Gas prices ‘settle down’

Robert Lambrecht, of Hollister, pumps gas on Tuesday. Lambrecht and his wife, Linda, are former “full-time RVers,” who had to quit because gas prices were too high. BDN photo by Wiley Hendrix

By Wiley Hendrix
BDN Staff Writer
hendrix@bransondailynews.com

Robert and Linda Lambrecht spent the last four years as “full-time RVers.”

Recently, however, the travelers settled down in Hollister because 2008’s gas prices made driving too expensive.

“We used diesel fuel in our RV,” Robert Lambrecht said. “After about four years of RVing, we had to quit because gas prices had almost tripled.”

Now that they are settled, the Lambrechts say they are happy gas prices are starting to “settle down.”

Amid the gloom of the economic meltdown, there is at least one bit of good news. Gasoline prices in Missouri and around the country are dropping to levels that haven’t been seen in about a year.

According to a recent survey done by the AAA Auto Club, Missouri’s average price of a gallon of regular unleaded was $2.81 on Monday, down 73 cents from just a month ago.

A year ago, the statewide average was $2.55 per gallon, and some markets are approaching that level.

In the Tri-Lakes Area, a gallon of gas was going for $2.59 per gallon.

“It’s funny that last year, we were all stressed out about high gas prices ($2.55 per gallon),” said Jonathan Gilliam, while filling up on his way home to St. Louis.

“Then, this year we are all celebrating when they get back to around $2.50 a gallon.”

Springfield’s average price is $2.56. The low appears to be in some rural areas, like Ozark and Nixa, which saw gas prices as low $2.49 per gallon on Tuesday morning.

It was $2.69 in St. Joseph, $2.70 in Kansas City and $2.92 in Columbia.

St. Louis has the highest average price in Missouri — $3 per gallon — but it is down more than a dime over the past few days.

Missouri has the second-lowest gas prices in the nation, after Oklahoma, at $2.74 a gallon.

Kansas’ price is third-lowest at $2.82. The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.21, down 52 cents from a month ago.

Linda Lambrecht said the country needs to look at long-term solutions to the fuel crisis.

“People can’t afford to put gas in their cars,” she said. “We need to get away from our dependence on oil and look into developing alternative fuel sources.”

(The Associated Press contributed to this article.)