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Kingston man faces drug charges after police execute search warrant on residence

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State, national average gas prices climbed slightly overnight

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Nearly 42,000 area residents are expected to travel for Memorial Day weekend, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.</p><p>This year&#8217;s number of expected travelers is slightly higher than last year&#8217;s total.</p><p>According to AAA&#8217;s first travel forecast of the summer, 41,593 Wilkes-Barre area residents are projected to travel 50 miles or more over Memorial Day weekend, representing a 1.7 percent increase over last year and marking the second-highest travel volume on record for the holiday.</p><p>The Memorial Day holiday travel period is defined as Thursday, May 26 to Monday, May 30.</p><p>More than 37,000 travelers from the area are expected to drive to their destinations, which according to AAA, is a 2-percent increase from last year. Nearly 2,700 area travelers plan to fly to their destinations.</p><p>&#8220;After weeks of see-saw temperatures and a long stretch of rainy weather, Wilkes-Barre residents are looking forward to beginning the summer season,&#8221; said Jana L. Tidwell, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic.</p><p>Tidwell added that prices at the pump contribute to the increase in travel over the holiday weekend. Today&#8217;s <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/546366/state-national-average-gas-prices-climbed-slightly-overnight-2" target="_blank">average gas price in Wilkes-Barre</a> is $2.44 per gallon, compared to $2.80 on this same date last year.</p><p>&#8220;Despite recent increases, lower gas prices have undoubtedly fueled the desire to travel,&#8221; Tidwell said. &#8220;AAA estimates that Americans have saved more than $18 billion on gas so far this year compared to the same period in 2015, and it&#8217;s expected that most U.S. drivers will pay the lowest Memorial Day gas prices since 2005. &#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

AAA: Nearly 46,000 area residents expected to travel for Memorial Day weekend