Some area residents aren't taking any chances At $39.95, gas masks aren't cheap. But what price peace of mind? asked Brooks Strickland, the owner of Strickland's Surplus on Carolina Beach Road. "That's only taking two people out to eat," said Mr. Strickland, who sold 18 of the masks Wednesday. With the government raising the state of alert Feb. 7, such purchases can seem more practical than paranoid. But New Hanover County's emergency management director cautioned against using the masks, which need to be properly fitted and may not have filters appropriate to the threat. Instead, Dan Summers, the director, echoed...