Raids target Roanoke Co. Internet parlors (Roanoke Times)
Roanoke County police, with help from state and federal authorities, simultaneously raided four so-called Internet cafes Thursday afternoon, seizing computers, cash registers, business records and cash for evidence of what a police statement called illegal gambling and money laundering.
Cargo at port up 22.3 percent compared with year ago (Virginian-Pilot)
The number of 20-foot cargo containers handled at the port of Hampton Roads in March rose 22.3 percent compared with the same month a year ago, according to figures released Thursday by the Virginia Port Authority.
In Mexico, artists can pay their taxes with artwork (USA Today)
Can’t afford to pay your income taxes? Paint a picture instead. That’s the deal Mexico has offered to artists since 1957, quietly amassing a modern art collection that would make most museum curators swoon. As the 2009 tax deadline approaches, tax collectors are getting ready to receive a whole new crop of masterworks.
Dogs, Cats & Squirrels, Oh My: Pet-Friendly Offices (WSJ)
To make their workplaces more enjoyable, many business owners have tried welcoming employees’ four-legged friends or their own pets. Some say the animals ended up becoming permanent fixtures because their innocent and playful nature instantly boosted morale. But others say frequent interruptions or damages made them regret the move.
Main Street left out of recovery (Fortune)
The economy may be showing halting signs of recovery, but the turnaround hasn’t reached Main Street yet: A pair of recent small business surveys found that most owners are skeptical or downright gloomy about their business prospects this year.
The Weekly Wind-Down: Baseball/Twitter cartoon (New Yorker)
Safe to open at work.
Raids target Roanoke Co. Internet parlors (Roanoke Times)
Roanoke County police, with help from state and federal authorities, simultaneously raided four so-called Internet cafes Thursday afternoon, seizing computers, cash registers, business records and cash for evidence of what a police statement called illegal gambling and money laundering.
Cargo at port up 22.3 percent compared with year ago (Virginian-Pilot)
The number of 20-foot cargo containers handled at the port of Hampton Roads in March rose 22.3 percent compared with the same month a year ago, according to figures released Thursday by the Virginia Port Authority.
In Mexico, artists can pay their taxes with artwork (USA Today)
Can’t afford to pay your income taxes? Paint a picture instead. That’s the deal Mexico has offered to artists since 1957, quietly amassing a modern art collection that would make most museum curators swoon. As the 2009 tax deadline approaches, tax collectors are getting ready to receive a whole new crop of masterworks.
Dogs, Cats & Squirrels, Oh My: Pet-Friendly Offices (WSJ)
To make their workplaces more enjoyable, many business owners have tried welcoming employees’ four-legged friends or their own pets. Some say the animals ended up becoming permanent fixtures because their innocent and playful nature instantly boosted morale. But others say frequent interruptions or damages made them regret the move.
Main Street left out of recovery (Fortune)
The economy may be showing halting signs of recovery, but the turnaround hasn’t reached Main Street yet: A pair of recent small business surveys found that most owners are skeptical or downright gloomy about their business prospects this year.
The Weekly Wind-Down: Baseball/Twitter cartoon (New Yorker)
Safe to open at work.