FUEL PRICES INCHING DOWNWARD IN CAPE GIRARDEAU AREA

Gasoline prices are showing signs of leveling off after months of steady increases, according to an oil industry survey.

Gas Price Watch, a group with gas price spotters throughout the country, said the lowest price in the nation Friday was $1.15 per gallon for regular, unleaded self-service gasoline at Hammond, Ind.

But the price of fuel was still up in some places. The highest price per gallon Friday was at Chicago, Ill. ,at $2.18. Nationally, the average price has decreased to $1.67.

In Cape Girardeau you can by the highest octane gas for less than the national average for regular, about $163.9 to $1.64.9 per gallon.

Motorists in the immediate area have a selection of prices between Jackson and Cape Girardeau that ranged Friday from a low of $1.29.9 at Basic Fuel in Jackson to $1.44.9 at the majority of Cape Girardeau stations.

Rhodes 101 Service Stations had at least three prices in the county Friday, from $132.9 at Jackson to $139.9 at its North West End Boulevard station in Cape Girardeau.

At least four service stations in Cape Girardeau were selling regular unleaded fuel at $1.38.9 to $1.39.9, a nickel to 6 cents less than the majority of stations. With a 20-gallon fill-up, that saves a dollar or more. A trip to the $1.29.9 station at Jackson means a 20-gallon fill-up saves $3.

Gas prices climbed to well over $2 in some Midwest cities recently and have hovered at near-record levels throughout the nation.

Prices in Missouri averaged $1.46 a gallon last weekend, from the $1.49.9 in Cape Girardeau to the $1.68.9 in St. Louis and $1.78.9 in Kansas City.

All per-gallon prices were for regular-grade gasoline.

"Today's prices don't mean they will stay that way," said Scott Blank of Bi-State Oil Co., where regular unleaded was $1.44.9 Friday. "Prices have been up and down lately."

At one point in April gasoline prices averaged about $1.20 per gallon. But by Memorial Day motorists were paying $1.56, and prices eventually reached $166.9 here. Prices dropped to $1.49 last weekend.

Michael Right, vice president for public affairs for AAA in St. Louis, said many people were reducing their number of trips and some were reducing speed, turning off air-conditioners and looking for bargains to reduce fuel costs.

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