Seattle Thunderbolts for winning the 2022 Minor League Cricket Championship

On Tuesday, I joined King County Councilmembers Sarah Perry and Claudia Balducci in recognizing the Seattle Thunderbolts for their outstanding performance that led them to winning their first Minor League Cricket Championship. Congratulations Thunderbolts for bringing our region another professional sports championship!



With Vijay Beniwal at Marymoor Park for a Cricket match



With King County Councilmembers Sarah Perry, Dave Upthegrove, Claudia Balducci, Joe McDermott, Jeanne Kohl-Welles, the Seattle Thunderbolts, and their families


King County seeks public input for the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update

King County is starting a once-a-decade update to its Comprehensive Plan, which guides land use in unincorporated King County. This update will focus on actions to address social equity, affordable housing, and climate change in our region. There will be many opportunities for the public to provide input during this year-long planning process, starting with two surveys this September. Click here for more information and to share your thoughts through a survey.




King County seeks participants for the new Flood Management Plan Partner Planning Committee

King County is inviting the public to get involved in developing a new Flood Management Plan by joining the Partner Planning Committee. The flood plan is King County’s guide for addressing flooding along our rivers, creeks, and shorelines. This flood plan will build on the flood management plans developed in 2006 and 2013. If you are interested in participating on the Partner Planning Committee, please complete the intake form by Friday, September 23rd. For more information, visit the project website or contact Project Manager Jason Wilkinson at 206-477-4786 or jason.wilkinson@kingcounty.gov.




King County Metro Schedule Revision

King County Metro will revise schedules across its transit network starting Saturday, September 17th. The new schedule adjustments will increase reliability, more evenly space out the time between bus trips, and will preserve service where transit demand and needs are greatest. Metro is scheduling more than 11,000 weekday bus trips across King County. Visit the September 2022 service change page to help plan future trips.


Mariners Post Season Schedule Released

As their regular season comes to an end, the Mariners have released their post season schedule. You can find it below, or at this link: https://www.mlb.com/mariners/tickets/postseason/schedule

If the Mariners qualify for the Wild Card Series, they will have home field advantage if:

1. They are the American League Division winner with the lowest overall record of American League Division winners, or
2. They have the best overall record of the American League teams that did not win their division.

If the Mariners are a team with the second or third-best record among the American League Wild Card teams, the opponent will have home field advantage.

Please see below for schedule options based on home field advantage:






Grant Opportunities

Health Communities & Parks Fund

King County Parks’ Health Communities & Parks Fund has over $450,000 in total grant funding available and may award up to $15,000 to eligible entities for programs, capacity building, land acquisition, and capital projects that increase access to recreation, parks, and open space in underserved communities. The deadline to apply for Tier 1 Awards is Sunday, September 18th at 11:59 p.m. For more information, visit the grant website or contact Adam Schmid at adam.schmid@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-9338.

VSHSL FS5: Service Provider Staffing Grant

The FS5 Service Provider Staffing Grant RFA will distribute $1.53 million to VSHSL-funded nonprofit partners (including nonprofit subcontractors) to provide $2,000 pre-tax retention and hiring bonus payments to staff carrying out VSHSL-funded scopes of work. The deadline to apply for the second round is Friday, September 30th at 5:00 p.m. For more information, visit the grant website or contact Gretchen Bruce at gretchen.bruce@kingcounty.gov.

King County Child Care Financial Assistance Program

King County has allocated $7 million of its federal ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding to support King County families with the cost of their child care. Eligible families may receive financial assistance to pay for their child care at eligible providers. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, visit the grant website or email KingCCFA@childcare.org.


Crime in our Community

This update is intended to inform you about what is happening in our communities and where. Too often, we rely on anecdotal examples to shape our perceptions. I want you to have the facts. In addition to what is reported in the local news, I will be providing you with the tools to explore your neighborhood and our region. My hope is that this information will not only make us better informed, but also provide us with solutions for how we can address the issues facing our community as we move forward.

To see crime information for all of King County, click here.


Health Updates

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and it’s a reminder for all of us of the importance of checking in on each other and seeking support in times of crisis. This year, the new 988 number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline went into effect.

Too many people are experiencing suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress without the support and care they need, and sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic only increased the mental health challenges we face. 988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress.

Updated COVID-19 Booster Vaccines

Updated booster vaccines have been authorized for emergency use. The updated boosters will target Omicron variants as well as the original strain of the COVID virus. Public Health expects the updated booster vaccines will be available at Public Health’s Auburn vaccination site starting September 9th at the earliest if there are no shipping delays. Other vaccination providers may vary in when they will be ready to give the updated boosters. For more information, visit Getting vaccinated in King County.

King County COVID-19 Case Update

Today, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 294 daily average positive cases, bringing the total in King County to 511,621. In addition, Public Health reported 2 daily average deaths, bringing the total in the county to 3,154.

Recent data may be incomplete. For more information, visit the King County COVID Daily Summary Dashboard here.



Vaccine Locator: To find COVID-19 vaccine appointments, visit Vaccine Locator.

For King County residents: Register here to schedule your appointment at one of the high-volume vaccination sites in King County.

For in-home vaccination: Call King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977.

To register by phone: Call King County COVID-19 Call Center at 206-477-3977 or Washington COVID-19 Assistance Hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #.

For veterans: Call 206-716-5716 or visit www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine.

For more information, visit getting vaccinated or getting tested in King County.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 9-8-8 to connect to the new Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, text TALK to 741-741 or visit https://988lifeline.org/.

Find your King County Council district here.


With best wishes,

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember




Washington trivia answer:

Jean Elizabeth Smart is an Emmy-award winning actress who was born in Seattle in 1951. She graduated from Ballard High School in 1969 and attended the University of Washington. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Jean immediately found work with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. After several seasons with regional theater, she moved to New York City, making her stage debut in “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove,” for which she won a Drama Desk Award.

Most recently, Jean has won critical acclaim as legendary Las Vegas comedy diva, Deborah Vance, in the HBO Max dark comedy series, “Hacks.” This past Sunday, Jean won her second Emmy award in two years for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for this role.

Returning to the Seattle area to visit family when she can, Jean, who was recently widowed, has two children and lives in Los Angeles.



Photo Source: The Seattle Times (Mark Terrill, Invision via AP)


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