By KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX –
Regular self-serve gasoline costs an average of 4 cents more per gallon across Texas than last week.
The weekly AAA Texas survey released Wednesday shows regular selling for an average of $2.47 per gallon across the state. Nationally, regular is averaging $2.62 per gallon, 3 cents more than last week.
Houston and Galveston have the cheapest gas in Texas at $2.43 per gallon, up 5 cents from last week. Prices dropped by 2 cents in El Paso, but it again had the costliest gas in the state at $2.55.
AAA says prices as 2009 comes to a close are about $1 higher than at the end of 2008.
Hutchison says race is "dead even"
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison says she's in a "dead even" Republican primary race against Gov. Rick Perry.
Appearing at an Austin news conference about transportation issues Wednesday, Hutchison discounted widely leaked poll results from Perry pollster Mike Baselice.
The results, contained in an internal Perry campaign memo circulating on blogs and among political operatives, show Perry winning 49-36 against Hutchison, with 10 percent undecided and 5 percent going for another GOP contender, libertarian-leaning Debra Medina.
Hutchison said the campaign is a "horse race" and that people are just beginning to tune in.
Recession Impacts New Year's Parties
New Year's Eve celebrations this year are expected to mirror the economy scaled-back -- according to one Dallas hotel operator.
Scooter Yates, General Manager of the Aloft Hotel in downtown Dallas says people still go out, but don't party like they used to.
Yates: Ten to fifteen years ago in Dallas, New Year's Eve was a night of Dom Perignon and Cristal Rose. And now the New Year's Eve is more like two or three drink tickets and h'or d'oeuvres. So, it's not lavish like it used to be years ago.
Yates expects about 300 at his hotel's event, which will be broadcast over the Internet - along with parties in 9 other cities. He says the price and offerings are very modest compared to previous years.
The big, FREE party for Dallas is at Victory Park. Last year, some 40 thousand bundled up to hear live music and see fireworks at midnight. This year, you'll need a "wristband" to get in. They're available at the American Airlines Center box office, or at the "Dallas NYE" (New Year's Eve) entry points.