[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6547768,"mediaKeyId","3806283-61963da23f0ba0ebfd1c644220d35cef","parentId",3806283,"title","Board of Health updates: Journey to Health Equity report, systems-of-care convening and policy subcommittee work","audioSeconds",622,"startMs",2963000,"endMs",3585000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3806283-61963da23f0ba0ebfd1c644220d35cef&start=2963&end=3585","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3806283-61963da23f0ba0ebfd1c644220d35cef/thumbnail_2963000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6547768/Thurston-County/Washington/Board-of-Health-updates-Journey-to-Health-Equity-report-systems-of-care-convening-and-policy-subcommittee-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6547768-8db248b8a72c100bfa566b1e33b8b398/orig.mp4?Expires=1775633397&Signature=NMK6tTPVIoEGXoi170e6nv6e1CsdRv26zl4N6k4g4boQvLhW~s5NAh9F-wqlyf54yeysTXNo1m82xsoLZflvTKIwBaSHoBtsYna6WJUInUp2IbAH1MDHXOeDJRylyM8l6ULO4rDZCOFGBYVgCcB2-RHN3IxxU1lzYObmGnzrKvg2LJvZ9xrs~5M0YlsaeN195bqb07dFKs~L7K3mBoby2ULt~dfvU5xZl8VVuye4Sm9gcFKByeR4irKdMpnu3tyvpkkMfUysAavb2rqFYxFGUrKuTzPOl0bi0AeuQCd0S8kpq947yO3VnsrQi0srd75lAJiYoRtUGlQGYTkrQoS9HQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Thurston County Washington","date","2025-06-11T14:20:39Z","article","At the June 10 Thurston County Board of Health meeting staff and subcommittee members updated the board on several ongoing projects, including release of the Journey to Health Equity report, a cross-sector convening called Leading Stronger Systems of Care, and policy-subcommittee work on food safety and water/sewer (septic) codes.

A data-subcommittee representative said the Journey to Health Equity report was published and received local media coverage; staff posted the report across county social-media channels and reported engagement metrics: Facebook 929 clicks, LinkedIn 285 clicks, X (Twitter) 71 clicks, and Instagram 87 clicks in the initial reporting period. Board members said the report’s data were useful for public discussions and for shaping cross-agency work.

Commissioner Grant and others briefed the board on a June 5 Leading Stronger Systems of Care convening that drew roughly 88–94 participants and more than 57 partner organizations, including law-enforcement and tribal partners. The event used an interactive polling tool to engage attendees and focused on integration of behavioral-health, housing and social services. Presenters included local treatment-provider representatives who discussed scaling services and investments in local capacity; attendees emphasized a shared “front door” for behavioral-health services, better record-sharing and clearly mapped care pathways.

Policy-subcommittee work under way includes revisions to the county’s food-safety chapter (article 2) to streamline requirements and focus on critical safety items; staff said changes should benefit restaurant and catering businesses. The next, larger policy review will address water systems and septic rules; a consultant has begun preliminary work and the subcommittee will consider scope and sequencing over the summer.

Board governance changes discussed by a subcommittee include a simplified process for requesting agenda items: members can email the board clerk at least two weeks before meetings rather than completing a separate form, and the clerk will track outstanding suggestions so items are not lost. The subcommittee also recommended annual review of conflict-of-interest policies and an interest survey to plan optional and required trainings (Open Public Meetings training will be tracked as required). Board members requested more lead time and outreach for county-hosted events and a forthcoming trainings interest survey.

The health officer/director reported from a state-level public-health conference (noted to be focusing on foundational public-health services and federal/state funding discussions). The meeting concluded with an announced executive-session recess for a quasi-judicial septic-code matter; the transcript shows the board reconvened and adjourned later in the afternoon.

Board staff indicated more follow-up items and subsequent meetings to continue work on the topics described.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","June 10, 2025 Thurston County Board of Health Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Board members reviewed recent county public-health work: release and outreach for the Journey to Health Equity report, a cross-sector Leading Stronger Systems of Care convening, policy-subcommittee reviews of food-safety and water/septic chapters, and plans for agenda-request and training processes.","taxTitle","Thurston County, Washington","taxId",4614,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6547774,"Resident urges Thurston County to avoid aquatic herbicides at McAllister Springs, suggests harvesting alternative",260,1550000,1810000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3806283-61963da23f0ba0ebfd1c644220d35cef&start=1550&end=1810","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3806283-61963da23f0ba0ebfd1c644220d35cef/thumbnail_1550000.jpg","/articles/6547774/Thurston-County/Washington/Resident-urges-Thurston-County-to-avoid-aquatic-herbicides-at-McAllister-Springs-suggests-harvesting-alternative","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6547774-47b5bb688d5d789816a4978fb632746c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775633397&Signature=TJnEYkORNth7RwRrB0BKfBzEf~yyiGmCIVZ~Kp~hErmjZJqmTxrUkR67ihDmwt9Jn9tFK~r~xN1FfkfY-ANDHrzYE~vwwnlK1SlCkiBhEkHC3JeQ8P1WzZV2NSXz~SrwcwMVx7v7sy-qtBUBUuI-lS0U-dCx4pbKro-bubu-qxqCyIyCgoD0Yjqr44shsx64eqTGa6zqkGKobfOhz8GQU7YHbm-xr~9xosR15XyBRMkatcW8d~t1joDG5NUXJJ4YU1gsvXSf8Etn80Mi4qHtkXFBLE7t7OcnseFzjoe1oH31a0Q3-5FeLjIFzQ~sOIXFHxDm7VDwmH~kSSV0DWEEYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Patterson Lake resident and waterfront property owner told the Thurston County Board of Health during public comment on June 10 that he opposes proposed use of conditional aquatic herbicides in the McAllister Springs area and urged mechanical harvesting as an alternative.

Brett Trowbridge said the steering committee behind a proposed lake-treatment plan is recommending two conditional herbicides (transcribed as “endo thaw and maprazier”) despite the county’s own environmental-health ratings that list other aquatic herbicides as acceptable. He said the steering committee’s petition claims lakefront properties were included in treatment but that the draft map left out many properties.

Trowbridge noted McAllister Springs is a geosensitive area established by the Board of Health in 1990 and said the lake feeds the county’s drinking-water supply. He cited a long-running property-rights case and said waterfront owners own the bottom of the lake, according to a 1945 county case he provided to board members. He asked the board to reconsider use of herbicides in the geosensitive area and offered alternatives.

“As solutions, if lily pads can easily be controlled by ground cutting or harvesting, allow no aquatic herbicides,” Trowbridge said. He cited cost comparisons he presented at a previous meeting: harvesting cited at 2,400 (units not specified) per acre per year and herbicides at 1,600 (units not specified) per acre per year, but argued that harvesting can avoid herbicide use in a sensitive watershed.

The board’s public-comment time limit ended Trowbridge’s remarks; staff thanked him for the information and noted the material was shared with board members and the prosecutor’s civil division had been asked for an opinion about jurisdiction over the lakebed. The transcript does not record a formal board action taken in response to this comment during the meeting.

Trowbridge’s remarks were part of a larger public-comment segment that included other community speakers on different topics.","A Patterson Lake resident told the Board of Health the lake-treatment steering committee proposes conditional herbicides for aquatic weed control and urged the county to choose mechanical harvesting and avoid herbicides in a geologically sensitive area that feeds county drinking water.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6547778,"Thurston County Board of Health proclaims June 2025 Men’s Health Month",252,1148000,1400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3806283-61963da23f0ba0ebfd1c644220d35cef&start=1148&end=1400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3806283-61963da23f0ba0ebfd1c644220d35cef/thumbnail_1148000.jpg","/articles/6547778/Thurston-County/Washington/Thurston-County-Board-of-Health-proclaims-June-2025-Mens-Health-Month","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6547778-99904c456cdfc681354c6155700298fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775633397&Signature=LrCb1aRGlI6RL5Q5WU67O9PohWOLvCaFNLVOl7GOPLDjxuM9HFnwj4VyprePbFD4KaWFWOWWqn6ZwY6sAnUetxweevlRSCHCBsZBDkDOZ8Qc9fldu4g84Vb7JhdBY0D5sm19BTZMDrhssOJS-pf8605LAp1RBwqOXd3D~7-CD7Yymsp4RxtDGU2lGjDgsYRH8PeCWvjvFIQb98GzxLIKItcbuXyRiXJgWYQB5j~THRlAUVfpRq0eihPc9ipnZx11KCNUabX0h1tp2kvk8ONLS-AFnVb9oRmL3sT0OVoZvZBCIhXhq7E1-5D58xixkLrGg0P1CiU3Nfh7KaEZgY6d4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Thurston County Board of Health on June 10 read and commemorated a proclamation recognizing June 2025 as Men’s Health Month and heard remarks from county staff and community representatives about health disparities affecting men and boys.

Neil Sharp, identified as a population health staff member in the county’s Public Health and Social Services Department, told the board that men face higher rates of premature death from heart disease, cancer, overdose and suicide and that local data reflect national trends in which men are less likely to seek timely health care. “By proclaiming June as men's health month in Thurston County, we send a clear message. Men's health matters,” he said.

The proclamation text notes that men in the United States and in Washington state experience higher death rates for many leading causes, cites a 2023 male suicide rate figure included in the proclamation, and encourages preventive screenings and efforts to reduce stigma around seeking care. The board read the proclamation into the record and did not take a separate roll-call vote during the reading.

Several community members addressed the board in support of the proclamation. Judge Brett Buckley (described in his remarks as working in mental-health and veterans court) spoke about the intersection of mental health, substance use and men’s health, described typical case histories encountered in therapeutic courts, and urged practical, everyday steps—screenings, vaccines, nutrition and outdoor activity—as part of prevention and recovery work.

A written comment from Kayoki (Kayoki Howyouannoy, listed in the transcript as staff with Family Education & Support Services) was read into the record; the comment described parenting programs that emphasize fathers’ engagement and argued that improving men’s health supports family stability.

The board thanked speakers and moved on to other agenda items. The transcript records the proclamation reading and public remarks but does not show a recorded roll-call vote on the proclamation; the item proceeded without further formal action recorded in the meeting minutes excerpt.","The board read a proclamation designating June as Men’s Health Month and heard remarks from the county population health staff and community members about male health disparities, prevention and mental-health outreach.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6547783,"Thurston County Board of Health proclaims June 2025 Gun Violence Awareness Month",694,248000,942000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3806283-61963da23f0ba0ebfd1c644220d35cef&start=248&end=942","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3806283-61963da23f0ba0ebfd1c644220d35cef/thumbnail_248000.jpg","/articles/6547783/Thurston-County/Washington/Thurston-County-Board-of-Health-proclaims-June-2025-Gun-Violence-Awareness-Month","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6547783-1eec7a14472f6c7957cd091234736ab7/orig.mp4?Expires=1775633398&Signature=lu4yAWBogyr6tAaK05J51ydkwFfwjoBoef0twhJMCYZ~L03eI3jjclanxeR07oYtHGTsb0Z4aYpmWz8IBjSge46sJF4L96KunX28AdmxcNdz07UhYzpeGeepukqLj2DR96jWshXtaOcPhOIFDiBZ~FouiZbzCsrSK51l0Y0aoZPijXnv3BNssxC6jJkipm7QUWLje7v3NCH7gn~r4O394Rds-MfgSh7qGk8y8uUYaUzGjPAXi7pdoc7e2137ySSXoe8sKFOemzwx~3eEWAwjs4NVJb078vOuwgCqBhSfVDGaYSejZyUhiF80nDvdONI7aojgURIfNxexyf8pWy~AiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Thurston County Board of Health on June 10 read a proclamation declaring June 2025 as Gun Violence Awareness Month and heard brief remarks from county staff and local advocates about safe-storage outreach and free gun-lock distribution.

The proclamation cites state data and local surveys showing increases in firearm deaths and notes that more than half of the 4,677 firearm deaths in Washington state between 2019 and 2023 were suicides. It also states that between 2019 and 2023 there were 620 stolen-firearm incidents in the state. The board read the text of the proclamation during the meeting and moved to commemorate the month; the board then posed for a photo with invited guests.

Ramona Medalla, identified as a mental health education and outreach specialist in Thurston County’s parent–child health division, described a county program called Lock It Up that distributes gun locks and other safe-storage devices. “We are trying to educate people about safe storage for gun locks and other devices, and we are actually giving them out,” she said, adding that her group had handed out about 30 locks earlier that day at a separate event.

Ed Humble, speaking for Thurston Gun Sense, described that group as a local affiliate working with the statewide Alliance for Gun Responsibility. He said Thurston Gun Sense has distributed free gun locks at community events across the county, including rural gatherings, and emphasized suicide prevention and reducing unauthorized access to firearms.

Board members and other meeting participants spoke in support of the proclamation and of outreach that pairs safe-storage devices with education. A board member with emergency-room experience said firearm access can lead to catastrophic, life-altering injuries and thanked the advocates for their work.

The proclamation text that the board read urges residents to honor victims, participate in remembrance activities, and encourage safe storage to reduce unauthorized access and future injuries. The meeting record does not include a roll-call vote on the proclamation; the board proceeded with the planned photo and moved to subsequent agenda items.

The board also received questions and comments about safe-storage devices and distribution, including mention of larger, lockable safes that can be secured inside vehicles to reduce theft.

A copy of the proclamation and the public remarks by county staff and Thurston Gun Sense are part of the meeting record.","The Thurston County Board of Health read and adopted a proclamation recognizing June 2025 as Gun Violence Awareness Month and heard from county staff and local advocates about safe-storage outreach and free gun-lock distribution programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board of Health updates: Journey to Health Equity report, systems-of-care convening and policy subcommittee work

Resident urges Thurston County to avoid aquatic herbicides at McAllister Springs, suggests harvesting alternative

Thurston County Board of Health proclaims June 2025 Men’s Health Month

Thurston County Board of Health proclaims June 2025 Gun Violence Awareness Month