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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Gas Prices May Have Silver Lining for Rural Iowans

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Monday, August 25, 2008   

Des Moines, IA – High gas prices are causing Iowa's drivers to travel less - with average mileages down by almost five percent in the city and and by even more on rural roads.

Jon Bailey, director of research and analysis for the Center for Rural Affairs says drivers are combining errands to save money, especially in rural areas.

"The geography in the Midwest necessitates a lot of driving, but rural people have realized, because of the high gas prices, that they do have to drive less."

Bailey says as rural Iowans stay closer to home, it could encourage more local businesses to take root.

"Not only does driving less save on gas, which has all sorts of national and international ramifications, but it also helps local merchants and keeps some of that money in the household budget."

At the same time, however, Bailey worries that the high cost of travel could be worsening the quality of life of some rural residents, who may skip medical appointments to save on gas.





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