While high school students study for finals next week, they could also recycle their old textbooks.

The final installment of our Costly Commute series follow Erica Urteaga of Bolingbrook, a busy 33-year-old mom who totes her four children around to various activities on the weekends, then visits family and friends in Chicago on the weekends. The cost of gas is something always on Urteaga's mind, so she relies on advance planning and car smarts to keep a tight budget.

Our complete series of stories and multimedia on the "Costly Commute," a multi-part series about the effects of rising gas prices on suburban residents.

The U.S. Department of Energy provides the following tips and suggestions for drivers so they can get as far as possible per gallon of gas.

Although the primary protest against NATO occurred early Sunday afternoon and evening, traffic restrictions will still be in effect Monday.

When Patricia Withers left home Sunday morning, she also left her dependent 29-year-old autistic son behind with her husband, who had to fly back from his home in England. "Just in the event I get arrested," Withers said, "someone has to be here for him."

When Zaklina Trpenovski learned that President of the Republic of Macedonia Gjorge Ivanov was going to be in Chicago for the NATO summit, she thought it only natural to invite him to her church, Macedonian Orthodox Church Sts. Kiril and Metodij in Willowbrook.

Adler Planeterium, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Shedd Aquarium are some of the many museums closing their doors for the NATO summit.

Hinsdale was ranked the best western Chicago suburb to live in by West Suburban Living magazine, according to media reports.

Five Hinsdale Fire Department paramedics have been selected as the second runner-ups for the prestigious 2012 Dr. Joseph Hartmann Award of Excellence. Don Newberry, Andy Smith, Tom McCarthy, Doug Niemeyer and Michael Karban were honored for their response to an incident last year in which a man collapsed while marching in the village’s Fourth of July parade.

Patti Saltiel of Willowbrook used a sudden death in her life as a reason to become a better person, and a better mother for her children. She’s lost more than 60 pounds since Jan. 1, 2011 — the day she found out her only sibling, her 54-year-old sister Cathy, had died suddenly.

Dave Hubinek spent several years driving a truck for FedEx, worked as a driver for contractors for two years and owned five trucks of his own for eight. But the difficult schedule left the 33-year-old Carol Stream resident wanting to spend more time with his family, so he sold his routes. His “entrepreneurial spirit” led him to start a taxi service, he said, which he currently still owns — but it didn’t turn out as well as he expected.

As of April 1, Illinois ranked as the fifth-highest state in the country for gasoline motor fuel taxes. A spokeswoman with the Illinois Policy Institute said customers are taking the hit from these taxes when they pay at the pump, and that business owners are not — the same way if you were purchasing clothing and a tax on the clothing increased, the customer’s bill would reflect that and it would come out of their pocket.

The annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive will take place on Saturday in Hinsdale and surrounding communities.

On Aug. 20, Hinsdale’s Nurturing Wisdom Academy will open its inaugural doors to 36 fifth- through eighth-grade students at Zion Lutheran Church. The year-round school will feature exceptionally small class sizes, curriculum customized to student needs, time-independent projects and, one unique catch — no homework.

When gas prices are high, pizza delivery driver Morrtelouis Carson has to do a quick bit of pizza algebra with every trip across town. Each $1 delivery fee goes almost entirely toward gas. He usually puts $20 worth into his 1999 Chevy Malibu’s tank at the beginning of the night — so he hopes to make about 20 trips during his six-hour shift. With gas regularly priced at more than $4 a gallon, it's become even more important to take as many deliveries, per trip, as possible.

As part of our Costly Commute series, we debunk the cheapest time to buy gas and explain the difference between E-85 and regular fuel.

With gas prices at well more than $4 a gallon recently, Robert Cabeen of Geneva has no regrets about buying his Volt last year — and being able to bypass the pump almost every time he drives. He’s among a growing population that thinks electric vehicles will soon become more common as prices drop and more charging stations are installed.

For more than a decade, 88-year-old Florence Schubert has been using Pace’s Dial-a-Ride service through Downers Grove Township. Because of her limited, Social Security-based income, Schubert only rides once a week to pick up groceries at $10 a trip.