GAS PRICES VARY WIDELY ACROSS REGION

A motorist reported saving $1.50 by filling his car's gas tank in St. Louis last weekend, paying 96.9 cents a gallon.

That is in comparison to Cape Girardeau gasoline prices of about $1.10.9 for the same regular fuel at most self-serve stations.

That same motorist would have paid $1.65 more for a 15-gallon fill-up in Memphis, Tenn. where prices hovered over $1.22 a gallon.

These reported prices are still less than those of three months ago in Cape Girardeau, where prices ranged from $1.25 and up.

Gasoline prices in the Cape Girardeau area have dropped 15 cents a gallon since early December, and a few cents over the past couple of weeks.

Prices at most Cape Girardeau stations Monday were $1.10.9 for regular unleaded gas at self-serve stations, $1.18,9 for medium-octane and $1.28.9 for high octane.

St. Louis gasoline prices, which have dropped under the dollar mark, are unexplainable, said Michael Right of AAA Auto Club of Missouri, which keeps tabs on gasoline prices.

There has been no sizable movement of prices throughout the state, said Right.

The low-price leaders in St. Louis are running the situation, said Right. "Somebody pulled prices, and the majors followed suit."

St. Louis prices vary, however, as much as 8 to 9 cents a gallon.

The lowest price observed in the metropolitan area, said Right, was 96.9 for self-serve regular unleaded, but some stations are still at $1.05.9 and $1.06.9.

"We've been running within a cent or two of St. Louis prices over the past few weeks," said Paul Dirnberger of Rhodes 101. "All at once St. Louis dropped under the dollar mark."

One of the lowest prices in Cape Girardeau County was at Basic Fuel at Jackson, where it was listed at $1.04.9 Monday morning.

The Basic Fuel station is open only during the day. The station carries only one basic fuel -- regular unleaded.

Most Cape Girardeau stations have been charging $1.10.9 per gallon over the past week for regular no lead, to $1.28.9 for super unleaded.

A few stations may charge a cent or less.

Meanwhile, prices throughout Missouri, like the local area, have dropped only a few cents.

Right reported average prices at Columbia and Jefferson City in the $1.14 to 1.18 range. Kansas City prices are still well over the dollar mark, at about $1.08 to $1.10 per gallon for regular unleaded self-serve.

Gasoline prices could change as summer approaches.

Although no increases are immediately predicted, outlooks during the summer months usually call for record demands, which is usually followed by higher prices. And, with the end of the federally mandated 55 mph speed limits late in 1995, gasoline use and prices have been impacted.