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AAA has the following tips to drivers to save at the gas pump: If you own multiple cars, use the one that is most fuel-efficient. Consolidate trips and errands to cut down on driving. Find one location to do all your shopping and other chores. Comparison shop by phone or through newspaper advertisements. Drive slower; the faster a car travels, the more gas it burns. Leave enough time to reach your destination at a proper speed. Avoid quick starts and sudden stops.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - Four area law enforcement agencies received top honors from AAA for their community safety efforts and enforcement activities, according to a press release from the East Central Region branch of the automobile association. The recipients of Platinum Awards at a luncheon Friday in Berkeley Springs were the Berkeley Springs Police Department, Harpers Ferry Police Department, Martinsburg Police Department and West Virginia State Police Troop 2 command based in Jefferson County.

andrews@herald-mail.com A cautious spring will give way to an adventurous Labor Day weekend, according to AAA, which is predicting high volume for holiday travel. AAA spokesman John White said people may have postponed travel plans in the spring because of the war in Iraq, a flagging economy and concerns about transportation security. But consumer confidence and willingness seem to have rebounded, AAA announced, relying on a survey conducted by the Travel Industry Association of America.

Some area businesses are offering free services to those who have overdone it at New Year's Eve celebrations: Turner Taxi , Hagerstown. A fleet of 20 cabs will provide free rides from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. in Washington County. Owner George Turner would prefer if bartenders or hosts/hostesses request rides for their patrons or partygoers. Free rides will not be given for bar-hopping purposes. 301-733-7788. Elite Taxi , Martinsburg, W.Va. Two cabs will provide free rides from midnight to 4 a.m. Owner James Owens emphasizes that rides will be given to people's homes only, not to other bars or parties.

More than 1.9 million Marylanders are expected to travel 50 miles or more during the holiday period, which is the highest forecasted level for travel for the time period in the state since the AAA began forecasting Maryland state travel in 2001, according to a news release from the organization. That is a 1.2 percent increase from last year, the release said. AAA defines the holiday period as  Dec. 22 to Tuesday, Jan. 1, the longest travel period of the year. More than 1.7 million Marylanders are expected to travel by automobile, a 0.9 percent increase from last year, more than 106,900 are expected to travel by air, a 4.1 percent increase from last year, and more than 77,000 are expected to use another mode of transportation, including buses, trains, or cruises.

If there was ever a day in sore need of some sober reflection, today's the day. For too many, the New Year's celebration is observed with the binge drinking of alcoholic beverages, and worse, with unwise decisions to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle afterwards. We urge those who find themselves in an intoxicated condition not to turn the folly of drinking too much into a possible fatality. Think it can't happen to you? During 1997 in Maryland, more than 200 people were killed by alcohol and drug-impaired drivers.

“I'd like to know whose idea it was to put a roundabout in the front of the junior college. We have a hospital down there, and ambulances are going to be flying down that road. Please reconsider. Not a very good idea at all.” - Williamsport “Please do not put a roundabout in at Hagerstown Community College. I live right down from there, and it will be a madhouse. It's already very busy there. It's going to be utter confusion. And I know it's even going to cost more money to put that in, so please, no roundabout.” - Hagerstown “I can't believe it. It's Thursday, Sept.

First Team Kate Zimmer Jr. MH North Hagerstown Player of the Year The Hubs' imposing 6-foot-3 middle hitter was the driving force in North's run to a 14-3 record and the Md. Class 2A West final. Going by per-game averages, she was second in the Tri-State in kills (4.42) and blocks (2.17) and fourth in digs (4.01). She was also a threat at the service line with 66 total aces. Steph Addleman Jr. MH Chambersburg A Mid-Penn Commonwealth first-team selection, Addleman helped the Trojans finish 14-5 with her 2.73 kills and 1.45 blocks per game.

By KERRY LYNN FRALEY Staff Writer With up to 50,000 spectators expected to attend the 135th Commemoration of the Battle of Antietam event this weekend, motorists should plan on waiting to get in and out of the Rench Road site, especially during peak event times, police and highway officials say. Preparations should include measures to prevent dehydration and heat stroke in case the wait gets really long, according to American Automobile Association...

Hedgesville waited forever to get to get what usually is known as the toughest thing in baseball - the last three outs of a game. But when the Eagles finally got the last one, they celebrated their first-ever West Virginia Class AAA state championship on Saturday after a 4-2 victory over Cabell Midland at Appalachian Power Park. The Eagles (29-7), making their first appearance in the states since 1979, had never been in the championship game. They didn't make it any easier as it took some extra work in the top of the seventh inning for an interesting finish.

Greencastle-Antrim secured its spot in the PIAA District 3-AAA softball final with a 3-1 victory over Donegal in Wednesday's semifinals at Carlisle High School. Greencastle (18-6) will face top-seed Twin Valley (24-1) this afternoon at 4:30 at Millersville University. Blue Devils pitcher Elizabeth Ward earned the win after working out of a jam in the seventh inning. Ward retired the first hitter of the inning, but walked Lindsey Mackley, bringing the tying run to the plate.

As ninth-seeded Northeastern celebrated its PIAA District 3-AAA boys playoff win in front of a orange-clad student section - speckled with the emerald green of a few James Buchanan fans - few noticed the Greencastle-Antrim players treading back to their locker room, downtrodden and defeated after their season slipped away. The eighth-seeded Blue Devils had their fans on the edge of their seats like many times this season, but ultimately dropped their first-round game 54-50 to the Bobcats.

Dean Hamburg had plans with his wife and family for New Year's Eve but said the number of people who drive under the influence around that time would keep him off the road late. “I teach Driver's Ed, and I know there's too many irresponsible people on the road at that time of night,” Hamburg, 44, of Hagerstown, said. “When I would go out in the past, my wife was always the designated driver because she doesn't drink.” On New Year's Day in 2011, there were 122 killed in traffic accidents - 50 percent involved drunken drivers, according to Ragina Avarella of AAA who was citing the most recently available data.

More than 1.9 million Marylanders are expected to travel 50 miles or more during the holiday period, which is the highest forecasted level for travel for the time period in the state since the AAA began forecasting Maryland state travel in 2001, according to a news release from the organization. That is a 1.2 percent increase from last year, the release said. AAA defines the holiday period as  Dec. 22 to Tuesday, Jan. 1, the longest travel period of the year. More than 1.7 million Marylanders are expected to travel by automobile, a 0.9 percent increase from last year, more than 106,900 are expected to travel by air, a 4.1 percent increase from last year, and more than 77,000 are expected to use another mode of transportation, including buses, trains, or cruises.

With the Fourth of July holiday on Wednesday this year, the number of Maryland travelers is expected to increase, according to a news release from AAA. “The holiday is falling midweek and gas prices are on the decline, so more people are expected to travel,” AAA Public and Government Affairs Manager Ragina Averella said. “The travel period is defined as July 3 through July 8, but many people will be leaving before July 3.” A total of 846,000 Marylanders are expected to travel 50 miles or more during that period, a 5.3 percent increase from 2011, according to the release.

As the summer approaches, the national average price for a gallon of regular grade gasoline has dropped for the eighth consecutive week, according to the AAA Mid-Atlantic weekend gas watch. It is now at $3.59 this week, while in Hagerstown, it is $3.50 per gallon. That is down from $3.65 and $3.56, respectively, from last week, and $3.79 a gallon for both at the same time last year. The average in Hagerstown Tuesday dropped to $3.48 per gallon, according to the AAA Fuel Price Finder.

Martinsburg has won the West Virginia AAA state football championship by defeating George Washington, 35-27. The Bulldogs won their second straight state crown with Saturday's victory.

Hundreds of their fellow students cheered members of the Martinsburg High School football team as they left campus Friday in charter buses en route to Wheeling, W.Va., to play in today's West Virginia Class AAA state championship game. The buses were escorted by police out of Martinsburg via South Queen and West King streets just after noon. Martinsburg High School Principal Regina Phillips already had made the trip to the Northern Panhandle for a banquet held to recognize the six schools that are vying for football titles in Class A, AA and AAA this weekend.

“I'd like to know whose idea it was to put a roundabout in the front of the junior college. We have a hospital down there, and ambulances are going to be flying down that road. Please reconsider. Not a very good idea at all.” - Williamsport “Please do not put a roundabout in at Hagerstown Community College. I live right down from there, and it will be a madhouse. It's already very busy there. It's going to be utter confusion. And I know it's even going to cost more money to put that in, so please, no roundabout.” - Hagerstown “I can't believe it. It's Thursday, Sept.