Daylight-saving time springs clocks forward

Clocks in most of the country sprung forward one hour at 2 a.m. today for daylight-saving time.

Federal law, administered by the Transportation Department, specifies daylight time as the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, except in areas that specifically exempt themselves.

Election 2005

Group to address integrity in campaign

A group of Lawrence residents who were disturbed by the postcard falsely suggesting City Commission candidate David Schauner had abused his ex-wife have formed an ad hoc group to address the integrity of local politics.

Citizens for Campaign Integrity will hold a news conference at 3 p.m. today at the entrance of City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St., to address the issue.

County

Seminar explains services for disabled

People with disabilities and their families will have a chance to explore the services available to them in the area at a support seminar April 13.

The seminar, which is sponsored by the Douglas and Jefferson Counties Transition Council, will be at Lawrence Free State High School from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The event will begin with a resource fair from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., where dozens of community resources will be represented, including school district staff and Social and Rehabilitation Services.

From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., there will be a disability support seminar, with speakers from SRS.

For more information on the event, contact Linda Wildgen at 785-832-5050.

Environment

EPA seeks input on ammunition plant

The Environmental Protection Agency is asking for public comments about a proposal to clean up the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in De Soto.

The comment period begins Monday and will continue through May 20.

Investigations by the Army had detected the presence of contaminants in the soil at the plant. The EPA’s clean-up plan can be reviewed at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park. It is also available in the EPA Region 7 Information Resource Center, 901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, Kan.

Comments can be submitted to Ken Herstowskis at the above EPA Region 7 address, zip code 66101.

A public meeting about the proposal will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 20, in the Clearview City Ballroom, 3600 W. 103rd St, Clearview City.

The Army, with the U.S. General Services Administration, is negotiating the sale of the property to a private developer.

Hall Center ceremony set

A dedication ceremony has been scheduled for the new Hall Center for the Humanities facility at Kansas University.

The ceremony will be at 2 p.m. Saturday outside the building at 900 Sunnyside Ave. Those scheduled to speak include Chancellor Robert Hemenway; Donald J. Hall, chairman of the board at Hallmark Inc.; and Victor Bailey, Hall Center director.

The 14,700-square-foot facility was funded by a $4.07 million gift from the Hall Family Foundation, $1.89 million in state funds and $260,000 in additional private gifts. It opened in January.

The building incorporates arches and walls from the old KU Powerhouse, which was built in 1887.

Expert to speak on global market

An expert on the effect of the global commodities market on developing nations will speak at the Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave., at 7 p.m Thursday.

Thiendou Niang, the director of the Agricultural Policy Expertise Network in Dakar, Senegal, will deliver the lecture as part of Global Week of Action, a week devoted to increasing awareness of poverty and hunger issues.

Niang had headed many studies between subsidized commodities and African poverty. At his presentation in Lawrence, he’ll describe the living conditions of small landowners in West Africa.

The event is sponsored by Oxfam America, Bread for the World and the Ecumenical Christian Ministries.

Health

Free information available at Haskell

The sixth annual Health, Safety and Wellness Fair at Haskell Indian Nations University will be Thursday in the Coffin Sports Complex.

About 40 health agencies and organizations will be available to give out information from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is open to the public and people can obtain information about healthy diets, stress relief, tornado and fire safety and massage therapy and other topics.

Also on hand: officers from the Lawrence Police Department, who will use their “drunk” goggles in demonstrations. And in the parking lot, Lawrence firefighters will display and offer demonstrations with their new Sky Lift truck.