Daylight saving time ends

U.S. clocks move back one hour today as daylight saving time ends across most of the nation.

Two states, Hawaii and Arizona, remain on standard time year-round.

The time difference between Hawaii and the East Coast is now five hours and the West Coast two hours. Denver is three hours ahead and Chicago four.

Daylight saving time resumes on March 13.

Grant goes to recovery services

An $11.4 million federal grant will support a Hawaii program that provides vouchers to people with drug and alcohol problems to pay for treatment and recovery services.

The four-year grant to the state Department of Health will provide clients with their choice of substance-abuse clinical treatment and recovery support service centers.

The funding may also pay for housing, child care, self-help and support groups, spiritual support and treatment for co-occurring mental disorders.

LCC enters program with math focus

Leeward Community College has announced its participation in the National Center for Academic Transformation’s Changing the Equation program.

Leeward is one of 38 two-year institutions involved in the new program supported by a $2.3 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It focuses on redesigning remedial/developmental math courses.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Bill provides mayor leeway on projects

HILO » The Hawaii County Council has approved on first reading a bill authorizing $56 million in bonds for capital improvement projects.

The bill lists only possible projects. How the money is actually spent would be up to Mayor Billy Kenoi.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald says that led one of the bill’s opponents, Councilman Dominic Yagong, to say Thursday night that the measure is "basically a $56 million blank check."

Councilwoman Brenda Ford tried to have the bill name the projects that the bonds would fund, but county officials opposed her, citing the need for flexibility.

The 13 possible projects include $8.7 million for a Kapiolani Street extension and $8.8 million for the Waiohino Transfer Station.