Local motorists have been pumping even more of their money into their gas tanks in the past few weeks.

Since Jan. 28, gas prices have risen seven cents, and are expected to increase more, Bevi Norris, public relations director of AAA East Central, which serves the Ironton area, said.

At Clark's Pump and Shop on Park Avenue, regular unleaded gasoline was $1.63 per gallon on Monday. Amy Issacs, manager, said the in-crease has not hurt business much because all other gas stations throughout the area have the same prices. However, she did say some customers are only buying $5 to $10 worth at a time.

"It's kind of tough to fill up your tank when it's $1.63 for unleaded," she said. "People ask me when it's going to go down. I can't tell them that. I don't even know."

This is also the first time in 2 years that the national average has been more than $1.50, Norris said. Currently, the national average is $1.57 for a gallon of regular unleaded. One year ago, the national average was $1.13.

Prices soared after President Bush's State of the Union address, which heightened expectations of a military showdown with Iraq and a decrease in crude oil production in Venezuela, which has underwent a lengthy national strike, Norris said. In Venezuela, the national strike could end soon, and production has increased. Still, the country's level of production is only one-third of what is normally produced.

Consumers as a whole have not abandoned their sport utility vehicles for economy cars yet, Stewart Hubber, sales manager for Higgins Chevrolet, said. However, some car buyers are considering vehicles that consume less fuel in response to the instability of gas prices, he said.

Waterloo resident Todd Smathers drives to Huntington, W.Va., every day for work.

"There's nothing you can do," he said. "You have no control over it whatsoever. I have a good job (as a truck driver), and it's worth it, but if I worked at McDonald's, I wouldn't go."

Because the Ohio State Highway Patrol is able to purchase gasoline by the bulk, the agency is less vulnerable to spikes in prices, Capt. John Born of the patrol's public affairs unit, said. However, long-term increases in prices do result in higher costs.

"In years past, such as during Desert Storm, we have been encouraged to limit the use of fuel," Lt. Carl Roark, Ironton Post commander, said. "Our operation has not been affected now because of price increases."

Other law agencies, such as the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department, are feeling the pinch.

"It hurts our budget, certainly," Sheriff Tim Sexton said.

The department is unable to purchase fuel by the bulk. Last year, Sexton said the department did advertise for a bulk bid, but none were received. The department is expected to try again.

In the meantime, the Lawrence County Jail is extremely overcrowded, Sexton said. As a result, the county's inmates are having to be housed in other county jails, sometimes in jails as far away as Clinton and Miami counties with multiple units transporting them. One deputy cannot transport several inmates alone.

"These are three- to four-hour drives all day," he said.

In November, the Sheriff's Department used 3,115 gallons of gasoline, Sexton said. Last year, the department used an average of 3,315 gallons each month. Now that gasoline costs 10-20 cents more on the gallon, it can add thousands to long-term fuel costs, Sexton said.