More than 1000 gas stations in America s Southeast reported running out of fuel, primarily because of what analysts say is unwarranted panic-buying among drivers, as the shutdown of a major pipeline by a gang of hackers entered its fifth day.
Government officials acted swiftly to waive safety and environmental rules to speed the delivery of fuel by truck, ship or rail to motorists and airports, even as they sought to assure the public that there was no cause for alarm.
The Colonial Pipeline, the biggest fuel pipeline in the US, delivering about 45 per cent of what is consumed on the East Coast, was hit on Friday with a cyberattack by hackers who lock up computer systems and demand a ransom to release them.
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As drivers line up at gas stations on the East Coast in the aftermath of a cyberattack on a vital fuel pipeline, GasBuddy has been a go-to app for finding the nearest spot to fill up. We will keep checking in the background and, as soon as the site comes back, you will automatically be served the live version, the message read.
That message was removed from the site as of Wednesday afternoon.
GasBuddy allows users to find the cheapest prices for gas but has risen in popularity because of a crowdsourced fuel availability tracker that helps users find which stations still have gas. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at the fuel-savings app, said users can go directly to tracker.gasbuddy.com to find more information on fuel availability.
A Clarksville man was charged after an investigation led law enforcement to set up a purchase of drugs from him in Todd County Thursday morning.
Todd County Sheriff’s deputies say 22-year-old Kahil Titington allegedly sold cocaine to authorities in an undercover drug transaction at the Exxon Gas Station on US 79.
Titington was also found to be driving on a suspended license. He is charged with trafficking cocaine, driving on a suspended or revoked license, and possession of drug paraphernalia.