Gasoline prices on the rise again
Gasoline prices rose for the third week in a row to an average of about $2.30 a gallon nationwide.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported late Tuesday that motorists last week paid an average of $2.296 a gallon for regular grade gasoline, up 5.5 cents from $2.241 the prior week.
Retail gasoline prices are about 5.6 cents higher than they were at this time last year.
Prices increased the most last week in the Midwest, rising by more than 6 cents to an average of $2.285 a gallon. The most expensive gasoline, though, was still on the West Coast, where a gallon cost $2.596, up from $2.536 the previous week.
The cheapest gasoline remained on the Gulf Coast, where a gallon of regular rose to $2.131 from $2.091 the previous week.
The price of crude oil, which makes up about half the cost of a gallon of gasoline, is down about $20 since peaking above $78 a barrel in July and driving gasoline prices above $3 a gallon last summer.
Light, sweet crude for March delivery fell $1.32 to settle at $58.07 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gasoline futures rose less than a penny to settle at $1.6491 a gallon.
Spokane
Avista to hold public meeting
Avista Utilities will host a meeting with neighbors Thursday night to talk about plans to string transmission lines between Medical Lake and the north side of Fairchild Air Force Base.
The meeting will be from 4 to 7 p.m. at Medical Lake City Hall, 124 Lefevre.
Residential and business growth is driving the need for new transmission lines and distribution line upgrades, according to the company.
The transmission lines planned would run from the North Fairchild Substation near the corner of U.S. Highway 2 and Dover Road, and run to the Silver Lake Substation near the intersection of state Highway 902 and Bartholomew Road.
Residents will be able to review the engineering work, including where Avista will place power poles, conductors and other equipment.
The company will be contacting property owners along the route to work out exact details, including the placement of equipment, construction access and changes in land use.
The work is scheduled to begin in July.