Spring is now less than two weeks away and although most people always look forward to the landscape turning green again and temperatures rising, there is another thing a lot of people across the region look forward to, an extra hour of daylight.

A reminder to our readers that Central Daylight Saving Time will officially return at 2 a.m. this coming Sunday morning, March 8. And, not too many people will mind losing an hour of sleep that they catch up on in the fall. It also means shorter nights and longer days to enjoy the spring and summer months.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins each second Sunday of March and runs almost seven full months, meaning an extra hour of daylight for most of the nation.

With the change in time, it is also a good time to remind people to check their smoke alarms and replace old batteries, if necessary.

Central Standard Time (CST), with days again becoming an hour shorter, will officially begin the first Sunday in November.