Metro Phoenix has failed to meet EPA ozone pollution standards for about a decade, and the federal government is poised to step up its punishment in the form of business restrictions that could cost the Valley hundreds of millions of dollars.

State of play: Last year, the EPA reclassified the Valley's ozone pollution as "moderate," escalating its previous ranking of "marginal."

• If metro Phoenix fails to meet the federal standard by next summer — which experts say is almost a guarantee — it'll fall into the "serious" level, which will require companies to invest in pricey environmental offsets if they want to locate here.

Catch up quick: Ozone forms when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — which come from wildfires, paints, pesticides, aerosol sprays, etc. — combine with oxides of nitrogen, produced primarily by fossil fuel vehicle emissions.

• These elements need sunlight to interact and form ozone, and with an average of 330 days of sunshine annually, the Valley is at a disadvantage.

Why it matters: Components of air pollution associated with ozone can enter lung tissue and the bloodstream, aggravating respiratory diseases and heart ailments, among other conditions.

• The health consequences are serious but not always overtly connected to air quality. The economic consequences will be more obvious and will be painful across business and politics.

What's happening: Since the Valley has reached "moderate" non-attainment, city governments and businesses must pick from a list of new air-quality controls.

• Major facilities (like utility plants) opening or expanding are now required to offset emissions, which is expensive and time-consuming.

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Experts are hopeful this spring will bring a "super bloom" of wildflowers in the Sonoran Desert — but phenology researchers are still trying to figure out what makes some flower seasons more vibrant than others.

State of play: UofA professor Theresa Crimmins tells us that substantial rainfall in October and periodic rain throughout winter boded well for this spring's wildflowers.

Yes, but: There's not enough data for researchers to accurately predict whether this spring will bring the kind of blanket of flowers that can sometimes be seen from space.

Zoom in: She's trying to change that with the USA National Phenology Network, which empowers ordinary people to submit observations through the Nature's Notebook website and app when they witness plants or animals undergo seasonal flowering or migration.

Be smart: Crimmins says there are tourism benefits to bettering our super- bloom predictions because people would travel to see the Instagram-worthy displays — if we knew when super blooms would happen.

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UofA, ASU and GCU will play in March Madness, the first time the state has ever had three spots in the brackets.

The big picture: The Wildcats are the state's top team in the NCAA tournament, snagging a 2-seed after beating UCLA in the Pac-12 tournament championship.

• UofA is in the South region, where Alabama won the tournament's top overall seed.
• They play 15-seed Princeton on Thursday.

Arizona State: The Sun Devils secured their spot when they beat USC, the third-ranked team in the conference, in the Pac-12 tournament's quarterfinals.

• ASU is an 11-seed in the West region.
• Yes, but: They face Nevada in a play-in game Wednesday to get into the field of 64. If they win, they'll face 6-seed TCU on Friday.

Grand Canyon University: GCU was the 5-seed in the WAC tournament, earning an automatic bid to the tourney with a thumping of Southern Utah in the conference championship game.

• The Antelopes snagged a 14-seed in the West and will play 3-seed Gonzaga on Friday.

What we're watching: If GCU can pull off the upset in the first round and if ASU can get past both Nevada and TCU, they'll face off in the second round.

• That would be the first matchup between two Arizona-based teams in NCAA tournament history.

You tell us: Who are you picking for the Final Four and how far do you think each of the three Arizona teams will go?

⚾️ The Diamondbacks and outfielder Corbin Carroll are expected to enter into an eight-year, $111 million contract agreement. (AZcentral)

🚴 The West Valley Cycling group on Saturday took its first ride since two members were killed in a crash on Feb. 25. (ABC 15)

🏗 A Scottsdale-based developer will demolish the shuttered Smoke Tree Resort in Paradise Valley and build a new 82-room boutique hotel with a bistro and fine-dining eatery by the restaurateur behind The Mission, Zinc Bistro and Fat Ox. (Phoenix Business Journal)

💼 Check out who’s hiring around the city.

1. Operations Supervisor at DHL.
2. Manager, Corporate Communications at Arizona Cardinals.
3. Manager, Automation & Engineering at Chewy.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

👋 Jeremy here: When my wife and I first saw a sign on Seventh Avenue announcing that Sandfish Sushi and Whiskey was coming to the Melrose District, we knew we'd have to try it.

• We're big sushi fans, and I'm a whiskey lover to boot, so it seemed like a good omen that it was coming to our neighborhood.
• Sandfish opened in December, and we finally got our chance a couple of weeks ago.

Details: The menu features traditional sushi and rolls you can get anywhere, but what really stands out are the specialty rolls.

• Sandfish is little pricey but great for a special night out.

We started with a few rolls, and our favorite was the restaurant's eponymous roll, which includes spicy tuna, crab meat and avocado topped with fried potato threads and a spicy aioli.

• We also ordered the Scandinavian, featuring blue crab topped with salmon, and the Koko, which has shrimp tempura, crab meat and avocado layered with tuna and coconut flakes and a sweet sauce that gave it a unique flavor.

For those who imbibe, the whiskey list is extensive.

• I started with a Japanese whiskey and ordered a glass of Hibiki Harmony that was smooth and tasty.