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

Dear Friends:

Today’s update includes news about the King County Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program, an online breast cancer awareness event hosted by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and the Seattle Seahawks, King County Districting Committee town halls, a new educational program through the arts for South King County students, an indigenous community-designed doulas services program, and more.


Washington Trivia

This Federal Way native sold the cosmetics company she founded to L’Oréal in 2016 and became the first ever female CEO of a L’Oréal brand. Who is she?

(Answer is at the bottom).




King County Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program

King County's Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program is urging people who need help with rent to apply now, despite a backlog. The county hopes to assist 12,000 households by the end of October when the state's eviction moratorium bridge is scheduled to expire. The program has assisted 4,656 households already and has more than $300 million for rental assistance available. Eviction-related legal assistance is also available for free through the Housing Justice Project. To request eviction-related legal assistance complete this online form.




Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, Seattle Seahawks to host online event tackling breast cancer disparities

To recognize national Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, in partnership with the Seattle Seahawks, will host an online cancer awareness event on October 16th at 10am. A panel of physicians and clinicians specializing in women’s health and breast cancer treatment will share information and answer questions about breast cancer disparities and the importance of screening. You can register for the event here.


King County Districting Committee Seeks Public Input at Town Hall Meetings

The King County Districting Committee announced four virtual town hall meetings to discuss plans and gather public input on draft maps for redrawing King County Council Districts. Click here for more information on how to participate in the town hall meetings and provide written feedback to the committee:

• Sunday, October 17th at 2 pm
• Tuesday, October 19th at 2 pm
• Wednesday, October 20th at 2 pm
• Thursday, October 21st at 7 pm


New Educational Program Helps South King County Students Learn Through the Arts

Teaching artist Carina A. del Rosario, with the support of Sound Transit’s STart Program, produced a web-based education resource that features ready-to-use lessons to help students learn science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts and critical thinking skills through interactive online art activities, adding arts to STEM and transforming it into STEAM. Click here for more information about this program.




Request for Proposals: Indigenous Community-Designed Doula Services Program

Best Starts for Kids is seeking a community-based partner to deliver doula services to indigenous families across King County. Funds will be provided for the period of November 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021, with the possibility of extension contingent upon approval of the Best Starts for Kids Implementation Plan and Budget. This RFP will prioritize funding to programs that are ready to implement services for families on this timeline. Proposals are due by October 20, 2021. You can access the full RFP document and find more details here.


Washington State Minimum Wage to Increase in 2022

The state’s minimum wage will increase to $14.49 per hour starting January 1, 2022. The 5.38% increase from the current minimum wage of $13.69 is attributed to more expensive gas, housing, household furnishings and food, according to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. Minimum wage set by the state applies to workers 16 and older. Click here for more information.


Fall Foliage Festival at Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden

The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden (RSBG) is hosting their annual Fall Foliage Festival on October 16-17 from 10am to 4pm. During the Fall Foliage Festival, RSBG staff will be on hand to lead tours of the garden, focusing on seasonal color and native plants. Festival features include fun nature-based activities for kids and families, a food truck, and most importantly free cider and cookies. In addition, hundreds of plants in the RSBG nursery will be on sale for 50% off. The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden is located at 2525 S 336th St., Federal Way, WA 98001. For more information about the event click here.



Colors of Fall at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden


Weekly King County Health Updates

CDC Issues Urgent Pregnancy Health Advisory

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an urgent recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination to protect pregnant people and their fetuses/infants. This group includes all people “who are pregnant, recently pregnant (including those who are lactating), who are trying to become pregnant now, or who might become pregnant in the future.” Evolving data indicates that pregnant people with symptomatic COVID-19 infection are/have:

• 2x more likely for intensive care (ICU) hospitalization
• 70% greater risk of death
• an increased risk of preterm birth, stillbirth, and newborn COVID-19 infection/hospitalization.

Currently, only 31% of pregnant people in the U.S. are vaccinated. Contact your health care provider or find more information and resources at King County, King County Public Health, and the American Academy of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Exercise, Fitness, Weight Loss, and Longevity

A recent study shows that improved cardiorespiratory fitness - a measure of how well your heart, lungs, and muscles perform during exercise - lowers the risk of obesity-related heart disease and premature mortality more than weight loss and even in the absence of weight loss. The research indicates that the risk is reduced as much as 30%. Moreover, people with excess body weight and high cardiorespiratory fitness had a lower risk of all-cause death than people with healthy range body weight and poor cardiorespiratory fitness. Dr. Gaesser, the study’s co-author, does not discourage weight loss but suggests that it should not be the primary or sole focus of obesity management and recommends first reaching out to your health care provider for a personalized course of treatment before beginning any physical fitness program.


King County COVID-19 Case Update

Today, Seattle – King County Public Health reported 422 new positive cases, bringing the total in King County to 154,839. In addition, Public Health reported 0 new deaths, keeping the total in the county at 1,913.

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 Auburn and Kent.

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

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 in King County.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 or Text TALK to 741-741


Stay Healthy. Stay Strong.

Pete von Reichbauer
King County Councilmember




Washington trivia answer:

Jamie Kern Lima grew up in both Federal Way and Des Moines before attending Washington State University where she graduated with a degree in business. She won the title of Miss Washington in 1999 and went on to compete in the Miss USA 2000 pageant. Jamie appeared on the reality TV show Big Brother before starting a career as a news anchor. In 2008, she co-founded IT Cosmetics, which went on to become the largest beauty brand on QVC’s network. When IT Cosmetics was acquired by L’Oréal for $1.2 billion in 2016, she remained with the company and became the first female CEO of a L’Oréal brand.

Jamie has been included on the Forbes’ list of “America’s Richest Self-Made Women” since 2017. This past February, she released her book, Believe IT: How to Go from Underestimated to Unstoppable, which went on to make the Bestseller lists for business by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California with her husband, Paulo, and their two children.

Photo source: Seattle Refined


To unsubscribe or update your preferences, click here.
1. Enter your email address and click confirm.
2. Select the subscription/s you want to unsubscribe from and click submit.