The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News - Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

Millions of Americans will feel the pinch of February's polar vortex when they open their gas bills this month, but residents in Everly can breathe easy.

The Everly Municipal Utilities Board of Trustees last week decided to absorb price hikes for natural gas instead of passing the buck onto local consumers. Prices surged in mid-February due to complications at gas wells in Texas, which froze up during the record-setting cold snap that immobilized much of the Midwest. As the nation's natural gas supply decreased, the demand for heating fuel surged because of the frigid temps, which subsequently...