Elevated lead contamination found on 23rd Avenue W in Interbay; pedestrians advised to avoid this block

Map of 23rd Ave W in the Interbay neighborhood of Seattle, between W Commodore Way and W Elmore Way.

Elevated levels of lead have been found in the public right-of-way along the 4200 block of 23rd Avenue W in Seattle’s Interbay neighborhood. Additional testing is underway to determine the extent and source of the contamination and whether further cleanup is needed.
While the investigation continues, Public Health – Seattle & King County recommends that pedestrians use alternate routes around the affected block, between W Commodore Way and W Elmore Street, when possible, and avoid the alley between 22nd Avenue W and 23rd Avenue W unless access is necessary.

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Opening doors when people are ready

A partnership between Chief Seattle Club and Evergreen Treatment Services offers immediate support to people who ask for help with substance use. Funded by the King County Opioid Settlement, the pilot program has provided 500 over client engagements and referrals.

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Executive Zahilay Announces $900,000 Investment to Strengthen Health and Wellbeing for Immigrant and Refugee Communities in South King County 

Community partners arm in arm at a celebration.

Executive Girmay Zahilay announced that King County is investing $900,000 as part of a new public-private partnership to support the health and wellbeing of immigrant and refugee communities impacted by federal immigration enforcement activities in South King County. Two Best Starts for Kids initiatives based in Public Health – Seattle & King County will be leading the partnership at the county: Communities of Opportunity (COO) and the Community Well-Being Initiative (CWI). They are partnering with the Renton Regional Community Foundation (RRCF) and  Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation to invest in immigrant and refugee communities in south King County.

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Planning ahead: Make back-to-school vaccination appointments now

Mom helping young child with backpack.

School’s about more than math quizzes and book reports. It’s where kids go to play, grow, and build community. But where kids thrive, so do germs. Enter: vaccinations! Vaccinations are the body’s practice test for diseases like measles and whooping cough. That way, if the real thing shows up, kids’ immune systems know exactly what to do.

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Opening doors to health through language access: Portraits of Public Health

Portrait of woman with long brown hair smiling.

Public Health – Seattle & King County’s small but mighty Language Access team opens doors to services and information to help the one in three King County residents who speak a language other than English at home. We wanted to know what makes the Language Access program’s approach unique, so for this Portrait of Public Health, we talked to Claudia who manages the linguists in this program.

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