SPARE: While we’re on the topic of your vehicle, did you check your trunk for a spare tire when you bought your new vehicle?

Check now.

“In an effort to reduce weight and improve fuel economy, automaker continue to eliminate spare tires from new vehicles,” according to AAA East Central.

Recent research by AAA indicated that 28 percent of 2017 model year vehicles do not include a spare tire as standard equipment.

“Last year alone, AAA came to the rescue to more than 450,000 members faced with a flat tire whose cars did not have a spare tire,” the agency reported. “To avoid a roadside surprise, AAA urges drivers to check their trunk for a spare tire before trouble strikes.”

AAA recommends asking when you purchase your vehicle whether a spare tire can be purchased. Then, make checking tire pressure in all five tires a monthly routine. Know how to use your car’s tire-inflator kit, if it has one, and check the expiration date, too.

“While new vehicles are equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems that alert drivers to low tire pressure, AAA’s roadside assistance data shows that tire-related problems continue to be one of the top reasons why members call for assistance,” the agency stated, adding, “Even if drivers do have a spare tire, they are often reaching for their cell phones to call for roadside assistance rather than changing the tire themselves.”

GAS PRICES:Margie Harris of Bradford reported that gasoline prices in Boonville, Missouri, was $2.09 on Tuesday. In the Bradford area, gas prices have been $2.69.

PLEDGE: Today is a big anniversary for one symbol of our country: “The Pledge of Allegiance.”

According to the Associated Press, it was this day that: “In 1892, schoolchildren across the U.S. observed Columbus Day (according to the Gregorian date) by reciting, for the first time, the original version of ‘The Pledge of Allegiance,’ written by Francis Bellamy for The Youth’s Companion.”