Holiday motorists to be greeted by higher gas prices

Nearly 500 thousand South Carolinians are expected to hit the road for the July 4 holiday. They will find gas pump prices the highest since 2008 but still the lowest in the country. The motor club AAA finds gas prices 21 cents higher than last year—in part to the unrest in Iraq. The prices are being propped up at a time when they would typically be declining with refineries ramping up supply for summer driving. With Friday and Saturday fireworks across the state, and no work the next day, law enforcement and traffic experts are worried about an increase in drunken drivers.