The 18th century's John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich gets the credit, but as we now know the sandwich was probably invented no more than five or ten minutes after the appearance of bread.

You can expect region-wide congestion this weekend, the state Department of Transportation says, because State Route 520 will be closed between Montlake Boulevard in Seattle and Interstate 405 in Bellevue.

And, the city of Seattle will close the Interstate 5 ramps to and from Mercer Street.

Searchers have found the body of a missing Colorado climber on Mount Baker. Bellingham and Skagit mountain rescue teams spotted the body Sunday in a hole that develops in the snow just west of the ridge.

The Whatcom County sheriff's office says 34-year-old Sheryl Costello, of Golden, Colo., had reached the summit of the 10,781-foot mountain on Saturday with her boyfriend. They were on their way down when he lost sight of her near Heliotrope Ridge.

The Lions Clubs International’s 94th International Convention is in Seattle through the July 8, and the club’s major Parade of Nations took over 5th Avenue in downtown Seattle on Tuesday.

"The first thing that struck me were the big smiles on all the participants faces. They looked so happy to be a part of this big event and so proud of their particular groups," reported KPLU's Erin Hennessey.

The parade was scheduled to run from the Seattle Center to the Washington State Convention Center. The closure of 5th Avenue and the rerouting of Metro bus routes through the city was expected to last until 2 p.m. or so. (Video and photo gallery inside)

On Tuesday Starting today, two specially equipped Seattle police vans had started scanning up to 20,000 license plates per day, hunting for vehicles with four or more parking tickets in order to give them the “boot.”

Topping the city’s most-wanted list has to be the vehicle with 263 violations associated with it amounting to more than $25,000 owed, according to a list of citations in the City of Seattle’s “parking scofflaw business plan.”

Second on the most-wanted list must be the two cars with 184 tickets each. Nearly 100 cars have been ticketed 50 times or more, according to the city. Officials say more than 20,000 cars are considered eligible for the boot, a device attached to a vehicle wheel making it unusable.

The Lions Clubs International’s 94th International Convention hits Seattle on July 4 through the 8 with the club’s major Parade of Nations taking over downtown this morning and into the afternoon.

King County officials say 20 Seattle bus routes will be changed during the Lions Club's International Parade of Nations, preparations for which have already begun in downtown Seattle.

Sunny (!), with a high near 79. Forecast here.

Making headlines in the Northwest:

• Fireworks related injuries, home fires
• Off the wire: A teen drowns; two injured escaping fire
• Everett schools to step up bully tracking
• Tacoma high school sports fans will see ads

These days home sellers are facing an uphill battle, and qualified buyers are becoming ever pickier. Find out how traffic congestion and pending construction project - even those that benefit the community at large- can impede the sale of a house.

RICHLAND, Wash. – For the last year federal nuclear regulators have been in a battle with the U.S. Department of Energy. The debate? Whether the Hanford Nuclear Reservation’s waste treatment plant is safe enough.

The other big question is whether Hanford workers feel safe to raise concerns without fear of retaliation.

The man at the center of this battle is a well-respected nuclear engineer who used to help manage the design of the waste treatment plant ... that is until he stood up and said there were serious problems there.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington has begun to deport some prison inmates before their sentences are up. The new program is expected to save $2 million a year. But the deportations have immigrant rights advocates concerned.

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington's prisons chief has resigned suddenly citing personal reasons. The announcement late Friday came the same week an inmate was fatally shot during a prison escape attempt.

Governor Chris Gregoire's staff says she did not ask Eldon Vail to tender his resignation.

THE DALLES, Ore. – A fixer-upper is paying unexpected dividends for a couple in The Dalles, Oregon.

The back parking lot of the old building they bought as an investment is yielding artifacts that give rare insight into the lives of pioneer Chinese immigrants in the Northwest.

Seattle’s Occidental Park is a leafy oasis in the middle of the city. It’s now also the site of a whimsical installation where all 27 trees and 16 lamp posts and 57 short poles are dressed up in yarn.

Independence Day is coming up and there are a lot of great activities to enjoy on top of barbecues and fireworks. From Victoria, Canada to Tacoma, check out these links for the events going on this weekend. (Links inside)