Gas prices higher in Nevada than in other parts of state

Nevada, Mo. -- Why are gas prices so high in Nevada while even nearby cities don't pay as much? That's the question many are asking. A Web site that monitors gas prices shows that high prices seem to be mostly to the west and southwest while low prices seem to be more to the southeast around St. Louis and Cape Girardeau.

Information on MissouriGasPrices.com shows that Nevada has the second highest price for gas in Missouri, right behind Rutledge, which is in the northeast part of Missouri. A Nevada Daily Mail employee recently purchased gas in Cape Girardeau for $2.52 per gallon while he price in Nevada was $2.91 per gallon.

Prices in Nevada are higher than those El Dorado Springs by nine cents per gallon, Joplin by 15 cents, and Springfield by 33 cents.

Mindy West, media relations for Murphy USA, said that local conditions, distance from refineries and what other retailers are charging are all factors that impact pricing decisions at their stations.

"We set the price depending on conditions at each individual location," West said. "We look at what it costs to bring the gas to the location, what the overhead costs are and what other stations in that area are charging before setting the price."

Tim Gotschall, owner of Tim's Convenience Store, said, "Basically I just set mine at what everybody else does. It's based on what the gas you get costs. Also, with taking credit cards, you have to charge more to cover the what the card companies charge you."

Cheryl Pilcher, manager of Cash 'N' Dash 1 on Osage Boulevard, said that she doesn't set the prices, the owners do.

"I don't have anything to do with that," Pilcher said. "The owners set the price and I manage the store based on that."

West took pains to make sure it was understood Murphy USA was not owned or controlled by Wal-Mart.

"They don't control us," West said. "We just rent the land from them. We have reached an agreement with Wal-Mart and recently issued a press release stating that we will soon be purchasing the land our stations sit on. We are completely independent, we do have the same colors as Wal-Mart but that was our decision and not dictated to us."

Gotschall said that he was going to lower his price to $2.88 per gallon on Friday.

"As a matter of fact right after we get through talking I'm going out and lower the price to $2.88 and I bet it that by tonight (Friday) it'll be cheaper yet. For some reason a lot of times prices will change on Friday."