Ferry rates/schedules change May 1

Peak season on the Pierce County ferry will bring changes to fare rates. Peak season runs May 1 to Sept. 30. Riders should also be aware of several schedule changes that go into effect May 1 that will be in place year-round. Peak season rates and schedule Peak season fare rates start May 1 for…

New County shoreline hearings

It is the intention of the Council to hold additional hearings on Proposal No. 2013-45s, Shoreline Management Program. The Final hearing date of April 22, 2014 has been rescinded and reset for July 29, 2014. The Council encourages your participation in the public hearing process. Public Meeting Notice 2014 Shoreline Management Program Pierce County Community…

April 29 County hearing on wildlife grants

This is notice of the Rules and Operations Committee and final Council hearings on Proposal No. R2014-50. A Resolution of the Pierce County Council Authorizing the Pierce County Executive to Submit Applications for Grant Funding Assistance for Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program Projects to the Recreation and Conservation Office as Provided in Chapter 79A.15 RCW,…

Pierce County welcomes task force home from record deployment to Oso

A Pierce County-based Urban Search and Rescue team has completed a record deployment to the massive SR 530 landslide in Snohomish County. The first 80-member rotation of Washington Task Force 1 (WATF-1) deployed on March 24 and returned April 4. The second 80-member rotation deployed on April 4 and returned on April 19. This is the…

County proclaims April 26 as Domestic Violence Awareness Day

Calling it a crime with consequences that devastate communities, members of the Pierce County Council adopted a joint resolution designating April 26, 2014, as Domestic Violence Awareness Day. Joint Council-Executive Resolution R2014-49, approved during the Council’s April 22 meeting, encourages all citizens to dedicate themselves to domestic violence prevention and to join the county in…

Realize 2030

What transit improvements in Pierce County would help you get from home to work and back again? Long range planning for Pierce County – Open Houses. May 20 4:30–7:30 p.m. OPEN HOUSE East County Maintenance Facility 11711 Prairie Ridge Dr E, Bonney Lake May 22 4:30–7:30 p.m. OPEN HOUSE Central Maintenance Facility 4812 196th St…

Dispose of old Prescription Drugs on April 26

USA.GOV — Saturday, April 26 is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.  Between 10AM and 2PM on April 26, bring your unwanted prescription drugs to a collection site near you. Properly disposing of medicines is important to human health and the environment. If you dispose of drugs on your own, check out these tips from the U.S. Environmental Protection…

This is National Park Week — Join the Celebration

NPS.GOV — America’s national parks are filled with iconic landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history. During National Park Week, April 19-27, 2014, you can explore them in depth. We’ve got fun events taking place in national parks all across the country, including wildflower walks, history talks, and wildlife tours. There’s sure to be an event…

Social Security benefits help people with a ticket to work

Individuals with disabilities encounter numerous barriers to employment. Those frustrating walls hinder gainful employment and reduce self-sufficiency. But Social Security provides many effective work incentives that can be combined with other state resources. Plan to Work, a community-based nonprofit, will host a special two hour presentation about benefits and benefit planning for individuals and families…

Executive presses for extra outreach during 911 outage

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — Pierce County quickly mobilized in the early hours of Thursday morning to support local 911 dispatch centers during a multi-state outage. After learning about the outage at 1:20 a.m., the county activated its Emergency Operations Center in Tacoma to coordinate and support 911 dispatch centers during this unprecedented incident. Two dozen…

Attorney General to help ‘Get the Word Out’ for child advocates

PIERCE COUNTY — State Attorney General Bob Ferguson and former State Auditor Brian Sonntag will be keynote speakers at Pierce County CASA’s “Get the Word Out” dinner on April 16. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteers have been providing advocacy for children in foster care in Pierce County for more than 30 years. There are…

Your tax dollars and your county

Have you ever wondered whether you community gets a fair shake at the state level for the money it puts in? here are a couple fiscal documents from the state that will tell you who really gets the benefit of tax dollars. This is the county by county return on transportation. State expenditures and revenues by county. Those…