Gas prices have recently been a major topic of discussion, as commuting high school students have begun to feel the impact of yet another jump in the price of gas in Powell.

Gas stations have been constantly upping their prices, leaving local community members (especially at the high school level) rethinking their travel plans. 

Junior Pratt Wambeke has to switch vehicles because of how inflation in gas prices affected the mileage on his vehicle.

“Gas prices haven’t drastically changed my mileage, but they definitely make me less eager to drive into town, so I’m putting fewer miles on my car overall,” Wambeke said. “My orange truck has been staying parked more often as well, since it’s not very fuel‑efficient. With prices this high, I try to only use it for special occasions. For our family, since the diesel prices are so high, we try to go places with our family car instead of our trucks.”

Health teacher Mrs. Kandi Bennett predicts gas prices will continue to rise over the next few months as we head into summer. 

“I expect gas prices will go down again; they seem to eb and flow,” Bennett said. “I am fortunate that I drive a car that gets about 30 MPG, so I just budget accordingly.  When I was in college, I paid $.69 a gallon for diesel in a VW Rabbit that got 60 MPG. Fuel prices are what they have always been, up and down.  It is just a necessity that we have to budget for in Wyoming.” 

Even though gas may be expensive currently, there is some hope that prices will level off soon, but inevitably, prices will continue to fluctuate unpredictably, and that’s just something drivers will have to accept. 

 “I expect gas prices to eventually decline from their current levels,” Wambeke said. “I don’t see them staying this high long-term, though I also don’t think they’ll return to what they once were. Instead, I believe we’ll see ongoing fluctuations, rising and falling over time, but with an overall upward trend.”

But what we all need to remember is that gas prices aren’t life, and even if prices are through the roof, we must adapt accordingly. 

“Prices have not affected any travel plans because I do not travel much,” Bennett said.
“I go to visit my family, but I would do that even if the price was $10 a gallon.”

As of May 1, gas prices for regular unleaded in Powell were $4.29.