Gas prices fall near $3 a gallon
By Connie Cartmell, ccartmell@mariettatimes.comNever in his wildest imagination did Hank Voelker of Marietta think he would be happy to see the price of a gallon of gas dip close to $3.
It happened late this week.
"I'm seeing gas anywhere from $3.29 to $3.15 as I drive north in Washington County," said Voelker, owner of a local design, paint and window treatment business. "It will certainly make a difference to me."
After all, remember just a few short months ago - in the height of vacation season - fuel briefly topped $4 a gallon in the region before settling in at the high $3 range.
"Some of my products that I use in my business come by shippers and I am assuming they will drop the surcharges if gas goes below $3," Voelker said.
On the road north Friday, he noticed a lot more campers and motor homes headed south on Interstate 77. He works out of town much of the time and has tried to consolidate trips to save gas.
"I'm curious to see if SUV and truck sales begin to increase a bit as gas prices drop," Voelker said.
Brian Newbacher, director of public affairs with AAA East Central at Cleveland, said consumers will likely see gasoline prices drop even more as Thanksgiving approaches, with a price under $3 a gallon in some locations.
It already happened in Williamstown Friday - $2.99 - he said. It was $2.98 a gallon in Parkersburg.
"Your area average (price) is $3.218," Newbacher said.
But in the current topsy turvy economic spin, gas prices are not the major worry of most Americans these days.
"People are worried about the whole economy," Newbacher said.
As the stock market tanked this week, gas prices also took a nosedive of more than a quarter a gallon in south-central Ohio, according to AAA Fuel Gauge reports.
Lower prices are expected ahead due to the recent sharp sell-off in the price of oil to near $90 a barrel.
Voelker said he would much rather pay higher gas prices and see a strong stock market.
"Anything can happen," he said.
When gasoline prices started to slide, Will Buchanan, manager of Domino's Pizza in Marietta, noticed his shop phone ringing more often.
"It had been pretty stagnant there for a while, especially when gas was $4 a gallon during the summer," Buchanan said. "Lately sales and deliveries have increased."
He figures it might be because as gasoline prices drop, people have more disposable income in their pockets and thoughts turn to... pizza.
"Once the price was $4, it was very noticeable," he said of sales.
It was about that time (mid-summer) that the corporate office of Domino's finally decided to add a 50-cent surcharge to the pizza delivery.
"They waited until the last minute, I don't think they wanted to do it, but finally did," Buchanan said. "I expect if the gas continues to drop and stays low, they may take it off, but prices will have to stabilize first."
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daguyuwant
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10-13-08 8:21 AM
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falling gas prices are most likely due to that lame duck president near elect W. Can we expect anything less from a big oil man, who is about to become laid off... I would really like to know why diesel fuel is nearly a dollar more than regular gas when it takes less to produce from the same barrel of oil. Until we get off of oil, we are going to be used and abused at the pump.
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peppie
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10-12-08 6:31 PM
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I was in Youngstown this weekend and we paid $2.29 a gallon for gas. Which isn't unusual, gas is always cheaper up that way.
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ladynoogs
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10-11-08 8:10 PM
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opinion8ed... thats horrible.. its your money you should be able to get to it. times are hard and i have a feeling no matter who gets elected they are only going to get worse. While Wallstreet and banks gets 700 billion dollars and AIG takes thier expensive resort vacations the rest of us have to worry about how to fill up our cars and refridgerators every week. The rich get richer and the rest of us starve to pay thier way out of the mess THEY made.
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opinion8ed
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10-11-08 7:14 PM
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i tried to cash in my 403b last year and told i wasn't allowed unless i quit or was terminated from my job. i could borrow money from it but not able to cash it in. makes no sense to me, it is my money they are taking out of every one of my paychecks. but i don't understand the stocks as much as i should. i just thought it was a great thing to invest in for my future. now i'm thinking i'd be better off burrying money in my back yard.
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ladynoogs
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10-11-08 6:11 PM
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wish i had a 401K and stock... but i'm to broke for that.. but for those who do have them and are loosing thier shirts.. i feel for you. My mom lost 60 percent of her retirement when Big Bear went bankrupt so now she's stuck having to work, probably, for the rest of her life, so some hot shot executive can have an island in the bahams with his golden parachute.
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mae101
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10-11-08 5:36 PM
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My husband is a Soldier and he said yano hunnie I feel the only reason we are a in Iraq is for the oil and now that Its time for election the Gas prices will go down...And welp its happening. I do believe that Nothing is going to change everything will sky rocket and we will be left in a depression so bad that we wont be able to get out of it and we will all lose everything. I may fear for the worst but thats how I feel. And if we are slipping so bad you think that the stars would love to help out so that they wouldnt lose there 1billion wages they get!
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opinion8ed
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10-11-08 4:10 PM
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the way the gas stations are packed you'd think it was free! you can guarentee that our food bill won't go down though. the high cost of everything else is here to stay i'm afraid. also would have to agree that gas will go back up again.
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NasCarNut
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10-11-08 3:21 PM
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I'd rather pay more for gas than see my 401K take a nose dive...the stock market also...I've lost a pretty good chunck of change....
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ladynoogs
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10-11-08 2:49 PM
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soon as the elections over it'll go back up.
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THETRUTH
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10-11-08 12:02 PM
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Lets blame G.W. for the gas price reduction
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Roscoe2005
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10-11-08 10:42 AM
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$2.99 @ Speedway 7th Street in Mtta
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Francia
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10-11-08 10:38 AM
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It is $2.90 per gal. in our area, and below. Good to see some break to our constant media "noise"
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