Come Tuesday, most drivers who fuel up at Navy Exchange outlets in mainland Japan and Guam will be paying as much per gallon as their Army and Air Force Exchange Service counterparts.

Navy Exchange prices on mainland Japan for midgrade unleaded gasoline — the only unleaded variety available there — were to increase to $2.873 per gallon in August. That’s the same price the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is to charge come Tuesday — a 7 cents-per-gallon increase over its July price of $2.803.

Regular and premium unleaded also were to increase 7 cents per gallon at NEX stations on Guam. Regular was to increase from $2.949 to $3.019; premium, from $3.149 to $3.219. Diesel was to sell for $2.73 per gallon.

NEX prices often mirror those charged by AAFES, which are based on Department of Energy monthly averages for each grade of gasoline sold in the continental United States, plus dispensing costs.

AAFES used the following Energy Department averages to set August prices: $2.954 for regular unleaded, $3.055 for mid-grade, $3.153 for premium and $2.911 for diesel.

A Japanese government discount typically keeps AAFES fuel prices lower in Japan than in other Pacific AAFES outlets.

Police confirm name of victim’s Hachinohe barMISAWA, Japan — Misawa police confirmed Friday that the bar owned by a local Japanese woman found dead July 21 in Hachinohe is named Purple Haze. The second-floor bar is several blocks down the road leading straight from Misawa’s main gate.

Earlier in the week, Japanese police asked Air Force investigators at Misawa to inform the base population that anyone who might have information about the case should come forward. No arrests had been made at press time.

Misawa and Hachinohe police are treating the case as a murder.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call OSI at DSN 226-4486 or DSN 226-3116.

Key Volunteer Center opens on Camp FosterCAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The Marines and families of Marine Aircraft Group 18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, marked the grand opening of a new Key Volunteer Center here Wednesday.

Two months of renovations went into preparing the center, a three-room office space in Building 206, said 2nd Lt. John Fifield, adjutant/assistant family readiness officer. One of the three rooms was set up as a play area so volunteers can bring their children with them when they staff the center.

The Key Volunteers Network, part of the Marine Corps’ unit family readiness program, is to link unit commanding officers with the unit’s families, according to the network’s Web site. Volunteers help distribute information from the command and provide referral services, the site states.

The center provides volunteers with a central location for meetings and event planning, Fifield said. The unit also established e-mail accounts to help the volunteers communicate with the unit’s families about future events and deployments, he said.

Fussa Tanabata Festival to start ThursdayYOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Fussa City’s 56th Tanabata Festival is to take place from 1 p.m.-9 p.m. daily Thursday through the weekend, with games, food booths and entertainment events.

Legend says the festival celebrates the one time a year when two lovers separated by the Milky Way are allowed to meet. The festivities are to span the streets just outside Yokota’s Fussa Gate.

Up to 80 Yokota volunteers plan to parade the heavy Mikoshi, a portable Shinto shrine, on Friday. The Mikoshi parade is set for 3:30 p.m.-6 p.m.

The U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific-Asia is to perform at 4 p.m. Thursday at the West Exit of Japan Railways’ Fussa station. A marching band parade is to start at 4 p.m. Sunday from Ginza Street.

In case of rain, the marching band performance will be canceled and the PACAF Band concert relocated to Fussa 1st Elementary School. Contact Capt. Ben Alumbaugh at DSN 225-8833 for more information.

Summer sweeps program in full swing on YokotaYOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — The 374th Services Division is in the middle of its summer sweeps customer-reward program.

Receipts for purchases of at least $5 at participating Services activities and locations can be used to enter a drawing to be held during the summer sweeps party Oct. 7. Giveaways include five cash prizes totaling $5,000, a $2,000 vacation, two five-minute commissary shopping sprees of up to $500 each, and $1,000 in merchandise from the Base Exchange’s Power Zone.

People may enter by writing their names, daytime phone numbers and units on receipts dated between July 5 and Oct. 6. Drop boxes are available at most Services facilities. Call DSN 225-3308 for more information.