Gas woes hit water patrol

The higher fuel costs are hitting boaters in addition to motorists–and they’re also cutting into the budget of the State Water Patrol as it tries to keep Missouri’s waterways safe. Sergeant Tommy Roam says the Patrol pays the same high prices that everyone else has to pay. Patrol officers typically fill up at the same marinas as other boatists. Roam says the Patrol has no intention of pulling boats from the water but he concedes the higher costs make it difficult for the Patrol to do its work effectively.