Public Health – Seattle & King County has learned of a confirmed case of measles in an adult woman who was visiting from British Columbia, Canada. British Columbia is currently having a measles outbreak with 44 confirmed cases. The only site locally where persons were potentially exposed to measles is the Seattle Aquarium on April 3, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Because most people in the area are vaccinated against measles, the risk to the general population is low. Persons who are unvaccinated, pregnant women, infants less than six months of age and persons with weakened immune systems are at higher risk if exposed to measles and should contact their health care providers promptly if they develop an illness with a fever or an unexplained rash.

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King County residents are reminded to avoid feeding wildlife, keep domestic pets away from wild animals, and be sure their pets’ vaccinations are current in response to a suspected outbreak of canine distemper in area raccoons.
Samples from a raccoon captured in Bellevue have been submitted to Washington State University for disease testing, and the final results are expected early next week.
Canine distemper is not transmissible to humans but is highly contagious among dogs, ferrets and certain wild animals such as raccoons, coyotes, skunks, weasels and harbor seals. Cats are not affected by canine distemper.

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King County Council approves program to install up to 200 public charging stations for electric vehicles

The Metropolitan King County Council gave a boost to electric vehicles on Monday with its unanimous adoption of legislation increasing the number of locations where cars can charge up.
“Electric vehicles are the future of transportation. We need to be prepared with the infrastructure to make them work,” said Councilmember Reagan Dunn, prime sponsor of the ordinance. “This is the first step toward a cleaner future. In three years, the council will see what the next steps should be.”
“As the demand for electric cars increases, the government should be an active partner in advancing new clean vehicle technology,” said Council Vice Chair Jane Hague, a co-sponsor of the ordinance. “I’m very pleased that King County is taking a leadership role in creating a local network of charging stations.”

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Transportation 2040 Final EIS is complete

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Transportation 2040 was completed and released by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) on March 19.
The purpose of Transportation 2040 is to determine how the region can best provide the mobility required to support a growing population to the year 2040, sustain the region’s environment and economic vitality, improve system safety and efficiency, and enhance the region’s overall quality of life.
The PSRC is charged with addressing critical issues such as congestion and mobility, the environment and transportation financing in the central Puget Sound region. Transportation 2040 will be integrated with VISION 2040 and the Regional Economic Strategy to accommodate the addition of 1.5 million people and 1.2 million jobs in the region by 2040. The Puget Sound region was ranked 15th among U.S. metropolitan areas in 2006 with a population of 3.5 million people.

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City Councilmembers listened as WSDOT and Sound Transit staff updated them on the I-90 Two-Way Transit and HOV Operations project, which has already begun.
According to WSDOT and Sound Transit representatives, the project goal is “to improve regional mobility by providing safe and reliable two-way transit on I-90 between Bellevue and Seattle.” It is the prelude to light rail’s East Link (set to open in 2020) across I-90 and Mercer Island.
Over the next several years, WSDOT will introduce full-time HOV lanes for eastbound and westbound traffic on the outer I-90 roadways, representatives said. The existing reversible lane operations in the center roadway will be retained until East Link light rail construction is ready to begin.

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State regulators approved a small rate increase on Friday for Bellevue-based Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE) electric and natural gas customers.
The three-member Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) is allowing the company to raise electric rates by about 2.8 percent and natural gas prices by .8 percent. New rates are expected to take effect this month.
Under the commission’s decision, the average PSE residential electric customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see an increase of about $2.80, and the average natural-gas customer using 70 therms a month will pay about 87 cents more.

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The new rain garden built at Mercer Island High School is part of a larger project undertaken by the Friends of the Cedar River Watershed (FCRW) and the state superintendent of schools. The FCRW envisions a demonstration rain garden at all 82 high schools in the greater Cedar River watershed. Through the rain garden program, high school ecology teachers, school Green Teams and student clubs will learn about stormwater issues, design a demonstration rain garden and communicate its purpose to the community.

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After discovering Macaroni Kid through a friend, Gina Benezra decided last month to start her own version of the weekly…

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Gardens of goodwill are blooming across the Island. Studio 904’s Mercer Island salon is working together with members of the…

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The Washington State Board of Education announced the recipients of the Washington Achievement Awards, given to schools that “profoundly affect student learning,” on March 17.
Island Park was recognized for overall excellence, language arts and science; and both Lakeridge and Mercer Island High School for overall excellence.

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