Phoenix Blog

The city of Phoenix will offer tax breaks to business owners, giving them a two-month amnesty period between April 15 and June 15 to file delinquent taxes without a penalty. The interest rate for delinquent taxes will be cut from six percent to three percent during the amnesty period...Perhaps business owners downtown could use the tax break to offset this new cost: parking meter rates have been raised from 60 cents per hour to $1.50 per hour. The city expects the price hike to add about $1 million a year to the city's general fund...Phoenix Suns player Leandro Barbosa, who injured his knee during a game last week, won't be back in action until the April 5 game at Dallas, at the earliest. Suns coach Alvin Gentry says he won't put Barbosa back on the court until he's ready...A Buckeye pastor, Charles Lawrence Carfrey, has been arrested on charges of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct with a minor, after three alleged victims came forward and told police the pastor had fondled them during counseling sessions...The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office announced it discovered two active meth labs near Black Canyon Freeway in Phoenix. While investigating one meth house, officers were led to a second house, where they say they found 20 undocumented immigrants inside. The MCSO says it believes the meth labs and drop house were somehow connected...Imagine being able to wear the same pair of skivvies for a week, without worrying about funk. It sounds like a gross-out contest, but it's really innovation. A Japanese company has developed a line of anti-bacterial, fire-resistant clothing called J-ware, designed to be worn for weeks without danger of odor. A pair of J-ware undies are currently being tested by Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. We wonder if the skivvies are also skid-mark resistant.