Casey’s General Stores saw its earnings fall in its second quarter as customers bought fewer prepared food items and its expenses grew on the way to opening its 2,000th store, the Corridor Business Journal reported. The Ankeny-based convenience store chain reported diluted earnings of $1.28 per share for the second quarter of fiscal 2018, compared with $1.44 a share in the same quarter a year ago. Total revenues increased more than 12 percent over last quarter, to $2.15 billion, while total operating expenses rose 9.4 percent, to $322.9 million, reflecting increases in employee-related costs from operating more stores and growth programs in more stores.