Report: consumer prices, minus gas costs, rise throughout Riverside area

Prices for goods and services climbed 1.1% throughout the Riverside metropolitan area in the last two months, with pocketbook pressure up 9.2% locally over the last year, driven by rent, food and energy costs, federal officials said Wednesday, Aug. 10.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ bimonthly Consumer Price Index for the Riverside Area showed that food prices were the main driver behind higher living costs over the last two months, increasing 2.8% throughout the metro area, which covers northwestern Riverside County, as well as the cities of Ontario and San Bernardino.“Over the (last) year, food prices increased 10.7%,” the BLS said, adding that “cereals and bakery products” most recently led the pack in price increases.In the last 12 months, rents were up nearly