Jean Rowe Gonda and Andree Staruch can account for 300 years of history between them the history of their own Brush Valley Township, that is.

Record rains coincided with the busiest road construction season in Oregon history. That means -- though workers will take a breather from 140 major projects around the state this Labor Day weekend -- crews will be scrambling through October.

The following legislation will take effect beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

Grass skirts shaking

For 35 years, Tadahiko Nakamura has wandered outside his Northwest Washington apartment every day at 3:30 a.m. in search of the morning newspapers -- the raw material that he and five other translators will turn into essential reading for the official Japanese community in Washington and beyond. Japan - Translation - Asia - Communications - Business